One of London’s biggest Bonfire Night fireworks displays has been cancelled for 2024

If you’re in southeast London and still on the hunt for a fireworks display for Bonfire Night 2024, sadly your options just got a bit more limited. Blackheath Fireworks, once touted as ‘London’s biggest free fireworks display’, has been cancelled for 2024.

Blackheath locals almost certainly won’t be surprised by the news. The display has now been called off for a whopping five years in a row, with Lewisham Council this time blaming ‘severe financial pressures’.

The event was cancelled in 2019 due to a lack of funding, then in 2020 it was scuppered by the pandemic despite a fundraiser successfully raising money for it to go ahead. It’s since been called off every year. 

Pre-pandemic Blackheath Fireworks was apparently ‘almost exclusively’ funded by Lewisham Council. In a statement, the council said: 

‘We have to prioritise funding and need to focus our limited financial resources on maintaining essential local services and supporting our most vulnerable residents. 

‘During a cost-of-living crisis, we cannot justify spending money on community fireworks for just one night over vital services needed throughout the year including adult social care and children’s services.

‘We will continue exploring possible options for the future and remain open to offers of sponsorship and external funding’

But fear not, southeast Londoners – there are other options. Beckenham’s Charity Fireworks and West Wickham display are just a short bus ride away, as is Dulwich. Find more with Time Out’s guide to the best Bonfire Night fireworks displays in London.

Did you see that the UK’s two best Bonfire Night fireworks displays are in London?

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