Bonfire Night falls on a Thursday this year, 5 November 2026, so the displays around Deal are split between the night itself and the weekend that follows. The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, so by early November it's properly dark by about five o'clock, which means you don't have to keep the children up late to see the fireworks.
Here's where to see a display in and around Deal, starting closest to home. Details were correct at the time of writing, but fireworks are at the mercy of the weather, so always check with the organiser before you set off.
In Deal: Warden House Primary School
For years, the parents' and friends' association at Warden House Primary School, on the north side of town, has run a popular family display in early November. Listings for this year give Saturday 7 November, with gates opening at 5.30pm and the fireworks at 7pm. It's small, friendly and very local, and the money raised goes back into the school.
Last time, advance tickets were £7 for adults and £5 for children, with under-threes free and a family ticket available, and they were a little dearer on the gate. There's no parking on site, so walk if you can. Search for "Warden House PTFA fireworks" to find this year's ticket page, and check the date there before you book.
On the night: Broadstairs, Viking Bay
If you want to be out on 5 November itself, Broadstairs puts on one of the best-loved displays on this stretch of coast, over the sand at Viking Bay. Broadstairs and St Peter's Town Council runs the evening, with live music by the bandstand from 6pm and the fireworks at 7pm sharp. It's listed as free.
Roads around the seafront close for the evening and parking is very tight, so the council asks people to walk or come by public transport. From Deal, the train to Broadstairs takes around half an hour, with a change at Ramsgate on some services. See the town council's event page for road closures and updates.
On the night: Kent Cricket, Canterbury
Kent Cricket's fireworks evening at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury is also on Thursday 5 November, with live music and a food village. It sold out last year, and listings put tickets at around £16.50 for adults and £6 for children aged four to 15, with under-threes free. Buy only through Kent Cricket's own website: the club has warned about fake ticket sellers on social media.
The weekend after: rallycross and fireworks at Lydden Hill
Lydden Hill race circuit, between Dover and Canterbury and about twenty minutes' drive from Deal, combines a weekend of British Rallycross with a fireworks display. Listings give the fireworks on Saturday 7 November at around 5.45pm. You can buy a cheaper fireworks-only ticket, with entry from 3pm, listed at £15.99 for adults, and children aged 13 and under go free if you book ahead. Parking is free.
A few things worth knowing
Pets. Fireworks can frighten dogs and other animals. If you're staying in Deal with a dog, walk it before dark, keep it indoors with the curtains closed in the evening, and leave a radio or the television on to cover the bangs.
Your own fireworks. In England, you must be 18 to buy fireworks, and it's against the law to let them off between 11pm and 7am, except on Bonfire Night itself, when the cut-off is midnight. Organised displays are safer, cheaper and usually much better than anything you could put on in a back garden.
Wrap up warm. Deal faces east, straight onto the North Sea, and November evenings on the coast can be bitterly cold, especially on a beach. Bring a hat, gloves and a flask.
And if you're not going to a display at all, a walk along the seafront on Bonfire Night is a pleasure in itself, with the pier lit up and the occasional rocket going up from back gardens across town.
For more of what's on this autumn, see our What's on page and our guide to October half-term in Deal.
