What time can I set fireworks off in the UK?
What time can I set fireworks off in the UK?
Long gone are the days when you could set fireworks off at whatever time you wanted. Having been in the fireworks industry for many years I can remember the time when I’ve fired professional displays at 3am in the morning for a passing out ceremony at Woolwich Barracks! Many times, myself and the crew would be set up for a wedding fireworks display due to fire at 10.30pm. But the speeches would go on and on and on. The fireworks would be put further and further back into the evening and we would end up firing the show at gone midnight and would get home at some unearthly hour! Thankfully in 2004 the laws surrounding fireworks use changed – and we feel that this was very much for the better! It certainly meant that there would be no more delaying the fireworks until midnight or beyond. The current UK law prohibits the use of fireworks from 11pm until 7am. There are certain exceptions to this:
- For November 5th (Bonfire Night), fireworks can be set off until midnight
- For Chinese New Year and Diwali, fireworks are permitted until 0100 hrs
- For New Year’s Eve you can set your fireworks off until 0100hrs
So there is still plenty of time for you to enjoy fireworks in a responsible way without being anti-social.
