Nottingham bonfire night event cancelled for fourth year in a row after costs doubled

This will be the fourth year in a row the event has been cancelled Credit: Nottingham City Council

Nottingham’s annual bonfire night and firework display event has been cancelled as costs have doubled since 2019.

Nottingham City Council announced its decision today (Friday 6 October) ahead of the annual event which was scheduled to be held at the Forest Recreation Ground on Sunday 5 November.

The council said wider budgetary pressures facing the authority contributed to cancelling the event.

This will be the fourth year in a row it's been scrapped, with 2020 and 2021 affected by the pandemic. It did not go ahead last year owing to increased costs.

The free event, which consists of a bonfire, firework displays, fairground rides and food stalls, is funded by the council and the Mellors Group.

It was expected to require around £60,000 to stage this year, with a third covered by the Mellors Group, and a £40,000 cost to the council.

The council claims this is a significant increase on the £30,000 event in 2019 due to a sharp rise in inflation and new regulation.

Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture at Nottingham City Council, said: “It’s disappointing that the Bonfire Night event has been cancelled for the fourth year running.

"We did not want to have to take this decision, but with increasing financial pressures in a very difficult current economic climate, we were left with no choice.

“We understand that this will be a big disappointment to families across Nottingham who look forward each year to a firework celebration at the Forest Recreation Ground, but we have a responsibility with budgets so tight to justify every pound that’s spent.

"I know officers worked really hard to secure external funding, but unfortunately costs remained very high in a number of areas and we continue operating in a tough economic environment, making it difficult to stage the event this year."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...