Bonfire Night 2026: Fireworks Displays Across Dorset

Bonfire Night falls on Thursday 5 November this year, but Dorset's fireworks season starts a few days earlier and runs into the following week, so there's plenty of choice for picking a date. Closest to home, the Littledown Centre in Bournemouth holds a firework evening on Saturday 7 November. Gates open at 5pm, with three displays at 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. Fire performers, live music, a pay-as-you-go fun fair and an indoor family zone with activities for children are all part of the evening. Tickets can be bought on the night, but cash is needed at the gate, and buying in advance gets you fast-track entry. Under-3s go free, children aged 3 to 15 need a child ticket, and anyone under 16 must be with an adult at all times. Dogs aren't allowed.

The same Saturday brings a traditional night to the Butchers Coppice Scout Camp on Holloway Avenue, Bear Cross. The gates open at 4:30pm, the bonfire is lit at 6pm, a Guy competition takes place at 7pm and the aerial display starts at 7:30pm. Adult tickets cost £8 (£7 if bought before the day), children are £5 (£4 in advance), and a family ticket for two adults and two children is £20 (£17 in advance). Earlier in the afternoon, Avonwood Primary School opens its gates at 4pm, with funfair rides, an inflatable assault course, a cave wall and craft stalls. If you prefer something without a bang, the Talbot Heath School on Saturday 7 November has choreographed laser shows at 6:30pm and 7:45pm, with gates opening at 5:30pm. In Boscombe, The Big Glow Show at Shelley Park runs on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November, with the first show at 6pm. It offers laser spectaculars, three themed shows, circus acts and fire entertainers, and tickets are sold through Eventbrite.

For a quieter evening, Manorside Academy in Bournemouth hosts a low-noise display on Tuesday 3 November, with gates at 4:30pm and the display at 6:15pm. The same kind of low-noise format returns at St Katherine's School in Southbourne on Thursday 12 November, which adds a bubble show and opens its gates at 5pm. Across the harbour, Poole Quay has a free display on Thursday 5 November, with entertainment from 5pm and fireworks at 8pm. Those who would rather watch from the water can book the fireworks cruise run by Coastal Cruises that evening, between 7pm and 8:15pm. Further along the coast, Weymouth Bay hosts a free bonfire and fireworks night on the same date, with a display at 8pm that includes a drone pilot show. In West Bay, the East Beach display on Saturday 31 October is free and starts at 8pm, after a Guy competition at 6pm whose winner lights the bonfire.

Inland, the Verwood Flameburst on Saturday 31 October opens its gates at 6pm, with displays at 7pm and 8:45pm. Ringwood hosts a grand fireworks event with a fairground on Sunday 1 November, and the Ringwood Raceway adds stock car and banger racing alongside its fireworks on Saturday 7 November. At Brewery Farm in Upwey, the Friday 6 November event raises money for the Ducks & Drakes Cancer Trust, with gates at 5:30pm and the display at 7pm. Dates and times can change, and displays may depend on the weather, so it's worth checking with each organiser before you set off.