York's main firework display is back for another year, and if you are planning to head out, it is worth knowing a few things before you set off. The York Firework Spectacular runs on Saturday 7 November at Rufforth Airfield East, on Wetherby Road in Rufforth, YO23 3QA, and it is put on by Sky Magic Events. The gates are open from 16:00 and things wrap up around 21:30, so there is plenty of time to settle in before the main event.
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Tickets are priced between £5 and £15, with child tickets for anyone 16 and under and free entry for under-fives. If you are driving, there is VIP Drive-In Parking available for a fee, but it needs a separate permit and does not include entry to the display itself; it sits in its own area, so you will still have a short walk to the site. The public entrance is at What3Words ///limitless.indoors.bulletins, while the VIP entrance is at ///cashier.headboard.permit. The airfield is about six miles from York city centre, roughly ten minutes up the A64, and you can also get there by train from York station.
Because it is a rural site, a couple of practical tips are worth taking on board. The ground can be uneven or muddy, so sensible footwear is a must, and a torch will come in handy once it gets dark. If you are bringing younger children, the early opening gives you time to get set up without rushing.
If you are after something closer to home, there are two other displays worth knowing about. The Poppleton Centre's Bonfire and Firework Spectacular is on the Thursday before, 5 November, at the Poppleton Community Centre on Main Street, YO26 6JT. Gates open at 17:00, the bonfire is lit at 18:15, and the fireworks start at 19:15. Tickets are £12 for adults and £6 for children aged 5 to 16, with under-fives free, and all the money goes towards keeping the community centre going. There is no parking on site except for badge holders, but Poppleton Bar Park & Ride offers free parking and a shuttle bus between 17:00 and 21:15, and the number 10 bus runs from the city centre.
The third option is the Rawcliffe Bar Country Park display, also on Saturday 7 November, off Shipton Road. It is run by YorkMix, with the bonfire lit by volunteer firefighters and all proceeds going to The Fire Fighters Charity, which raised £41,936.51 from the 2025 night. Gates open at 16:00 for families, with a children's display at 17:30 and the main fireworks at 19:30. Tickets are £12.50 for adults and £7.50 for children, with a booking fee on top. Parking has been a problem in the past, so the organisers ask people to take the Park and Ride from Museum Street or walk and cycle in from Clifton or Rawcliffe. The park also has a climbing boulder and a pump bike track if you arrive early with children. The Fire Fighters Charity, formerly the Fire Services National Benevolent Fund, has been supporting the fire and rescue community for 77 years and gets no government funding, so the money raised here goes straight to treatment, rehabilitation and counselling.
Published Date
29 October 2026
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