Bonfire Night Party Ideas and Invitations (UK Guide)

In short: Bonfire Night falls on 5 November, though most people hold parties on the nearest weekend. Send invitations two weeks ahead, keep guests warm and fed, and be clear on your invitation about timings and whether you are doing your own fireworks or heading to a display. If you are running your own, the Firework Code and the fire service guidance are the things to read, not a party blog.

Bonfire Night is one of the few genuinely British celebrations left on the calendar, and a home gathering around it has a particular charm: cold air, warm food, sparklers and everyone standing in the garden in coats. Whether you are doing your own small display or hosting friends before a public one, a bit of planning makes the difference between a lovely evening and a cold, damp one.

This guide covers how to run it and how to word the invitation.

When it falls and when to hold it

Bonfire Night is always 5 November, but the party is not always on the night.

In 2025 the 5th falls on a Wednesday, so most people will celebrate on the weekend either side, the 1 November or the 8 November. The weekend before overlaps with Halloween, so if you would rather keep the two separate, the weekend after is the cleaner choice. Public displays cluster around both weekends too, so if you are planning to attend one, check the local listings before you fix your own date.

Two weeks’ notice is enough for a Bonfire Night gathering. It is an outdoor evening in November, so people appreciate knowing in good time to plan around the weather and wrap up warm.

Your own fireworks or a public display

The first decision shapes everything else, so make it early.

A public display is the easier option, particularly with young children. You turn up, someone else handles the fireworks, and you gather people for food beforehand or drinks afterwards. If this is your plan, the party is really a warm gathering built around a trip out, and your invitation should make the timings clear so nobody misses the display.

Your own fireworks give you more control over the evening but come with real responsibility, and the planning for that part is on you.

A small selection of garden fireworks suits a family gathering better than an attempt at a full display, which is a bigger undertaking and, for most people, better left to the professionals down the road.

Fireworks: not our department

If you are running your own, this is the part to plan properly, and a party blog is not the right source for it.

The Firework Code and the guidance published by the fire service cover buying, storing, lighting and sparklers, and it is a short read. The instructions printed on the fireworks themselves are the other thing to go by. If you would rather not take that on at all, a public display is the easy answer, and with young children it is what most families end up doing.

One genuinely useful thing worth knowing if you are having a bonfire: hedgehogs and pets shelter in wood piles, so it is always worth a check before anything is lit.

Keeping guests warm and fed

A November garden party lives or dies on warmth, so plan for cold.

Food should be hot and easy to eat standing up with gloves on. Classic Bonfire Night fare does the job: jacket potatoes, sausages or hot dogs, a big pot of chilli, soup in mugs. For the sweet end, toffee apples, parkin, marshmallows to toast and hot chocolate are all traditional for a reason.

For warmth beyond the food, a fire pit or chiminea gives people something to gather around, blankets left out get used, and a flask of something hot for the adults never goes amiss. If you have outdoor lighting or a heater, this is the night for it.

Tell guests on the invitation to wrap up warm and wear proper shoes, because a garden in November is muddy and cold and people underdress for it every year.

Wording for the invitation

Keep it warm and clear on the practical points.

For a family gathering with your own sparklers:

Come and celebrate Bonfire Night with us on Saturday 8 November from 5pm. Sparklers, hot food and a fire pit in the garden. Wrap up warm and wear wellies. Let us know if you can make it by 1 November.

For a gathering before a public display:

Join us for food before the fireworks on Wednesday 5 November, 5.30pm. We will eat at ours then walk down to the display together at 7. Dress warm. RSVP by 29 October.

For an adult evening:

Bonfire Night at ours on Saturday 8 November from 6pm. Fire pit, mulled wine and something warm to eat. Bring a bottle and your warmest coat. Let us know by 1 November.

Making it easy to organise

A digital invitation helps here because it lets you confirm numbers for food and send a warm-clothing reminder without a round of texts.

On Planiit you create the invitation, share it by WhatsApp or text, and guests RSVP from the same link.

Common questions

When is Bonfire Night?

Bonfire Night is 5 November every year, which in 2025 is a Wednesday. Most people hold parties on the nearest weekend, either 1 November or 8 November, and many public displays run across both.

How much notice do you need for a Bonfire Night party?

About two weeks. It is an outdoor November evening, so guests appreciate time to plan around the weather and dress warmly.

Should you do your own fireworks or go to a public display?

A public display takes the whole job off you, which is why most families with young children end up at one. If you are running your own, the Firework Code and the fire service guidance are the things to read first, along with the instructions on the fireworks themselves.

What food is traditional for Bonfire Night?

Hot food that is easy to eat outside works best: jacket potatoes, sausages, chilli and soup. For the sweet end, toffee apples, parkin, toasted marshmallows and hot chocolate are all traditional.

How do you keep guests warm at a November party?

Serve hot food, provide a fire pit or heater to gather around, leave blankets out, and tell people on the invitation to wrap up and wear proper shoes for a cold, muddy garden.

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Create a free Bonfire Night invitation and track your numbers in a couple of minutes at planiit.io.