Eastbourne Bonfire Night 2026

One of Eastbourne’s biggest and most exciting community events is back, and this year we’re celebrating 25 years since Eastbourne Bonfire Society was rekindled. Join us from 7:15pm on Saturday 3rd October as we mark a quarter‑century of keeping the bonfire tradition burning bright for our town.

All the much‑loved features of the night return for this special anniversary year — our torchlight procession, the beach‑side bonfire and the spectacular fireworks display. And because this year marks our silver jubilee, we also have exciting new plans to make the celebration bigger and more memorable than ever!

What’s New For 2026?

This year we’re making the biggest change to our event in a decade: our torchlit procession is being extended from the seafront into the town centre too!

By bringing together town and seafront for our 25th anniversary, the longer route takes the spectacle to more people and businesses across Eastbourne than ever before.

This change marks a major milestone for us. Over the last 25 years, our procession has grown from a small event in a field, to the lower promenade, to the road along the seafront. Opening this next chapter is something we’re hugely excited about.

And it’s a step rooted in Eastbourne’s own bonfire history. In the late 1800s, the town once boasted seven bonfire societies, with processions spanning both the seafront and the town centre, bringing every street alive for Bonfire Night.

By extending our route, we honour that tradition with a nod to those bygone celebrations.

What To Expect

Our Bonfire Night is made up of three key elements: two torchlit processions, a beach bonfire and a spectacular fireworks finale — all of which come together to create an unforgettable celebration across Eastbourne.

Processions: The torchlit processions fill the streets with blazing torches, drummers, and bands.

Visiting Bonfire Societies represent many of the major towns across Sussex, with hundreds of participants in the procession, sporting a vast spectrum of different costumes.

The first seafront procession kicks off from the Crown and Anchor Pub at 7:15pm, while the second — following our new town‑centre extension — will head into town from around 8:30pm. The procession will later return to the Seafront finishing near the Wish Tower Slopes.

To avoid disappoint we strongly recommend checking timings and route maps in the event programme.

Bonfire: Returning to the seafront, a huge bonfire constructed on the beach will be lit, topped with a specially crafted effigy, dragged through the streets and revealed only on the night.

Fireworks: The celebrations end with a colourful fireworks display over the seafront — often said to be Eastbourne’s best — providing a fitting finale to the evening.