Leeds and Glasgow become latest cities to axe Bonfire Night spectacles

2022-10-13

MORE Bonfire Nights are cancelled as Leeds and Glasgow join Manchester, Hackney, Cardiff and Dundee on axed list as councils blame cost-of-living crisis

Leeds and Glasgow both scrap their firework displays for a third year in a row
The spectacles are attended by thousands but are now ‘too expensive to run’
Leeds council says its showcase would have cost about £200,000 to stage
While Glasgow’s council claimed it was focusing its on Christmas light switch-on
And Manchester said its display was axed due to the ‘escalating costs’ involved
It comes after public displays were scrapped in Hackney, Cardiff and Dundee

Glasgow and Leeds have become the latest Bonfire Night cancellation casualties as councils across the UK continue to scrap annual firework displays due to ‘significant budget pressures’.

Thousands of residents across the two cities had been hoping to enjoy their first public showing since 2019 – with previous spectacles having been cancelled due to Covid.

But council chiefs have once again dealt the cities a crushing blow by dropping the events as they struggle to fund them amid soaring costs and the need to prioritise essential services.

The two cities have become the latest to announce their Bonfire Nights will go off without a bang. following the likes of Manchester, Cardiff, Liverpool, Dundee and Hackney whose celebrations have also fizzled out.

Leeds has become the latest city to cancel its fireworks display amid concerns over soaring prices. Pictured are people watching the city’s previous event in 2018

In Leeds, the city council said it could not spare the £200,000 needed to run its six Bonfire Night events.

And in a double blow for residents, the council also said it was axing its popular German Christmas market, saying it would not be feasible due to rising travel and work visa costs for its partners at Frankfurt council.

In a statement, the council said: ‘The decision has been taken due to significant budget pressures faced by the council and the current cost of living pressures on local residents which are having a significant impact on the council’s demand for services and support.

‘In addition, the council is facing an increase in the cost of electricity, gas and fuel and given the costs associated with restarting bonfires this year would be in excess of £200k, the decision to cancel the displays has been taken due to the need to identify any non-essential spend.’

Which cities have cancelled their public firework displays this year?

Manchester

Council chiefs now say this year’s event, which was due to be held at the city’s Heaton Park, will not go ahead. The authority has blamed a ‘combination of factors’ for the decision to cancel the event, with one being ‘increased pressure’ on the authority’s budget.

Leeds

Leeds City Council has announced the cancellation of all six of its traditional firework displays, saying the decision had been taken due to the ‘significant budget pressures faced by the council’.

Hackney – London

Hackney council in London cited the rising cost of its Clissold Park event, as well as concerns around air pollution, as the main reasoning behind its decision to scrap this year’s display.

Liverpool

Liverpool cancelled its beloved waterfront firework display earlier this month. The city council said it would not host the event, which regularly attracts 50,000 visitors, this year. However, its popular illuminated outdoor trail, River of Lights, will return to the city on October 21 where it will run until November 6. Other Bonfire Night firework displays will run at a variety of locations across Merseyside.

Cardiff

Cardiff’s Sparks in the Park show has also been cancelled after 40 years. Organisers of the volunteer-run event said it was too expensive to put on this year.

Dundee

All public firework displays at Dundee’s Baxter and Lochee parks have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. A study was carried out by the emergency services on the events and it revealed that the venues are no longer suitable for large gatherings, reported the local Courier earlier this year.

Events, usually held in East End Park, Roundhay Park, Woodhouse Moor, Springhead Park in Rothwell, Middleton Park and Bramley Park, attract in the region of 100,000 visitors.

Councillor Salma Arif, head of public health and active lifestyles at Leeds council, said: ‘It is obviously very disappointing for residents that bonfire and firework events cannot restart this year, however the council must work hard on cutting all non-essential spend in the current financial climate.’

Glasgow’s spectacle – often attended by thousands of revellers – has not been staged since 2019.

The council did not expressly blame the cost-of-living crisis for the cancellation of the Glasgow Green bonanza.

Instead, the authority said it was looking to focus on its Christmas lights switch on and other festive winter events.

‘We’re focused on bringing back the Christmas lights switch-on and restoring one of the city’s favourite festive traditions, which provides a welcome boost to its many fantastic restaurants, bars, shops and hotels,’ a spokesman from the council’s arts and culture team told Glasgow Live.

A smaller family bonfire event is, however, to go ahead in Glasgow at Drumchapel in a bid to stop ‘horrific’ anti-social behaviour in the area.

When the event was axed last year, police were reportedly pelted with fireworks and rockets. Labour councillor Paul Carey told Glasgow Live: ‘Without Winterfest it was horrific with bonfires.’

In Manchester, the city’s council says it is now looking at ‘reprioritising budgets’ to look at more community events through winter, focusing on ‘fun free activities for families and young people.’

But it means no free council-organised bonfire and fireworks displays will take place at council parks in Manchester this year.

Some residents took to social media to fume at the decision, with one person writing: ‘Council tax doesn’t really provide great value for money these days does it.’

Others raised fears that it might spark people to make their own bonfires or set off fireworks in their gardens.

One person wrote: ‘My biggest issue here is how many uncontrolled bonfires that could be made because of this decision and the impact it will have on the emergency services.

‘Fire crews are always stretched to the limit around bonfire night.’

Manchester City Council confirmed its decision to cancel this year’s event on Wednesday.

They say the move is due to a ‘combination of factors’ including the escalating costs of delivering large Bonfire Night events.

That coupled with increased safety measures and ‘increased pressure on Council budgets’ has led to the decision, announced just three weeks before Bonfire Night celebrations are due to take place on November 5.

Council-run events have previously been held in eight parks including Heaton Park, Platt Fields Park, Cringle Park, Debdale Park and Wythenshawe Park.

The last time they were held was pre-Covid in 2019.

Councillor Lee Ann Igbon, Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods, said: ‘It is with great reluctance that we’re announcing that council-organised bonfire events will not be taking place this year.

It comes after Liverpool cancelled its beloved waterfront firework display earlier this month. The city’s council said it would not host the event, which regularly attracts 50,000 visitors, this year.

The popular illuminated outdoor trail, River of Lights, will return to the city on October 21 and will run until November 6.

Other Bonfire Night firework displays will run at a variety of locations across Merseyside, according to the Liverpool Echo.

Meanwhile, Hackney council in London cited the rising cost of its event, as well as concerns around air pollution, as the main reasoning behind its decision to scrap this year’s display.

According to the council, the annual display costs about £125,000 to run which is usually covered by ticket sales and catering.

However, last time the event only recouped around £72,000. The authority said it was concerned the event would also run at a loss this year with people cutting back due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Cardiff’s Sparks in the Park show has also been cancelled after 40 years. Organisers of the volunteer-run event said it was too expensive to put on this year.

Leeds City Council announced the cancellation of all six of its traditional fireworks displays, saying the decision had been taken due to the ‘significant budget pressures faced by the council’.

Dundee Council also announced it was cancelling its event for the ‘foreseeable future’.

The authority said a study was carried out by the emergency services on the events and it revealed that the venues are no longer suitable for large gatherings, the local Courier reported earlier this year.

What is the history of Bonfire Night and the history of the Guy?

Bonfire Night – formally known as Guy Fawkes Night – marks the failed gunpowder plot to blow up Parliament.

It takes its name from Guy Fawkes – the ringleader of the Catholic plot designed to assassinate the Protestant King James I and replace him with a Catholic.

The plot failed, the conspirators were discovered and they were all hanged, drawn and quartered.

Bonfire Night – formally known as Guy Fawkes Night – marks the failed gunpowder plot to blow up Parliament. It takes its name from Guy Fawkes – the ringleader of the Catholic plot (pictured: An engraved illustration of Guy Fawkes and his accomplices) designed to assassinate the Protestant King James I and replace him with a Catholic

Londoners celebrated James I surviving the murder attempt by lighting bonfires around the city, and within months Guy Fawkes Night was established.

It has been celebrated each year ever since, with communities marking it with fireworks and lighting bonfires which they burn a Guy on.

Many local societies now pick public figures to be celebrity guys which they burn on giant fires.

Politicians are often selected for the dubious honour.

Donald Trump, Cherie Blair and Nigel Farage have all been burnt at public Bonfire ceremonies in recent years.

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