Bonfire Night falls on a Thursday this year, and across Dorset the fireworks are spread over the whole week and the weekend after. If you want to watch the big show closest to home, the main event in Weymouth takes place on Thursday 5 November on the seafront and in Weymouth Bay. It is free to attend, and the promenade traders open from 5pm. A pilot drone display starts at 7.15pm, the beach bonfire is lit at 7.40pm and the fireworks follow at 8pm over the bay, with a funfair and stalls along the front to fill the gap beforehand.
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The same evening, Poole Quay holds its own display, with entertainment from 5pm and fireworks at 8pm. Admission is free. For something a little different, a Poole Fireworks Cruise leaves at 7pm. Across the county, many schools and clubs hold their own evenings, and several of them fall in the days around the 5th. Shaftesbury Primary School opens its gates at 5pm on Wednesday 4 November, with the display at 6.30pm. On Thursday, Pimperne Primary School has its display at 6.30pm, Lytchett Matravers Primary School at 6.30pm, and Stalbridge Scouts at 7pm at Stalbridge Playing Fields, where tickets can be bought in advance from Dike & Son.
Friday 6 November is busy. At Haymoor Junior School in Poole the gates open at 6pm and the display is at 7.45pm. The Blandford School's Big Bang starts with gates at 5pm, although the display time has not been fixed yet. Brewery Farm at Ansty, near Dorchester, opens at 5.30pm and fireworks go up at 7pm; the evening raises money for Ducks & Drakes Cancer Trust. Wareham Recreation Ground has gates at 6pm and the display at 8.30pm, while the Coppleridge Inn at Motcombe fires its display at 8pm. In Bournemouth, Shelley Park hosts The Big Glow Show on Friday and Saturday, running from 5pm to 9pm. It is a ticketed laser show, with no traditional fireworks, and it includes fire performers, circus acts, live singers and a small fair.
Saturday 7 November has the largest number of events. Lyme Regis puts on its free display at 6.30pm along Marine Parade and the Cobb, and the harbour lights up around it. The Littledown Centre in Bournemouth runs from 5pm to 10pm, with three displays at 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. Tickets are needed, advance booking gives fast-track entry, and the box office takes cash only. Children must be accompanied by an adult and pets are not allowed. At Butchers Coppice Activity Centre in Bournemouth the bonfire is lit at 6pm, with fireworks at 7.30pm. Elsewhere, the Milborne St Andrew Sports Club display is at 7.30pm, Upwey's West Farm at Bincombe at 7.30pm, the Donhead display at The Remembrance Field, Charlton, at 7.30pm, and Abbotsbury at 7pm. Ringwood Raceway has gates at 6pm, with the display time still to be confirmed, and Talbot Heath School's Laser Night has shows at 6.30pm and 7.45pm.
Times and entry rules can change, so it is worth checking the organiser's page before heading out, particularly for the events where the display time is still listed as to be confirmed.
Published Date
2 November 2026
