Bonfire Night lights up skies across Britain every year on 5 November, and is also known as Guy Fawkes Night. The next one is on Thursday, November 5, 2026, and the countdown above runs to 7pm, when the first rockets usually go up. It remembers the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, although today it is mostly an excuse for fireworks, a crackling fire and something hot to eat.
Remember, remember: the Gunpowder Plot
In 1605 a group of Catholic conspirators led by Robert Catesby planned to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament, killing the Protestant King James I. They packed a cellar beneath the building with barrels of gunpowder. Guy Fawkes, who had military experience with explosives, was guarding them when he was caught in the early hours of 5 November. Londoners lit bonfires to celebrate the King’s survival, and Parliament passed an act making the date an annual day of thanksgiving. That law was repealed in 1859, but the bonfires never stopped.
The plot is still remembered at Westminster: before each State Opening of Parliament, the Yeomen of the Guard ceremonially search the cellars of the Palace.
How Britain celebrates
Most towns hold organised displays, often on the weekend nearest to 5 November. The most famous celebrations are in Lewes, East Sussex, where bonfire societies stage torchlit processions and giant effigies, a tradition dating back to the 17th century. Some older customs have faded: children rarely ask for a ‘penny for the Guy’ any more, though a guy still tops many bonfires.
Traditional Bonfire Night food
- Jacket potatoes, once baked in the embers of the fire
- Sausages, hot dogs and a flask of soup
- Toffee apples and bonfire toffee, also called treacle or plot toffee
- Parkin, a sticky oat and ginger cake from the north of England
Fireworks: the law and staying safe
In England and Wales you cannot set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, but on Bonfire Night the curfew is extended to midnight. You must be 18 or over to buy most fireworks, and registered shops can sell them to the public from 15 October to 10 November. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules, so check locally before you buy.
- Go to an organised display; it’s safer and usually more spectacular than a back-garden show.
- If you do set off fireworks at home, follow the Firework Code: light at arm’s length and never go back to one that has been lit.
- Don’t give sparklers to under-fives, use gloves, and put used ones in a bucket of water.
- Check bonfire piles for hedgehogs and other wildlife before lighting.
- Keep pets indoors with the curtains drawn and some background noise on.
Related dates
Bonfire Night isn’t a bank holiday, so plan around work and school. It comes just days after Halloween, and Diwali, with fireworks of its own, often falls around the same time. Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday follow soon after. Share this countdown with friends, or put it up full screen at your own party.