What Time Are Fireworks Allowed in the UK? The 2026 Curfew Explained

Fireworks can be set off in the UK between 7am and 11pm on most nights. The curfew extends to midnight on Bonfire Night (5 November) and to 1am on New Year’s Eve, Diwali, and Chinese New Year. Using fireworks outside those hours is a £90 fixed penalty offence.

If you need more than that — what the law actually says, what counts as “letting off” a firework, what happens if you ignore the curfew, and where to buy in the late hours before the 4 exceptions kick in — the rest of this guide breaks it down.

The UK fireworks curfew — 11pm to 7am

The 11pm curfew is set by the Fireworks Regulations 2004. It applies to all consumer fireworks — Category F1 (sparklers, indoor fountains), F2 (garden fireworks), and F3 (display fireworks). It applies everywhere in England, Wales and Scotland, on every night of the year, with only four named exceptions.

The reasoning isn’t arbitrary. The curfew exists to balance the legal right to use fireworks with the public-health and welfare consequences of late-night noise — for sleep, for pets, for shift workers, and for people sensitive to sudden loud sound. Local authorities and police forces enforce it as a routine matter, particularly in residential areas where complaint volumes spike around Bonfire Night and New Year.

7am is when the curfew lifts — meaning, technically, you could legally let off a rocket at 7.05am on any morning of the year. In practice, almost no one ever does, but the law allows it.

The four exception nights

These are the only four nights when fireworks may be set off past 11pm.

Bonfire Night — until midnight

On 5 November, the curfew extends to midnight. That’s one extra hour to run a display. Bonfire Night 2026 falls on a Wednesday, so the late hour matters less than it does on weekend years — most displays will be finishing by 9pm anyway. But the legal cover is there until 23:59 if you want to push deeper into the evening.

If you’re planning a back-garden display, our Bonfire Night fireworks range covers everything from £30 selection-box starter sets to full multi-shot display packs. Start lighting by 8pm and you’ll be finished comfortably inside the curfew with no stress.

New Year’s Eve — until 1am

On 31 December, the curfew extends to 1am the following day (i.e. 1am on 1 January). This is the longest extension of the year — two hours past the default curfew. That’s enough room for a midnight countdown display, a finishing salvo at 12.30am, and a clean wrap before the 1am cutoff.

Browse our New Year’s Eve fireworks for products timed to peak at midnight — large multi-shot barrages with 25-30 second burn times are the staple here.

Diwali — until 1am

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November. The curfew extension runs to 1am on the following day for any household celebrating Diwali — irrespective of religion or background, as the extension is calendar-based not faith-tested. The 2026 date sits just three days after Bonfire Night, which creates a long week of fireworks demand across the Diwali-celebrating community, particularly in West Yorkshire and the North East where we serve.

Our Diwali fireworks range carries products well-suited to the festival’s tradition of colour and pattern — colour-changing fountains, Roman candles, multi-effect cakes.

Chinese New Year — until 1am

Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Tuesday 17 February. As with Diwali, the curfew extends to 1am the following day for celebrating households. The window is much smaller than Bonfire Night for the consumer trade — most fireworks sold for Chinese New Year are bought during the three-day sale window just before the date — but the extended-curfew right is the same as the other three exception nights.

What counts as “letting off” a firework?

The law applies to igniting a firework — i.e. the moment it leaves your hand and starts to burn. It does not apply to:

• Carrying fireworks (legal at any time, provided you’re 18+ and they’re in their original packaging)
• Storing fireworks (legal at any time, in compliance with home-storage limits)
• Transporting fireworks (legal at any time, provided you’re not under the influence and the vehicle is appropriate)

So if you’re walking home from a fireworks shop at 10.45pm with an unopened Bonfire Night display pack, you are not breaching curfew. The clock starts the moment the first fuse is lit.

This matters because Bradford’s 24-hour fireworks shop sees customers picking up at 11.30pm for an event the following evening — entirely legal, well outside any curfew issue.

What happens if you ignore the curfew?

The penalty structure runs across three escalating levels:

1. £90 fixed penalty notice — issued on the spot by police or council officers for a first or low-level breach. Paid within 14 days, the matter is closed.
2. Court fine up to £5,000 — for repeat breaches, anti-social-behaviour-related breaches, or where the police choose to escalate.
3. Up to 6 months in prison — reserved for serious cases: throwing fireworks at people or animals, or persistent anti-social use causing real distress.

The vast majority of curfew breaches that get noticed result in a £90 ticket. But the £90 is the floor, not the ceiling.

Local authorities increasingly run Bonfire Night targeted enforcement in October-November in residential areas with historical complaint patterns. Bradford and Newcastle are both on that pattern — so the practical advice is to plan your display to finish a clean 30 minutes before the curfew time.

Letting your neighbours know

This isn’t legal — it’s etiquette, but it’s the single most reliable way to avoid a complaint to the council and the £90 ticket that can follow.

A Note Through Door two days before your planned display does more than a polite verbal heads-up. Keep it short — date, expected start time, expected finish time, mention pets if you have them. Most neighbours respond well to the notice. The minority who don’t will at least have lost the right to feign surprise.

Pets indoors, radio on for white noise, curtains drawn — that covers your house. The note covers theirs.

Where to buy fireworks before the curfew kicks in

If you’ve left it late, our Bradford fireworks shop is open 24 hours — 7 days a week, every week of the year. You can walk in at 10.30pm on a Tuesday in March and walk out with what you need. That’s a function of our all-year licence — most supermarkets and pop-up stalls can’t match it because they don’t hold the same retail authorisation.

Our Newcastle fireworks shop is open Monday and Tuesday from 10.30am, Thursday to Saturday from 10.00am — closed Wednesday and Sunday. Outside those hours, the online store covers the gap — order fireworks online for UK delivery, with next-day options available on most orders placed before 2pm.

The earlier you buy, the more selection you’ll have — particularly in the run-up to the four exception nights when stock moves fast. If you’re new to fireworks, the full UK fireworks law in 2026 guide is worth a read first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time do fireworks have to stop in the UK?

Fireworks must stop by 11pm on most nights of the year. The curfew extends to midnight on Bonfire Night (5 November) and to 1am on New Year’s Eve, Diwali, and Chinese New Year. The curfew resumes at 7am the following morning. Setting off fireworks during the curfew hours (11pm-7am on a normal night) is a fixed-penalty offence carrying a £90 fine, which can escalate in repeat or serious cases.

Can you set off fireworks at midnight on Bonfire Night?

Yes. Bonfire Night (5 November) is one of the four exception nights when the UK fireworks curfew extends from the default 11pm cutoff to midnight. That gives you a full extra hour past the normal limit. The curfew resumes at 7am on 6 November. If you’re planning a Bonfire Night display, start lighting by 9pm at the latest to give yourself a comfortable buffer before the midnight cutoff.

What time can you let fireworks off on New Year’s Eve?

The curfew on 31 December extends to 1am on 1 January — two hours later than the default 11pm cutoff. This is the longest of the four exception extensions and gives ample room for a midnight countdown display followed by a finishing salvo. After 1am, the curfew resumes until 7am. A typical NYE garden display will be timed to peak between 23:55 and 00:15, with the heavy effects landing on the bell strikes.

Are there fireworks curfew rules during Diwali?

Yes — Diwali enjoys a curfew extension to 1am, the same as New Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year. The extension applies to the actual calendar date of Diwali (Sunday 8 November in 2026), not to the wider Diwali festival period. On other days of the festival, the standard 11pm curfew applies. The extension is calendar-based — any household can use it on Diwali, irrespective of background.

What’s the fine for setting fireworks off after 11pm?

A £90 fixed penalty notice is the standard fine for a curfew breach (outside the four exception nights). It’s issued by police or council officers on the spot and closes the matter if paid within 14 days. Repeat breaches, anti-social use, or breaches in public places can escalate to a court fine of up to £5,000 — or, in serious cases, up to 6 months in prison. The simplest avoidance: finish your display by 10.30pm.

Can I let fireworks off at any time in my own garden?

No — the curfew applies to your own garden too. The 11pm-7am cutoff (with the four exception nights) applies to all private land, not just public spaces. Owning the garden doesn’t override the regulations. The curfew exists to protect the surrounding community from noise after-hours, which is why it doesn’t matter whose land the firework is launched from.

Does the 11pm curfew apply to sparklers?

Yes. Sparklers are classified as Category F1 fireworks under UK law and fall under the same Fireworks Regulations 2004 that govern larger fireworks. The 11pm curfew (and the four exception extensions) apply identically. In practice, sparklers are quieter and less likely to draw a complaint, but they are still legally fireworks. If you’re hosting a late-night gathering with sparklers, the curfew still binds.

What time do shops sell fireworks until in the UK?

That depends on the shop’s licence. Most supermarkets and pop-up stalls only sell during the four legal sale windows (Bonfire Night, New Year, Diwali, Chinese New Year), with closing times matching their normal trading hours. Licensed specialist retailers can sell year-round and at any time their store is open — our Bradford shop is open 24 hours, 7 days a week. There is no legal cutoff on the sale of fireworks — only on letting them off.