Fawkes Festival Edinburgh: Your Complete Guide to Scotland’s Ultimate Bonfire Night Party

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UPDATE: Sadly this event has been cancelled for 2025. Find out why and find other great Bonfire Night Events in Scotland for 2025.

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As the nights draw in and the air turns sharp with woodsmoke, Edinburgh rolls out one of its most epic autumn traditions: the Fawkes Festival. Held each November at the Royal Highland Centre, it’s a night packed with fireworks, live music, fairground rides and food that feels part carnival and part cosy night round the fire — only with thousands of people and a lot more sparkle.

Bonfire Night events are ten-a-penny across the UK, but this one stands out for sheer scale. Think of it as Guy Fawkes Night on stadium-tour levels of production, with a soundtrack that ranges from ska brass to Ibiza beats, and you’ve got the right idea.

What Is The Fawkes Festival?

The Fawkes Festival is Edinburgh’s biggest Bonfire Night celebration, set within the sprawling Royal Highland Centre just outside the city. It’s grown from a straightforward fireworks display into a full-blown autumn festival, with live music, DJs, a giant bonfire, a bustling food village and fairground rides for all ages.

It’s named in honour of Guy Fawkes — the man behind the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 — but the vibe is far more about spectacle than history. These days it’s less about remembering and more about revelling: one last blowout before the winter sets in.

Why It’s Become One Of Edinburgh’s Biggest Events

This city knows how to throw a festival, and the Fawkes Festival has quietly joined the ranks of Edinburgh’s unmissable annual fixtures. Its secret is balance. The fireworks are impressively choreographed to music, the live acts span a wide range of genres, and the early start makes it just as appealing for families as it is for groups of friends.

It’s slickly run, easy to reach by car, public transport or on foot, and big enough to feel like a proper night out without tipping into chaos. Year on year, it pulls in crowds from all over Scotland looking for something more memorable than their local park display.

What To Expect At The Fawkes Festival 2025

The 2025 edition takes place on Sunday 2nd November at the Royal Highland Centre, with gates opening at 2pm and the site closing at 8pm. The format is familiar but reliably brilliant: live music to warm you up, a towering bonfire to huddle around, and then the kind of fireworks display that makes your ribcage vibrate.

This year’s running order looks like this:

• 2.00pm — Gates open, DJ set kicks things off

• 2.30pm — Cal & Ally bring mellow acoustic vibes

• 3.15pm — Ben Walker ups the energy with soaring vocals

• 4.15pm — Ska legends Bombskare get the crowd jumping

• 5.10pm — The bonfire is lit

• 5.30pm — Ibiza In Symphony headline with orchestral club anthems

• 6.30pm — Fireworks finale lights up the sky

After the fireworks, there’s no need to rush off. Food stalls, bars and fairground rides stay open until 8pm, letting you wander, refuel and enjoy the afterglow before heading home.

Food, Drink And Fairground Fun

Between the music sets and the fireworks, the festival village is well worth exploring. Expect a small army of street food stalls serving everything from loaded fries to churros, plus bars pouring local beers from Innis & Gunn alongside mulled wine, cocktails and hot chocolate.

The fairground is a big draw too, mixing family-friendly classics like carousels and dodgems with a few white-knuckle rides for the thrill-seekers. It’s loud, colourful and brilliantly chaotic — a perfect contrast to the crisp November air.

Top Tips For Visiting The Fawkes Festival

If it’s your first time, a bit of planning goes a long way. Wrap up warm: it’s an open site and the temperature plummets as soon as the sun sets. Aim to arrive early to beat the queues and bag a good spot for the fireworks. If you’re bringing younger children, consider ear defenders — the display is loud and can be a lot for little ones.

Parking is available on-site and is booked in advance when you buy your ticket. Most vendors are cashless, so bring a card or phone for contactless payments. A torch for the walk back to the car park doesn’t hurt either.

2025 Fawkes Festival Ticket Prices

Getting into the Fawkes Festival is refreshingly simple, with tickets covering all the music, fireworks, fairground fun and festival atmosphere. You can book online in advance — and it’s worth doing early, as this event tends to sell out fast.

Standard tickets:

• Adult (16+ years): £14.00

• Child (2–15 years): £9

• Baby (0–24 months): Free — but must be booked alongside an adult ticket

• Carer ticket: Free

• Car pass: £10.25 (one per vehicle)

Optional add-ons to pre-book:

• Toasted marshmallows: £4.10 — skip the marshmallow queue and head straight to the firepit

• Glow neon art wand (star or heart): £12.30

• Glow multicolour flashing sword: £9.23

• Glow flashing snowflake wand: £10.25

Pre-ordering the glow toys also lets you skip the stall queues — just pick up your glowing loot inside the event and get straight back to the fun.

FAQs

When is the Fawkes Festival 2025?

Sunday, 2nd November, from 2pm to 8pm.

Where does it take place?

At the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston, just outside Edinburgh.

Is it family-friendly?

Yes — the early start, fairground rides and mix of music and fireworks make it ideal for all ages.

What time are the fireworks?

The fireworks finale is scheduled for 6.30pm.

Can we stay after the fireworks?

Absolutely — food stalls and rides stay open until 8pm so you can wind down gradually.

Why You Shouldn't Miss Fawkes Festival

The Fawkes Festival has quietly grown into one of Scotland’s biggest and most polished Bonfire Night events. With live music, hearty food, fairground fun and a truly jaw-dropping fireworks finale, it’s the perfect way to see off autumn in style.

Don’t Just Watch – Recreate The Fawkes Festival Magic

If seeing Edinburgh's show gets you itching to fire off your own fireworks, we’ve got you covered. From quiet, pet-friendly fireworks that won’t upset the neighbours to huge, sky-filling barrages that make you feel like you’re running your own festival, our range is stacked with the best fireworks you can buy in the UK, all at unbeatable prices.

And if you want to look like a pyro pro with minimal hassle, our DIY display packs come with a firing guide so you can look like an expert without actually having to be one.

Browse our huge range of fireworks here and we’ll help you turn your garden into your own personal Fawkes Festival.

Looking for More Firework Events To Add To Your Diary This Year?

We’ve rounded up the biggest and best UK firework events happening throughout 2025. Bookmark our guide here: 2025 UK Firework Event Dates for Your Diary

Whether you're after traditional Bonfire Night spectaculars or summer pyromusicals, we’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to.