Bonfire night is a Thursday in 2026 and no local display runs on it. Windsor Racecourse is Saturday 7 November, Ascot 31 October, Maidenhead the same night.

Bonfire night 2026 is Thursday 5 November, and not one display in this borough happens on it. The three that matter sit on the two Saturdays either side, and one of those Saturdays has two displays competing for the same evening.

Here is the whole picture as it stood on 5 September 2026.

Display Date Tickets
Ascot Charity Fireworks, Ascot Racecourse Sat 31 Oct Not yet on sale
Fireworks Spectacular Family Raceday, Ascot Sat 31 Oct On sale, from £29
Fireworks Night, Royal Windsor Racecourse Sat 7 Nov Not yet on sale
Fire.Fest, Braywick Park, Maidenhead Sat 7 Nov On sale, £12.75 adult

Royal Windsor Racecourse: Saturday 7 November

The racecourse’s own events calendar lists Fireworks Night on Sat 07 November 2026 (Royal Windsor Racecourse). Its event page confirms the date and then leaves the rest blank: gates open, start time and end time all read TBA, and the ticket panel says “Tickets aren’t live yet, so register your interest now” (Fireworks Night).

The theme is settled. The racecourse says “2026 brings a traditional theme to Windsor, featuring iconic 80s music and a fun fair adding rides and games to the night”, and that it typically sells family tickets and discounted entry for children aged 4 to 12, with under-3s free (Fireworks, Royal Windsor Racecourse).

For the shape of the evening, the racecourse’s own visitor information page is still online, but read the date on it: it was published on 26 October 2022 and describes that year’s Wizards and Witches night. It had gates at 4pm, funfair 4pm to 9pm, the display at 7.45pm and the event closing at 9pm (Fireworks visitor information, 26 October 2022). Take the timings as a guide only. What that page does establish, and what has not changed, is the practical stuff:

  • Parking is free on site but limited, first come first served, on grass.
  • No food, drink or picnics may be brought in, and there is a bag search.
  • French Brothers run a river boat service from Windsor town centre directly to the racecourse, which sidesteps the car park queue entirely.

Ascot, Saturday 31 October: one display, two ways in

This is the one people get wrong. There are not two events on 31 October at Ascot. There is one fireworks display and two different tickets.

Ascot Round Table runs the display itself. Its page gives Saturday 31 October 2026 at Ascot Racecourse Grandstand, gates 4pm, display 6pm, set to music, with under-18s to be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are “coming soon” (Ascot Round Table). Complimentary carer tickets are available on request from the racecourse accessibility team.

Ascot Racecourse sells the raceday that runs into it. Its own page has gates at 10.45am, and the first race, last race and fireworks display times all still showing TBC. Queen Anne Enclosure tickets start at £29, groups of seven or more from £25, and the King Edward VII Enclosure from £44 with low availability. Under-18s go free with a full-paying adult and need no ticket. The racecourse says racing tickets include admission to watch the fireworks, that “tickets will be available to attend the fireworks only closer to the event”, and that all prices rise on the day. The fairground is free until 4pm, with an optional £1 charity donation after that (Ascot Racecourse).

Racing is headlined by the Sodexo Live Gold Cup Premier Handicap, and the racecourse puts the display at over 20,000 fireworks.

Maidenhead: Fire.Fest at Braywick Park, Saturday 7 November

Fire.Fest is at Braywick Park, SL6 1BN, from 5pm to 8pm on Saturday 7 November 2026, with a professional display, Traylens funfair rides charged separately, food traders and licensed bars. Tickets are live: £12.75 early bird adult (16 and over), £7.75 early bird child (4 to 15), free for 3 and under (Fire.FEST tickets).

Its own terms are worth reading before you go: sparklers are prohibited, no personal food or drink can be brought in, an adult must accompany under-18s, and ticket purchasers must be 18 or over (A & L Events).

The parking advice on the Fire.Fest site is wrong for this event. It names Vicus Way (SL6 1AB), Braywick Road (SL6 1DX) and Braywick Leisure Centre (SL6 1BN) and says “they’re all FREE on Sundays”. Fire.Fest is on a Saturday. Maidenhead’s council car parks are free on Sundays and bank holidays, not Saturdays, so you will pay. The tariffs are on our parking in Windsor and Maidenhead page; Braywick Sports is £1.80 for the first hour and £14.50 over five, and Vicus Way is £1.20 and £7.00 over three.

Nothing else, and one gap worth knowing about

We found no display anywhere in Windsor, Eton, Datchet, Old Windsor, Cookham or Bray on 5 November itself, and none advertised for the Thursday.

The borough’s own tourism site is not much help here either. Visit Windsor’s bonfire night page, which is published by the Royal Borough, lists exactly one event, the Ascot raceday, and does not mention the Royal Windsor Racecourse display six days later or Fire.Fest in Maidenhead at all (Visit Windsor). If you were planning off that page, you would miss both displays inside the borough.

What we are still waiting on

  • Windsor Racecourse gates, display time and prices, all TBA. Its 2022 running had its visitor information out on 26 October, so late October is the pattern.
  • Ascot Round Table ticket prices and on-sale date, and the racecourse’s fireworks-only ticket, which it says will appear closer to the event.
  • Ascot’s first race, last race and display times, all still TBC on its own page.

We will update this page as each is published. In the meantime, our roadworks and travel page carries the week’s closures, which matter more than usual on a night when several thousand cars head for the same two car parks.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fireworks display in Windsor on bonfire night 2026?

No. Bonfire night falls on Thursday 5 November 2026 and nothing runs on it. The Royal Windsor Racecourse display is on Saturday 7 November, and Ascot’s is on Saturday 31 October.

When is the Windsor Racecourse fireworks night 2026?

Saturday 7 November 2026. The racecourse has confirmed the date and the theme, a traditional night with 80s music and a fun fair, but gates, start and end times all still read TBA and tickets are not on sale yet.

How much are Ascot fireworks tickets?

Racing tickets start at £29 in the Queen Anne Enclosure, £25 for groups of seven or more, and £44 in the King Edward VII Enclosure. Under-18s go free with a paying adult. A cheaper fireworks-only ticket is promised nearer the date and was not on sale on 5 September.

Is there a fireworks display in Maidenhead?

Yes. Fire.Fest at Braywick Park, 5pm to 8pm on Saturday 7 November 2026. Early bird tickets are £12.75 for adults aged 16 and over and £7.75 for children aged 4 to 15, with under-4s free.

Where do I park for Fire.Fest in Maidenhead?

Vicus Way, Braywick Road and Braywick Leisure Centre are the three nearest council car parks. Ignore the “free on Sundays” line on the event’s own site: Fire.Fest is on a Saturday, and Maidenhead’s car parks charge on Saturdays.

Sources