Practical
Fireworks late at night in London: what time is legal? (2026)
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The short answer
Using adult fireworks (the garden and display kinds) between 11pm and 7am is against the law. There are four exceptions: 5 November (until midnight), and Diwali, New Year's Eve and Chinese New Year (until 1am). Members of the public must not set them off in the street or another public place at any time. If fireworks are being let off late or in the street and nobody is in danger, ring the police on 101; if anyone is in danger, ring 999.
Adult fireworks are banned between 11pm and 7am, with four nights a year as exceptions. “Adult fireworks” are categories F2, F3 and F4 in the law: the garden and display kinds. This is a national rule, the same in every London borough.
The rule, in the law’s own words
The Fireworks Regulations 2004 say that “no person shall use an adult firework during night hours”, and define night hours as “the period beginning at 11 pm and ending at 7 am the following day”.
The only nights when this is relaxed (regulation 7):
- 5 November: until midnight.
- The day of Diwali: until 1am the next morning.
- 31 December: until 1am on 1 January.
- The first day of Chinese New Year: until 1am the next morning.
Council staff are also exempt when they use fireworks for a council display, or at a national public celebration or commemorative event. A national celebration does not exempt anyone else.
The late nights this season
| Night | Fireworks allowed until | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 5 November 2026 | Midnight | Bonfire Night |
| Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November 2026 | 11pm | No exception, even though the big displays are that weekend |
| Sunday 8 November 2026 | 1am (Monday morning) | Diwali (8 November in most calendars for 2026) |
| Thursday 31 December 2026 | 1am (1 January) | New Year’s Eve |
| Saturday 6 February 2027 | 1am (Sunday morning) | Chinese New Year |
| Any other night | 11pm | The normal rule |
Watch the Saturday. Several of London’s big Bonfire Night displays are on Saturday 7 November this year (Alexandra Palace, Battersea Park and Blackheath among them), but the midnight exception belongs to 5 November only. Fireworks in a back garden after 11pm on the Saturday are not covered. Displays put on by a council’s own staff are exempt.
Where you can let them off
- Not in the street or any public place, if you are a member of the public. GOV.UK: “you must not set off or throw fireworks (including sparklers) in the street or other public places.”
- Your own garden, or land where the owner has given permission, within the hours above.
- Age. You cannot buy adult fireworks if you are under 18, and it is illegal for anyone under 18 to have an adult firework in a public place.
The penalties
GOV.UK: “You can be fined an unlimited amount and imprisoned for up to 6 months for selling or using fireworks illegally. You could also get an on-the-spot fine of £90.”
Who to call
- Someone is in danger, fireworks are being thrown at people, cars or animals, or something is on fire: 999.
- Fireworks after the legal time, or in the street, and nobody is in danger right now: the police non-emergency number, 101, or report online to the Metropolitan Police.
- Fireworks from the same house night after night: your council can look at it as noise. Councils deal with noise that is a statutory nuisance, which usually means something that happens again and again, not one evening. See our guide to noisy neighbours and parties at night.
Some councils say this on their own pages. Southwark says it does not tolerate “fireworks being set off in public places or after 11pm”, and asks people to “call the police on 999” about anyone “letting off fireworks dangerously”.
If you are letting them off yourself
London Fire Brigade’s advice includes: “Light the firework at arm’s length with a taper and stand well back”, “Never return to a firework once it has been lit”, and “Always keep a bucket of water or a hosepipe nearby in case of emergency.”
Tell your neighbours before the night, especially anyone with pets, young children or a night shift. It costs nothing.
Related: London’s Bonfire Night displays 2026 · Noisy neighbours or a party at night: who to call · Building work noise: allowed hours · New Year’s Eve in London
Sources
Every statement above rests on a page we opened and checked on 13 October 2026. We are not a legal or emergency service: for an emergency, ring 999.
- The Fireworks Regulations 2004, regulation 7 (night hours), regulation 3 (what an adult firework is) and regulation 4 (under-18s): legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/1836
- GOV.UK: Fireworks: the law: gov.uk/fireworks-the-law
- Southwark Council: misuse of fireworks: southwark.gov.uk
- London Fire Brigade: fireworks: london-fire.gov.uk/safety/fireworks
- GOV.UK: how councils deal with noise complaints: gov.uk/guidance/noise-nuisances-how-councils-deal-with-complaints
- Diwali and Chinese New Year dates: Diwali (Wikipedia) gives Lakshmi Puja on 8 November 2026; the Chinese New Year date of 6 February 2027 is given by several calendars. The law says “the day of Diwali” without defining it.
Checked: 13 October 2026