The Big Glow Show: Boscombe's laser alternative

If you are after a family evening that does not revolve around fireworks, there is a new option landing in Boscombe next month. The Big Glow Show, put on by Stir Events CIC, takes over Shelley Park on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November, and it is built as a sustainable alternative to the usual bonfire night display, swapping explosives for lasers, live music and performance.

The gates open at 5pm on both nights, the first show starts at 6pm, and things run through until 9pm. The evening is split into three distinct sections, each with its own choreographed laser show set to music. The first is the Family and Feel-Good hour, opened by singer Gem Rose with a programme of family favourites and songs aimed at younger audiences. The second, Classic and Celebration, brings Gem Rose back with a run of feel-good favourites, disco and pop classics. The third, R&B and Party, hands over to Matt Black – The Piano Man, who ramps things up with R&B, popular favourites, rock anthems and Motown.

What fills the gaps between those three main laser shows is where a lot of the evening lives. Between the music sets, there are fire performers, circus acts and hula-hoop artists, with live singers performing for roughly 45 minutes alongside circus and fire entertainers before each hour builds to a 15-minute laser finale. It is a format that keeps the energy moving rather than relying on a single big moment.

Beyond the stage, there is a selection of food and drink from hot food vendors and licensed bars, plus a small fairground element, so it works as a full evening rather than just a show to watch and leave. The whole thing is designed to be welcoming, accessible and affordable across the ages, and the organisers have said they want it to settle into the Boscombe calendar as a new November tradition.

There is also a community angle worth knowing about. Stir Events CIC reinvests the money raised here into other community projects, such as the free Shake and Stir event, so the ticket price does more than just cover the night. Mandy Jane Polkey, managing director of Stir Events CIC, has described the aim as creating the excitement and atmosphere of a big November night out through live music, performance, lasers, colour and light, without the fireworks.

Shelley Park sits in Boscombe, with addresses listed as Chessel Avenue, BH5 1LX and Boscombe Overcliff Drive, BH5 1LN, so it is easy enough to find whether you are coming from the seafront or inland. Tickets go through Eventbrite, so it is worth sorting yours before the weekend. If you have been looking for a way to do a November night out with younger children in tow, this is a genuinely family-friendly alternative to the usual fireworks display, and it is one that Boscombe is hoping will become a fixture year after year.