Fireworks at 7.45pm on Saturday 7 November, bonfire lit 7.15pm, procession 6pm. Wristbands £8 in October, £12 on the day. Every road and car park closure.

Winchester fireworks 2026 is on Saturday 7 November at North Walls Recreation Ground, and the display starts at about 7.45pm. Winchester Round Table, which runs the night, has now published the full timetable, the road closures and the ticket prices on its own site (Winchester Bonfire and Fireworks). Standard wristbands are £8 if you book in October.

Updated 5 October: the M3 is closed between junctions 9 and 8 over the bonfire weekend; details under “Driving in on the M3”.

Updated 3 October: the 2026 timings, ticket prices, road closures and car park closures are now published by the organiser and are below. The £5 sale on 20 September has finished.

Winchester fireworks 2026: Saturday 7 November, not the 8th

Visit Winchester’s bonfire night roundup, last updated on 25 September, heads its Winchester entry “Saturday 7 November 2026” and then says underneath that the event is “taking place on Saturday 8 November this year”. There is no such day: 8 November 2026 is a Sunday. The Round Table’s own site, which sells the wristbands, says Saturday 7 November, and every time and closure on this page is for the 7th. If you have seen the 8th elsewhere, that listing is wrong.

Timings for Saturday 7 November

The Round Table’s event advice page gives this timetable, and says the times “are approximate and may be subject to change”:

Time What happens
10am Collection booth for pre-booked tickets opens in Abbey Gardens
4pm Second collection booth opens in River Park car park
4.30pm Display arena opens, with food and drink
6pm Torchlit procession sets off from the Guildhall
7.15pm Bonfire lit by the Mayor of Winchester
7.45pm Firework display begins

One thing does not line up. The timetable opens the arena at 4.30pm, the wristband listing says standard tickets give access “from around 5.30pm”, and the food and drink panel on the home page says “entry to the arena is from 6pm”. If you want food before the bonfire, aim for 5.30pm and expect a queue.

Ticket prices

Ticket Price
Standard wristband, October £8
Standard wristband, November £10
Standard wristband, on the day £12
Premium Tent wristband £55

Those are the Round Table’s own figures: “Tickets £8 in October, £10 in November and £12 on the day of the event” (ticket info). The £8 early bird wristband is on sale now. Booking in October saves £4 a head against the gate, which is £16 for a family of four.

The family four-pack that ran in 2025 (£60) is not on sale this year.

Every person needs a wristband, at the same price whatever their age. “All children, including those in pushchairs, will need to wear their own standard wristband ticket. Babies carried in arms are exempt.”

Postage stops on 1 November. Tickets ordered before then are posted. After that you collect them on the night from the Abbey Gardens booth (10am to 4.30pm, off The Broadway next to the Guildhall) or the River Park car park booth (from 4pm, pedestrians only). Bring the five-digit reference from your confirmation email.

The Premium Tent

The Premium Tent is £55, sold online only, and the Round Table has made it bigger: a marquee for 250 people this year, up from 150, at the front of the display ground with an “unlimited open bar” from 5.30pm until about 8.30pm. It has its own entrance at Gate 1 in River Park car park, and the ticket is emailed, not posted. The organiser recommends it for groups aged 18 and over.

The torchlit procession is free

The procession sets off at 6pm “from Guildhall on The Broadway, up the High Street and across Jewry Street before heading to the firework and bonfire display”. It costs nothing to walk, but you need a wristband to get into the display ground at the end.

Wax torches are sold along the route. They are not sold to under-18s, children should not carry a lit one, and you must put it out before you enter the display site.

Road closures

The Round Table publishes this list on its event advice page.

Closed before the display, 6pm to 8pm unless shown:

  • North Walls at the junctions with Andover Road, Stockbridge Road and Sussex Street
  • Hyde Street at the junction with North Walls
  • Hyde Abbey Road
  • Park Avenue
  • Eastgate Street at the turn into Friarsgate (straight on to the roundabout only)
  • The Broadway
  • Southgate Street at the junction with Jewry Street
  • Nuns Road, 6pm to 9pm, with no public access to River Park or the rugby club
  • Hillier Way to River Park, Park Avenue and Birinius Road, 6pm to 9pm
  • Upper Brook Street, all day

Closed after the display, 8pm to 9pm unless shown:

  • North Walls
  • St Peter’s Street
  • Middle Brook Street
  • Parchment Street
  • Lower Brook Street
  • Park Avenue
  • Hyde Street at the junction with North Walls
  • Upper Brook Street, all day

As of 3 October, Hampshire County Council’s public notices for the Winchester area (133 live notices) carry no order for the bonfire, and nor does the city council’s 2026 notices library. The organiser’s list is the only published record. Our roadworks and travel page tracks everything else that is shut that week.

Driving in on the M3: it is closed that weekend

The M3 is closed in both directions between junction 9 at Winchester and junction 8 from 9pm on Friday 6 November to 6am on Monday 9 November, so National Highways can demolish an old bridge structure over the motorway at junction 9 (National Highways). If you are coming from Basingstoke or London, the motorway will not get you to Winchester on bonfire night. Follow the signed diversion, allow extra time, or come by train. More in our story on the M3 closures.

Parking on bonfire night

Car parks that close or lock in:

  • River Park Leisure Centre car park: closed from 12pm to 10pm, with bay restrictions
  • St Peter’s car park: exits suspended from 8.15pm until the crowds have gone
  • The University of Southampton School of Art campus car park: exits suspended 6.30pm to 9pm

Car parks the organiser says stay open, with its walking times to the site: Tower Street multi storey (10 minutes), Chesil Street multi storey (13 minutes), Gladstone Street (10 minutes), the railway station (10 minutes) and Winchester Sport and Leisure Park at Bar End (20 minutes).

What it costs. New city council charges take effect on 1 November, six days before the bonfire (our report on the rises). Tower Street and Gladstone Street are central car parks, so from 7pm they charge the overnight rate, £2.20 for an hour or £4.00 for longer. Chesil Street is a Park and Walk car park and stops charging at 6pm, so an evening arrival there is free.

Park and ride works one way only. The car parks are free after 4pm at the sites that offer it, but the Round Table warns that “the Park & Ride bus services do not run after the end of the display”. You would walk back to your car.

The Round Table’s advice is to arrive early, park further out and walk in. The station is a 10 minute walk from the display ground. Our parking in Winchester page has every car park and its postcode.

What not to bring

The organiser bans dogs and other pets, scrap wood for the bonfire, your own fireworks, sparklers and flares, drones (the site is a no-fly zone), alcohol (there are bars on site) and camping chairs. Security will confiscate them or refuse entry. Wear boots: the ground is a playing field and is often wet.

Accessibility and lost children

Disabled ticket holders, and anyone needing help, must reach the drop-off at the Nuns Road entrance by 6.30pm to get into the accessible viewing area. There is no parking at Nuns Road during the event. The Round Table’s terms say only disabled ticket holders are admitted to that area, “due to capacity limitations”.

The lost children point is at the event control room by the Nuns Road entrance.

The small print

The Round Table’s terms and conditions are stricter than most local events:

  • No refund if you cannot come, for any reason.
  • If the event is cancelled, your ticket price becomes a charitable donation in the first instance; a refund depends on the ticket agent’s policy.
  • If only part of the night is called off for weather, “i.e. the firework display itself”, a refund is at the organiser’s discretion and it is “under no obligation” to give one.
  • Anyone aged 10 or under must be with an adult aged 18 or over.
  • Bags may be searched, and the bars run challenge 25.
  • Tickets are personal licences. Resell one for profit and it is void.

Other fireworks near Winchester in 2026

If 7 November does not suit, or you want a smaller night, these are the displays within about half an hour that have published 2026 dates. Checked on 4 October 2026.

Display Date Times Tickets
Whiteley Town Council fireworks, Meadowside Recreation Ground Sunday 1 November from 4.15pm Ticketed; the only paid event on the council’s 2026 calendar
Alresford Rotary, Arlebury Park, SO24 9EP Friday 6 November (see note) Procession 7pm from the top of Broad Street, bonfire 7.45pm, fireworks 8pm On sale from 1 October
Southampton Round Table, Mayflower Park, SO14 2AQ Saturday 7 November Gates 4pm Adults £10 to £15, children 5 to 15 £7, under-4s free but need a ticket; no tickets on the gate

Alresford’s date is not yet on the club’s own site. As of 4 October, alresford-rotary.org still carries its 2025 fireworks page, and the city council’s events listing is the 2025 entry. The 6 November 2026 date comes from the Visit Hampshire events listing, which gives the club’s phone number, 07743 698841, and says tickets go on sale on 1 October. The times above are the club’s published running order from 2025. Alresford is about seven miles east of Winchester, a 20 minute drive.

Southampton is on the same night as Winchester, so it is an alternative rather than an add-on. Whiteley, on the Sunday before, and Alresford, on the Friday night, can both be done as well as North Walls.

Frequently asked questions

When is Winchester bonfire night 2026?

Saturday 7 November 2026 at North Walls Recreation Ground. The procession leaves the Guildhall at 6pm, the bonfire is lit at 7.15pm and the fireworks begin at 7.45pm.

Is Winchester fireworks on 7 or 8 November 2026?

Saturday 7 November. Visit Winchester’s roundup says “Saturday 8 November” in its text, but the 8th is a Sunday. The organiser, Winchester Round Table, gives the 7th.

Are there other fireworks near Winchester in 2026?

Whiteley has a ticketed display on Sunday 1 November, Alresford Rotary’s procession and fireworks is listed for Friday 6 November, and Southampton’s Mayflower Park display is on Saturday 7 November, the same night as Winchester’s, with tickets sold online only.

How much are Winchester fireworks tickets?

£8 in October, £10 in November and £12 on the day, the same price for every age. The Premium Tent with an open bar is £55. Babies carried in arms go free.

What time do the Winchester fireworks start?

About 7.45pm, after the Mayor lights the bonfire at 7.15pm. The organiser says the times are approximate.

Which roads are closed for Winchester bonfire night?

The Broadway, North Walls, Hyde Street, Hyde Abbey Road, Park Avenue and the Southgate Street junction close from 6pm to 8pm, Nuns Road and the Hillier Way approach to 9pm, and Upper Brook Street all day. North Walls and the Brook Streets close again from 8pm to 9pm. The full list is above.

Where should I park for Winchester fireworks?

Tower Street, Chesil Street and Gladstone Street car parks stay open, all about 10 to 13 minutes’ walk away. River Park car park is closed from noon to 10pm. Park and ride buses do not run after the display.

Is the torchlit procession free?

Yes. It leaves the Guildhall on The Broadway at 6pm and goes up the High Street and across Jewry Street. You need a wristband to enter the display ground at the end.

Sources