This page lists forthcoming firework events which have been brought to our attention. Please note, this may not be a complete list of all events across the Island.
If you are holding an event involving fireworks, please send us the details here, so that we can alert people.
Location | Event type | Date | Start and end times |
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Sale of fireworks [2023]
- Fireworks can only be sold between Thursday 26th October and close of business on Sunday 5th November 2023.
- Please note that most retailers now operate online: pre-order your fireworks and the supplier will deliver or you will be able to collect from a designated point.
- The sale of fireworks to persons under 20 years of age is prohibited. You may be asked for proof of age at time of delivery.
If you are organising a public fireworks display
- It is recommended you use a professional fireworks provider. They will have the relevant public and professional liability insurance.
Please follow this link for guidance on professional fireworks events. [4Mb]
- Plan
- You should have an event management plan, identifying the risks and putting place measures to protect workers, volunteers and the public.
- Most public displays will require some degree of crowd control, even if the event is by invitation only.
- You will also require fire arrangements to deal with any fire risks (e.g. fire extinguishers, trained fire marshals).
- You may also need first-aid to be provided, depending on the size and make-up of the audience.
- Notify
- If you are holding a public display, no matter how small, please notify your event details via www.gov.gg/events; this will help inform your neighbours and animal owners about potential noise. You can mark the event as "public" if you want to encourage visitors or as "private" if you have an invitation-only policy.
- If the weather is inclement and you need to reschedule your display, please renotify your event details accordingly.
- Be a good neighbour. Let people know what you are planning. If there is livestock in nearby fields let the owners know what you are doing and do not cause a nuisance by firing them late at night.
- For the November 2023 celebrations, keep your display to reasonable hours between 6.30 - 8.30pm - finishing your display before 9pm.
- Do not fire fireworks in public places (parks, beaches etc) without express permission of the land owner and Parish constables.
- Prepare
- When buying fireworks, seek the advice of the retailer and read the manufacturer's instructions as to the suitability of the firework for the area in which it is to be discharged. Some of those on sale to the public are not suitable for small areas.
- Always buy fireworks well in advance of letting them off; give yourself time to read the instructions on the fireworks in order that you can make the preparations necessary to fire them safely. Many require wooden stakes driven into the ground or a hole dug to partially bury them.
- Safety
- Read, understand and always follow the Fireworks Code. Simple precautions save injuries and damage:
- Check the wind speed and direction.
- The packaging will give you the safe distance between people, buildings and fireworks (often 8m for smaller fireworks, 25m for larger fireworks).
- Never let children light fireworks. Do not allow young people unsupervised access to fireworks.
- Remember that sparklers burn at temperatures in excess of 1000°C - make sure to wear gloves when holding them and have a bucket of water nearby to quench them when they are burnt out. Sparklers cause more injuries every year than fireworks.
If you hold your own fireworks display
- Fireworks etiquette
- If you hold your own event, the designated day has been changed to Friday 10th November. This was originally Saturday 4th November, but was changed due to anticipated high winds and unpredictable weather. Please follow the HSE good practice guidance.
- If you are holding your own display, no matter how small, please go to the following site to notify of the location www.gov.gg/fireworks; this will help inform your neighbours and animal owners about potential noise. You can mark the event as "public" if you want to encourage visitors or as "private".
- Be a good neighbour. Let people know what you are planning. If there is livestock in nearby fields let the owners know what you are doing and do not cause a nuisance by firing them late at night.
- Keep your display to the designated day (10th November) and reasonable hours between 6.30 - 8.30pm - finishing your display before 9pm. Do not let off fireworks in public places (parks, beaches etc).
- If you need to change the date of your display, please re-notify via www.gov.gg/fireworks. It is your responsibility to do so, as the system will not automatically change the date of your existing notification.
- Selecting your fireworks
- Retailers offer a selection of quieter fireworks, please check with them if you wish to reduce the noise impact of your display.
- When selecting fireworks, seek the advice of the retailer and read the manufacturer's instructions as to the suitability of the firework for the area in which it is to be discharged. Some of those on sale to the public are not suitable for the average garden on the island.
- Always buy fireworks well in advance of letting them off; give yourself time to read the instructions on the label in order that you can make the preparations necessary to fire them safely. Many require wooden stakes driven into the ground or a hole dug to partially bury them.
- Please dispose of fireworks responsibly. When the display has finished please let them cool down for at least 30 minutes before being soaked in water for at least an hour. Once this has happened and you are sure that they are completely safe they can be safely placed in your general household waste for disposal. Although sparklers are made of metal these should also be soaked in water and disposed of in general household waste. If you have any fireworks that did not go off, please contact the Police on 222222 and they will advise you on next steps.
- Safety advice
- Read, understand and always follow the Fireworks Code. Simple precautions save injuries and damage:
- Check the wind speed and direction.
- The packaging will give you the safe distance between people, buildings and fireworks (often 8m for smaller fireworks, 25m for larger fireworks).
- Never let children light fireworks. Do not allow young people unsupervised access to fireworks.
- Remember that sparklers burn at temperatures more than 1000°C - make sure to wear gloves when holding them and have a bucket of water nearby to quench them when they are burnt out. Sparklers cause more injuries every year than fireworks.
Advice from the States Veterinary Officer
- Looking after animals
- A proportion of companion animals (dogs/cats/rabbits/guinea-pigs/horses etc.) fear loud sounds, typically fireworks and thunder. It is impossible to predict which animals will develop sound phobias but it usually takes multiple loud sounds to sensitise an animal. When exposed to loud sounds phobic animals become fearful and anxious.
- It is important to keep sound phobic animals in a safe and secure environment that will ideally muffle the sounds. However, animals must not be confined to small spaces as confinement heightens their anxiety. For instance, keep your dog in the house, draw the curtains, turn up the television but let the dog wander from room to room as it wants.
- Owners of sound phobic dogs could try to desensitise them months before any noisy event. This should be done with the assistance of an animal behaviourist.
- If you've left it too late to desensitise your dog you could try behavioural aids such as 'DAP Diffusers or Collars' and 'Thundershirts' or anxiolytic medication such as 'Zylkene'.
- Responsible use of fireworks
- Liaise with neighbours if you have a sound phobic animal so they can moderate the use of noisy fireworks and limit the duration of their display.
- Pick up firework or party debris the next day to avoid any injuries to wildlife.
- Bonfires
- In order to avoid injuring any wild animals, such as hedgehogs, which may utilise bonfires as a place for hibernation, we advise that you do not start creating the bonfire until a day or two before the bonfire is due to be lit. Alternatively, a wildlife-proof fence should be erected around the bonfire to dissuade wildlife from entering the bonfire prior to it being lit - this fence should be removed just prior to lighting the bonfire.
- Event organisers wishing to have a bonfire will need to apply for an exemption from the Director of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation.
- Further information is available at https://gov.gg/sanctions.
Bonfires (Air Pollution Ordinance exemptions)
- Section 19 of the Environmental Pollution (Air Pollution) Ordinance, 2019 prohibits the burning of waste. This applies to bonfires:
- Event organisers wishing to have a bonfire will need to apply for an exemption from the Director of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation.
- Further information is available at https://gov.gg/sanctions.
