Planning your Bonfire Night in York this year? Here’s a meticulously checked, up-to-date round-up of the city’s public fireworks displays for 2025, with confirmed dates, times, prices, locations, what’s on, and direct booking links. As a York taxi company, Drive Taxis knows the pinch points, the quiet cut-throughs and the best drop-off spots – so we’ve added practical Taxi York travel tips to help you get there and home smoothly. All event details below were verified against organisers’ pages or authoritative local listings as of Monday 27 October 2025.
Autumn Lights at Elvington Airfield – York’s big show
Date: Monday 27 October 2025
Location: Elvington Airfield, YO41 4AU
Gates: 3:00pm (gates, street food, bars and funfair open)
Displays: Children’s fireworks and SFX around 7:40pm; Grand Finale around 9:15pm (organisers note times are approximate)
Tickets (online): Adults £16.99; Children 4–16 £8.99; Under-3s free. On the gate (subject to availability): Adults £20; Children £10. Free parking on site.
What’s on: Two choreographed fireworks displays, stage entertainment, SPARK! drummers, roaming performers, family funfair, street food, fully stocked bars.
Book / info: https://autumnlights.co.uk/york-firework-display/
York taxi tips: Elvington is outside the inner ring road, so expect heavier traffic on the A1079 and local approaches from 6pm onward. Pre-book your York taxi for a timed drop-off before 6pm if you want the early entertainment, or aim for 8:45–9:00pm for just the finale. Agree a post-event pick-up point with your driver away from the main car park exits to avoid the bottleneck.
Poppleton Centre Bonfire & Firework Spectacular
Date: Wednesday 5 November 2025
Location: The Poppleton Centre, Main Street, Upper Poppleton, YO26 6JT
Gates: 5:00pm
Bonfire: 6:15pm
Fireworks: 7:15pm
Closes: 9:00pm
Tickets: Adults £12; Children (5–16) £6; Under-5s free
Travel & parking: No on-site parking (except Blue Badge). Free parking at Poppleton Bar Park & Ride (YO26 6QF) with a free shuttle to the venue (first shuttle 5:00pm; last shuttle to venue 7:00pm; last shuttle from event 9:15pm). Additional free parking at Poppleton Community Football Pavilion, Millfield Lane (YO26 6LY).
What’s on: Big community bonfire and professional fireworks, food and drink, and a family-friendly atmosphere.
Book / info: https://poppletoncentre.org.uk/
York taxi tips: Poppleton gets busy on Main Street and Millfield Lane. If you are using a York taxi, ask for drop-off near the Park & Ride shuttle point or agree a safe pick-up in a residential side street away from the Main Street closure area after 7pm.
Acorn Rugby Club “Big Bang” – Acomb community favourite
Date: Wednesday 5 November 2025
Location: Acorn Rugby Club, Thanet Road, York, YO24 2NW
Gates: 5:30pm
Fireworks: 7:30pm
Tickets: Advance £3.50 (adults and children over 5) from the club bar (from the last weekend in September); On the gate £4 (adults and children over 5); Under-5s and OAPs free
What’s on: Traditional community bonfire night with food options and a friendly, local feel; the No. 4 bus stops nearby
More info: Check local listings and the club’s social updates (details commonly shared via York Mumbler and YorkMix).
York taxi tips: Thanet Road can clog up around 7pm. If you’re booking a York taxi, consider a drop on Moor Lane or Foxwood Lane and a short walk in. After the display, meet your driver a couple of streets away to avoid the immediate traffic near the clubhouse.
Clifton Green Primary Bonfire Night – family-friendly Friday
Date: Friday 7 November 2025
Location: Clifton Green Primary School, York, YO30 6JA
Start: 5:30pm
Tickets: Adult/Teen (13+) £6.25; Child (3–12) £4.25; online booking required
What’s on: School-led community event with a themed show, fireworks, food and family activities
Book / info: Search “Clifton Green Bonfire Night TicketSource 2025” or visit TicketSource and search for the event listing
York taxi tips: For the safest arrival, ask your driver for a drop on Kingsway North or Water Lane and walk the final few minutes. Post-event, arrange collection by the Post Office on Kingsway North or near Homestead Park rather than outside the school gate.
York Firefighters’ Charity Bonfire & Fireworks – Rawcliffe Country Park
Date: Saturday 8 November 2025
Location: Rawcliffe Country Park, York, YO30 5XZ (next to Rawcliffe Park & Ride)
“Family hour” gates: 4:00pm (reduced-noise mini display at 5:30pm for little ones; some rides open early)
General gates: 5:00pm
Bonfire: 7:00pm
Main fireworks: 7:30pm
Finishes: around 9:00pm
Tickets: Adults £12.50; Children £7.50; Under-5s free
What’s on: One of York’s biggest community displays, with live music (often announced closer to the date), broadcast support from local media, funfair rides and a strong charity focus
Book / info: Check TicketSource (search “Rawcliffe Fireworks 2025”) and the North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service news page or social updates
York taxi tips: This is a high-attendance event. For smoother journeys, have your York taxi drop at the Park & Ride entrance and walk in. After the main display, plan a pickup point on Shipton Road (A19) southbound towards the city to avoid the Rawcliffe roundabout queues.
Are these the only public fireworks in York in 2025?
To be comprehensive and accurate, we’ve focused on confirmed, public, ticketed or clearly open community events within the City of York area that publish reliable details (organiser pages, TicketSource, or trusted local media). Some nearby displays outside the city boundary – for example, Sledmere, Easingwold, Selby, Pocklington – are popular with York families but sit outside “in York” and aren’t included here. If you want a “York and nearby” version, we can add them – several are listed by Visit York and local media – but they’re not part of this strictly in-York roundup.
Quick reference – dates and times at a glance
- Mon 27 Oct: Autumn Lights, Elvington Airfield – gates 3:00pm; children’s display about 7:40pm; finale about 9:15pm; adult online price £16.99
- Wed 5 Nov: Poppleton Centre – gates 5:00pm; bonfire 6:15pm; fireworks 7:15pm; adult £12; child £6; under-5s free
- Wed 5 Nov: Acorn Rugby Club Big Bang (Acomb) – gates 5:30pm; fireworks 7:30pm; advance £3.50; gate £4; under-5s/OAPs free
- Fri 7 Nov: Clifton Green Primary – starts 5:30pm; adult/teen £6.25; child £4.25; online booking
- Sat 8 Nov: Rawcliffe Country Park (Firefighters’ Charity) – family gates 4:00pm; kids’ display 5:30pm; general gates 5:00pm; bonfire 7:00pm; main display 7:30pm; adult £12.50; child £7.50; under-5s free
Booking links and official pages
- Autumn Lights (Elvington Airfield) – Book / info: https://autumnlights.co.uk/york-firework-display/
- Poppleton Centre Bonfire & Fireworks – Book / info: https://poppletoncentre.org.uk/
- Acorn Rugby Club Big Bang – Info: check Acorn Rugby Club social pages and local listings such as York Mumbler or YorkMix
- Clifton Green Primary Bonfire Night – Book / info: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ (search “Clifton Green Bonfire Night 2025”)
- Rawcliffe Country Park (NY Fire & Rescue Charity) – Book / info: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ (search “Rawcliffe Fireworks 2025”) and North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service news/social pages
Getting there with Drive Taxis
Bonfire Night clashes with school-time pick-ups, commuter traffic and event-specific road controls. If you’d rather not park miles away or queue in the cold, pre-book a York taxi with Drive Taxis for a warm, direct drop-off and pre-arranged collection. For families, let us know if you need a larger vehicle or space for a folded buggy. For groups, advance multi-stop plans save time and money. Our experienced local drivers navigate closures and diversions every year – especially around Elvington, Rawcliffe and Poppleton – and can suggest safe meeting points away from the crowds.
Safety and accessibility
Always follow organiser guidance. Autumn Lights confirms free on-site parking and notes loud fireworks; ear defenders are recommended for younger children. Poppleton has no general on-site parking (Blue Badge only) and provides a shuttle bus – plan accordingly. At Rawcliffe, family hour is designed to ease younger visitors in with a quieter display before the main show. If you or your party have mobility needs, a pre-arranged York taxi drop-off near accessible entrances can make a big difference.
