Bonfire Night 2026 falls on Thursday 5 November. Across the UK, the evening is marked with bonfires, fireworks displays, toffee apples and the burning of "the Guy" — a tradition that has run for more than 400 years.
When is Bonfire Night 2026?
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Bonfire Night / Guy Fawkes Night | Thursday 5 November 2026 |
| Most organised displays | the nearest weekend — Fri 6 to Sun 8 November |
Because 5 November lands on a Thursday in 2026, many larger public displays will run on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November instead. Check your local council listings.
Why does Britain celebrate it?
On the night of 4–5 November 1605, Guy Fawkes was caught guarding barrels of gunpowder beneath the House of Lords — the climax of the Gunpowder Plot, a failed attempt by a group of English Catholics led by Robert Catesby to blow up Parliament and kill King James I at the State Opening.
Londoners lit bonfires to celebrate the king's survival, and an Act of Parliament (the Observance of 5th November Act 1605) soon made the date an annual day of thanksgiving. The Act was repealed in 1859, but the tradition never stopped.
Is Bonfire Night a bank holiday?
No. Bonfire Night has never been a public holiday in the UK — schools, shops and offices stay open. See the full list of UK bank holidays for the days you actually get off.
Traditions
- Bonfires topped with an effigy — "the Guy" — historically of Guy Fawkes.
- Fireworks, recalling the gunpowder that never went off.
- Toffee apples, parkin and bonfire toffee, especially in northern England.
- The rhyme: "Remember, remember, the fifth of November — gunpowder, treason and plot."
- In Lewes, East Sussex, the most famous celebrations in the country: six bonfire societies parade through the town.
Quick answers
What day is Bonfire Night 2026? Thursday 5 November 2026.
Is it a day off? No — it is an observance, not a bank holiday.
Why the 5th of November? That is the night the Gunpowder Plot was foiled in 1605.