Free summer fireworks: Bournemouth and Poole dates

The free summer fireworks are back across the coast this year, and they are spread across two sites rather than a single weekend. The Bournemouth seafront displays run on Fridays, while Poole Quay takes the Thursdays, so there is a show to catch almost every week from late July through to the end of August.

The Bournemouth seafront displays are the ones to know first. They run on Fridays, starting on 24 July and continuing through 31 July, then 7, 14, 21 and 28 August, with the fireworks going off at 10pm each time, just east of Bournemouth Pier. They are free, there is no booking needed, and they are choreographed to music, which you can see from anywhere along the coastline.

Poole Quay picks up the other half of the week. Its displays run on Thursdays from 6 August to 27 August, so the 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th. This one is built out into a full evening: things get going at 7pm, with music and street entertainment from 7.30pm, and the fireworks themselves at 10pm over what is described as the largest natural harbour in Europe. There is live music, family street entertainment, and rides and activities for children in the lead-up to the finale, and like the Bournemouth shows, it is free to attend with no booking required. The Poole Tourist Information Centre organises it, and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council manages it.

If you want to see the Poole display from the water, there is a Diverse Abilities fireworks cruise on the opening night, Thursday 6 August. The boat sets sail from Poole Quay at 7.30pm, so you are asked to arrive by 7pm, and it costs £25 per adult and £15 per child. You get a glass of prosecco on arrival, and there is a bar on board for more drinks. It is a paid option rather than a free one, but it is the way to see the finale from the harbour itself.

It is worth knowing where the money comes from, because it explains why these are free. The seafront displays are partly funded by the Bournemouth Coastal Business Improvement District, paid for by accommodation providers and other traders who want to encourage people to stay longer and spend more in the resorts. Local hoteliers and hospitality venues have been vocal about it, with feedback pointing to the fireworks as one of the attractions visitors value most over the summer. The council says the aim is to create a vibrant atmosphere for residents and visitors alike.

For anyone planning a trip, the Poole Tourist Information Centre is based at Scaplen's Court on Sarum Street in Poole, open from 10am to 5pm seven days a week, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, on 01202 128 888. Between the two sites, there is a display nearly every week for the next month, so it is easy to fit one in whether you are based in Bournemouth or Poole. The Bournemouth shows are the Friday night option, and the Poole Quay ones are the Thursday evening plan, both free and both choreographed to music.