Alexandra Palace Fireworks Festival has been named the best fireworks display in the UK, topping a new list of the country’s 12 best displays.
The ranking, published by The Telegraph, puts the north London festival ahead of The Great Rye Fawkes Pageant in Sussex and the Fawkes Festival at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh.
Explaining why Alexandra Palace topped the list, The Telegraph said: “North London’s biggest Bonfire Night knees-up adds a drone show to the fireworks this year. There’s also a beer festival, family funfair, ice skating and bonfire plus live music.”
The annual Bonfire Night celebration takes place on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, with different programmes planned for each day. Saturday features the main festival programme, including an outdoor DJ set from Eats Everything, a German Bier Festival with a Queen tribute band, funfair rides and street food.
Sunday is designed as an earlier, family-focused event, featuring a jungle kids’ rave and a karaoke singalong hosted by Shaun Williamson, best known for playing Barry Evans in EastEnders.
Both days feature a giant bonfire, marshmallow toasting, ice skating and funfair rides, culminating in a fireworks and drone display over the London skyline. For 2026, visitors will also have the option of watching the display from Alexandra Palace’s rooftop attraction, Summit.
Tickets for the festival can be bought via its website. Prices start at £6.50 for children aged up to 10, while adult tickets are priced at £19.50.
Bonfire Night itself marks the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. The tradition of bonfires and fireworks on November 5 has been observed in Britain ever since, and the weekend closest to the date is now the busiest of the year for displays across the country.
Alexandra Palace is no stranger to big weekends: Kaleidoscope Festival returns to Alexandra Palace in 2027, while London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks tickets have gone on sale for the capital’s other great annual display.
