Guidance

If fireworks are hard for you

Fireworks are hard for many people, not only pets. The National Autistic Society says they can be very distressing for autistic people with sensory sensitivities.³ Combat Stress, the UK veterans' mental health charity, says the sounds and smells can resemble combat for veterans with PTSD.⁴ Noise and flashes can also be frightening for people with anxiety, babies and older people. You are not being difficult. Planning ahead helps.

• Know when. Alerts and the map tell you when and where. Knowing the time makes it easier to plan.³
• Make a plan and write it down. Agree where you will be, who you will be with, and how you will leave if it gets too much.^{3, 4}
• Cut the noise. Ear defenders or noise-cancelling headphones help, and some still let speech through. Music, a familiar programme or a game can cover the sound.³
• Make a quiet space. Somewhere you can go, with the curtains closed and the lights on.³
• Tell people. Say it is hard for you. Ask neighbours to let you know if they are planning fireworks.³
• Watch from home. A stream lets you enjoy a display without being outside.³
• Other sudden bangs. Military firing ranges publish when they fire, so you can check before you go walking. Dartmoor, Otterburn, Warcop and Cape Wrath publish firing days and times on GOV.UK.⁹

If it is getting too much, support is free and confidential. Combat Stress has a 24-hour helpline for veterans and their families on 0800 138 1619.⁴ Anyone can call the Samaritans on 116 123.⁵

If you are setting off fireworks

This is the short version, in the order you will need it.

1. Think about who is nearby

Here is what we would suggest. This is our view, not a rulebook.

1. Tell people. A note through the door or a message in the street group is enough. Give the date and an approximate time.
2. Keep it short. A shorter display ends sooner, and the sooner it ends, the sooner the house settles.
3. Start earlier, not later. Earlier evening gives people a chance to settle well before bedtime.
4. Mention it to the quiet houses too. You may not know who has a nervous pet, a veteran, an autistic child or an older relative.

2. Stay safe

RoSPA's first advice is to go to a display run by professionals, which it says is the most effective way to cut the risk of injury.⁶ If you do it at home, follow the Firework Code.⁶

• Buy safe ones. Only buy fireworks with a UKCA or CE mark, and read the instructions on each one before you light it.⁶
• Keep them closed. Store them in a closed box and take out one at a time.⁶
• Light with care. Light at arm's length with a taper or long lighter. Never go back to a firework you have lit. Stand well back.⁶
• Adults only, no alcohol. Only adults should handle fireworks, and alcohol and fireworks do not mix.⁶
• Bonfires. Choose a site away from buildings, fences, trees and play areas. Never use petrol, paraffin or meths to light it, keep water nearby and put it out properly afterwards.⁶
• Keep pets indoors and warn your neighbours beforehand.⁶

3. Know the law

In England, Scotland and Wales, the gov.uk guidance says you must not set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, with these exceptions:¹

Occasion	Cut-off
Bonfire Night	Midnight
New Year's Eve, Diwali, Chinese New Year	1am

• You must be 18 or over to buy adult fireworks (categories 2 and 3). Category 4 is for professionals only.¹
• It is illegal to set off fireworks, sparklers included, in the street or other public places.¹
• Illegal sale or use can bring an unlimited fine and up to 6 months in prison, and there is a £90 on-the-spot fine.¹
• Registered sellers can sell fireworks for private use from 15 October to 10 November, from 26 to 31 December, and for three days before Diwali and Chinese New Year. At other times only licensed shops can sell them.¹

This page covers Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own rules, and councils can add local ones, so check with yours. In our view the legal limit is a ceiling, not a target, and finishing earlier is kinder to everyone. That is an opinion, not a rule.

4. Tell your neighbours

Fill in the blanks, copy, and send. Or print a door note.

Date Rough start time Rough finish time Your address or house number

5. Or skip the bang

If you want the sky lit up without the noise, drone light shows and laser shows make no firework noise. Wokingham Borough Council, for one, chose a laser show for 2 November 2025, calling it a great alternative that offers a spectacle without the noise, and the organiser said it has no loud bangs.⁷

• Celestial is a UK drone light show company based in Somerset, with a fleet of over 1,000 drones. Its site lists drone light shows and does not mention fireworks.⁸

Before you book anything, ask exactly what makes a sound. Drones are quiet in themselves, but music, crowds and any fireworks added to a show are not. In our opinion, "silent" on its own is a claim to check, not a promise.

Our rule: Firework Friend only links to and promotes noiseless options. We do not advertise anything that makes a sound, including so-called low noise fireworks. The map lists public displays so people can avoid them or go and watch. We do not charge to be listed and we do not promote any of them.