‘Important’ update issued on free Nottingham Bonfire Night event at Forest Recreation Ground

The free Bonfire Night firework display at Nottingham’s Forest Recreation Ground will not return this November for the fifth year running.

A message featured on the Visit Nottinghamshire website says that the event has once again been cancelled and will not take place in 2024. 

It reads: “Important update: This event is not happening in 2024.”

Last held in 2019, the display was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.

However, in 2022 and 2023 it was budget pressures which influenced the council’s decision to cancel the event. 

Last year the council said that it would have cost the authority and Mellors Group - who fund a third of the event - £60,000 to stage. 

That represented a 50% increase on the cost to stage the display in 2019. 

At the time councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, then-Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture 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.”

In March of this year, Nottingham City Council approved cuts to jobs and services aimed at plugging a £53m budget gap.

Nottingham City Council has been contacted for comment.