South Park, Saturday 7 November: gates on Marston Road, Morrell Avenue and Cheney Lane open 4.30pm, low-noise display 6.30pm, main 7.15pm, adults £13.

Oxford Round Table’s charity fireworks display is on Saturday 7 November 2026 at South Park. Gates open at 4.30pm, a low-noise display is fired at 6.30pm sharp, and the main display goes up at 7.15pm sharp. Tickets are on sale now and start at £13 for an adult.

Updated 27 October: the organiser has published an interactive site map naming three entrances (Gate A by the Marston Road junction, Gate B on Morrell Avenue, Gate C on Cheney Lane), with first aid near Gate B. Ticket prices are unchanged.

Two things people search for every year, answered up front. There is no bonfire, as there was none in 2024 either. And there is no parking at the event, of any kind.

Oxford fireworks 2026 at a glance

Question Answer
Date Saturday 7 November 2026
Where South Park, Headington Hill: Gate A by the Marston Road junction, Gate B on Morrell Avenue, Gate C on Cheney Lane
Gates 4.30pm
Low-noise display 6.30pm
Main display 7.15pm
Adult ticket £13 online, a little more on the gate
Bonfire No
Parking None at the park; Thornhill park and ride is the organiser’s pick
Organiser Oxford Round Table, its 58th display

Where things stand on 27 October. Every ticket tier on the TicketCo page was still on sale at the prices below, unchanged since September. Group bookings of 30 or more go by email to oxford@roundtable.org.uk and close on 31 October. The organiser’s homepage still carries “Subject to license & permission”. Oxford City Council had published no permit news for 2026, and Oxfordshire County Council’s large public events page still listed a special event notice for Abingdon’s November fireworks but none for South Park.

Dates, times and what happens when

The organiser publishes a running order for the evening:

Time What
4.30pm Gates open
4.30pm to 6.30pm Hebborns funfair, food stalls, beer tent, resident DJ Nathan Swift on the big screens
6.30pm sharp Mini low-noise fireworks display
7.15pm sharp Main fireworks display
After the display Food, drink, entertainment, and the silent disco afterparty

The Round Table’s FAQ adds a realistic caveat about the 7.15pm start: it can slip “due to sheer volumes of people wanting to get into the park (arriving late) or the wind direction”. The ticketing page lists the event as running 4.30pm to 9.30pm.

The low-noise display at 6.30pm is the one to aim for with young children or an anxious dog at home nearby. It is back “by popular demand” and is fired 45 minutes before the loud one.

Gates and the site map

The Round Table’s interactive site map names three ways in:

Gate Where
Gate A West end of the park, by the Marston Road junction
Gate B Morrell Avenue
Gate C Cheney Lane

The first aid point is near Gate B. The map also marks the Hebborns funfair, the catering village with the licensed beer tent, portable toilets including accessible units, the Super Family Tent enclosure, the main viewing area and the fenced-off launch zone, which has no public access.

Ticket prices

Ticket Price
Adult, 18+ £13
Child, 5 to 17 £7
Student, with ID, and over 65s £10
Under 5s Free with an adult ticket
Super Family Tent, adult £22
Super Family Tent, child 5 to 17 £16
Super Family Tent, under 5 £7
Silent disco afterparty, 9pm to 11pm, 16+ £10
Best Seat In The House raffle entry £1

The Super Family Tent price includes hot food and a hot drink, access to a pay-as-you-go bar, and an enclosure with seating, children’s games and its own viewing area.

You can buy on the gate on the night, at a small premium over the online price. What you cannot buy on the gate is the Super Family Tent or the silent disco: those are online only. The raffle for the VIP viewing platform closes at 23:59 on Thursday 5 November.

There is no bonfire, and that is deliberate

The Round Table’s own pallet donation page carries the answer in a letter to would-be wood donors: “Unfortunately, for 2026, we will not be having our showcase bonfire at the event.”

This is not new. The bonfire was dropped from 2024 as part of a package of changes agreed with Oxford City Council to reduce damage to South Park, alongside aluminium trackway under the funfair and tighter control of vehicles on the grass. Asked directly in its consultation FAQ whether it would get rid of the bonfire, the organiser answers: “Yes, we have for this year.”

The same FAQ answers the other question people ask, which is why the display is not moved somewhere with more space. The organiser says it has looked, and that venues able to hold this many people safely and within walking distance for most visitors “do not exist within the ringroad (or just outside)”.

Road closures around South Park

The organiser’s consultation FAQ page, which is not dated, sets out two closures:

  • Cheney Lane, closed from midday to 9pm, with access kept for residents and emergency services
  • Morrell Avenue, closed between the Glebe Street and Cross Street junctions from 4pm to 9pm, again with residents’ and emergency access

It also warns that the parking bays along the whole length of Morrell Avenue have been removed, and that the council’s parking enforcement team will be out during the event dealing with double parking.

Treat those hours as the organiser’s intention rather than a legal fact for this year. As at 5 September no statutory road closure notice for the fireworks had been published on Oxfordshire County Council’s large public events page, which is where the orders for the Oxford Half and St Giles’ Fair both appear. Our roadworks and travel page will carry it when it lands.

Is the event licensed yet

Not visibly. The Round Table’s own website carries the line “Subject to license & permission” directly under the save-the-date, and tickets are on sale anyway.

In 2024 Oxford City Council published two news items about this event, one when the application came in and one when the permit was issued. As at 5 September 2026 it has published neither. That is not a sign of trouble, it is a sign that the process has not reached those points yet.

Getting there, and parking

There is no parking at the event, and the organiser asks everyone to come by sustainable transport. It recommends Thornhill park and ride above the others, roughly 15 minutes away, with direct buses to South Park and extra fireworks services on the night. Redbridge and Seacourt are about 35 minutes door to door, Pear Tree and Oxford Parkway about 40.

Park and ride charges, including the £3 combined parking and bus ticket, are on our parking page.

Practical points worth knowing

  • Wear boots. The organiser’s own advice is that the odds of needing wellies are “exceptionally high”, and the park gets muddy.
  • Bring some cash. There is no cash machine on site, though most vendors take cards.
  • Mobility. A shuttle runs from the Morrell Avenue entrance gate up to the VIP and family tent area and back. Ask for it at the gate.
  • Carers. Buy your own ticket online, then email the organiser with a Carer’s Allowance award letter and they issue a QR code for your carer.
  • Dogs. Guide dogs only.
  • Lost property. Nothing is reunited on the night. Email oxford@roundtable.org.uk with a detailed description; unclaimed items are destroyed after 30 days and any cash goes to the charity.

Where the money goes

The Round Table says it has raised and donated more than £1 million through the display since 1967, and that all profits go to charities across the city and county. The event has run for over five decades.

Frequently asked questions

When are the Oxford fireworks in 2026?

Saturday 7 November 2026 at South Park. Gates open at 4.30pm, the low-noise display is at 6.30pm and the main display at 7.15pm.

How much are Oxford fireworks tickets?

Adults £13, children aged 5 to 17 £7, students with ID and over-65s £10, and under-5s free with an adult. Super Family Tent tickets are £22 for adults and £16 for children. Prices are online prices; the gate costs a little more.

Can you buy Oxford fireworks tickets on the gate?

Yes, for general admission, at a small premium. Super Family Tent and silent disco tickets are online only.

Is there a bonfire at the Oxford fireworks?

No. The Round Table says it will not have a bonfire in 2026, and there has been none since 2024.

Where do you park for the Oxford fireworks?

There is no parking at South Park and the bays on Morrell Avenue have been removed. The organiser recommends Thornhill park and ride, about 15 minutes away with extra buses on the night.

Is the Oxford fireworks display suitable for dogs or young children?

Only guide dogs are allowed in. For young children, the 6.30pm low-noise display is the one to aim for; it is fired 45 minutes before the main show.

Sources