How to promote Bonfire Night events and fireworks displays

From roaring bonfires to spectacular fireworks displays, these events bring communities together for an evening worth wrapping up. But getting people through the gates takes more than a dazzling display.

Whether you’re organising a community fundraiser or a large fireworks event, this guide will help you reach local audiences and sell tickets, whilst also helping you to prepare for your guests’ arrival on the day. We’ll also show you how Skiddle’s Promotion Centre can support your plans, and where to find guidance on safety and event insurance.

Starting with the basics…

1. Build an event listing that helps people book

Your fireworks may dazzle guests on the night, but your event listing needs to win them over first.

Start with a short description of what makes your event worth attending. Is it a bonfire, a fireworks display or both? Will there be food stalls, fairground rides or other entertainment? Make clear what’s included in admission and what costs extra.

Then cover the practical, less sparkly details. Potential customers need to find the important information quickly before committing to a ticket:

• Timings: gate opening, display start, event finish and bonfire lighting, if applicable.
• Location: the full address, entrance details, parking and public transport.
• Tickets: prices, age bands, family-ticket eligibility and what admission includes.
• Facilities: toilets, refreshments and relevant payment information.
• Accessibility: available facilities, ground conditions and a contact for questions.
• Event policies: relevant restrictions and whether tickets will be available at the gate.
• Updates: where attendees should check for changes before travelling.

Finally, choose an image that reflects the experience you’re selling. Photography from a previous event can work well, provided your description makes the current offering clear.

💡 Ask someone unfamiliar with the event to read your listing. Anything they still need to ask is a useful clue about what’s missing.

2. Make ticket choices easy for families and groups

For events attracting families, a straightforward ticket range makes planning an evening together easier.

Don’t leave your customers doing mental gymnastics at checkout. Consider adult, child, family or group tickets, depending on your audience. Keep the choice manageable and explain exactly who each ticket admits.

For example, “two adults and two children aged 5 to 15” provides more detail than “family admission”. Choose combinations that suit your event and explain the options for groups that don’t fit them.

💡 Before launching, check:

• Are child age bands clear?
• Do children with free admission still need a ticket?
• How does each group ticket count towards your attendance limit?
• Does the ticket cover a particular display, session or viewing area?
• Are additional charges and exclusions clear before purchase?

Build prices around your costs and objectives. A charity bonfire and a commercial fireworks spectacular may need different approaches, but both need ticket income to work. Once your options are agreed, set them up in Promotion Centre and double-check the customer-facing descriptions.

Create your free Promotion Centre account to start building your event listing.

3. Get your local community talking

Your next visitor could hear about your event in a family WhatsApp group or through a friend’s recommendation.

Give those conversations a helping hand. Provide local clubs, businesses and community groups with images and a booking link to share. Include the details people need to plan an evening together: the date, location, ticket price and display time.

School newsletters may also be useful where the event is relevant, and the school agrees to share it. Local publications can help spread the word, too, particularly if there’s a community or fundraising story behind your event.

Across your own channels, give people different reasons to pay attention. Announce ticket sales, showcase the entertainment, explain family-ticket options and answer common questions. If you contact previous visitors, it’s important to use the audience that has agreed to receive your marketing to stay in line with GDPR law.

You could also use Skiddle Reps to reward supporters for selling tickets on your behalf, giving enthusiastic attendees another way to help spread the word.

4. Give people a reason to book early

Advance bookings give you a clearer picture of demand and more time to respond, so there’s good reason to make booking ahead feel worthwhile.

An early-bird booking price or limited family offer can help, provided it works financially – the continuing cost of living crisis is something to keep in mind. Set the allocation and the deadline for acquiring these offers before you start promoting them.

For those who might be interested in attending your event but struggling to afford the cost of, for example, a family or group ticket, we offer interest-free split payment options at checkout, making it easier for them to make a decision sooner.

Customers with an eligible basket value of between £1 and £900 can select PayPal Pay in 30 Days to defer the full balance for 30 days after the order has been processed, or they can opt for PayPal Pay in 3, which lets eligible customers spread the cost of tickets priced between £20 and £3,000 across three monthly payments.

Skiddle’s Discount Codes also support targeted offers. You could give a participating local club or your venue a dedicated code to share with its audience. Review the bookings it generates and use what you learn to shape future promotions.

Before reaching for a discount, check whether slow sales could reflect missing information or a difficult booking journey. A lower price won’t fix a broken link.

5. Keep the path to purchase short

Once someone decides to come, the next steps need to be obvious.

Use a clear booking link in your social profiles, posts, partner materials and emails. If you have a website, position the ticket button where it’s easy to find, including on mobile.

Want customers to buy through your website? Explore Skiddle’s ticket widget options in the Promotion Centre Help Centre.

💡 Before sharing your campaign, test the journey on desktop and mobile:

• Does the link open the correct event?
• Are ticket names and prices easy to understand?
• Is the correct date or display session obvious?
• Can customers quickly find essential information?
• Is the route to checkout clear?

6. Prepare attendees before they reach the gate

Useful arrival information helps guests feel confident and gives your team fewer questions to answer during the busiest part of the event.

Send a concise reminder through your attendee communication channels and keep the same information easy to find on your event page.

Adapt the following template:

7. Get your entry team ready for the rush

Arrivals can cluster around bonfire lighting or display times, so it’s vital to prepare your team before the first queue begins to form.

Brief staff on entrances, ticket types, group admissions and display sessions, and give ticket queries a clear process so customers who need help don’t hold up every arrival behind them.

Skiddle’s RapidScan app – available for free for both iOS and Android devices – supports ticket validation and entry tracking, helping your team check tickets and understand arrival patterns. Test your setup in advance, and make sure that your devices are charged and your staff know how to use them before gates open

If you’re expecting a large turnout or operating multiple entrances, discuss your equipment requirements with Skiddle ahead of the event.

If you still have tickets available come the day of the event, RapidScan’s box-office functionality also lets you sell tickets to customers who turn up without one, helping you capture last-minute sales. 

Find out more about RapidScan.

8. Have a clear plan for sell-outs and changes

Sold out? Make that message visible wherever people are likely to check before travelling. If you’re running more than one firework display across an evening, point customers towards any other available options.

Skiddle’s Waiting List also gives interested customers a route to tickets if more become available. If you direct people to use the feature, make clear that joining does not guarantee admission.

Find out how the Waiting List works.

Weather and operational changes also need a communication plan. Decide who makes decisions, who updates your channels and how ticket holders will hear from you.

Explain cancellation and postponement terms before purchase. If plans change, tell customers what has happened, what they need to do and when they can expect another update.

Keep safety planning alongside your promotion

Every fireworks display needs responsible planning, whether it takes place on Bonfire Night or at another time of year.

The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on organising firework displays covers site suitability, display responsibilities, emergency arrangements and stewarding.

Check the requirements for your location and event date with the relevant local authority and your display operator. Include any bonfire in your planning, and discuss appropriate event insurance with a specialist provider (contact our official event insurance partner, Vento Insurance, for assistance).

List your next bonfire or fireworks event on Skiddle

Clear information helps people commit, useful local promotion helps them discover your event, and a prepared entry team helps the evening get off to a good start. The right ticketing partner helps you bring it all together.

At Skiddle, we work with bonfire and fireworks display organisers across the UK, assisting them with organising and managing successful events. From setting up your listing to preparing for the gates to open, our UK-based ticketing team, available 6 days a week, can help you make the most of the Promotion Centre while supporting your customers, too. And when they’re not around, there’s a wealth of practical help articles and how-to guides when you need a steer.

And did we mention the tools? From Discount Codes that give customers a reason to book, to Waiting List for sold-out events and RapidScan for checking tickets on arrival, there’s plenty to help you turn your plans into a well-attended evening.

Whether you’re planning a community Bonfire Night celebration or a standalone fireworks display, create your free Promotion Centre account, list your event and start selling tickets today.