01/10/2026
Such a shame for everyone involved.
This small team of volunteers go above & beyond to bring the community such a wonderful event, spending countless hours behind the scenes in planning, let alone the physical effort that goes into the building of these amazing bonfires, year in, year out.
we are genuniely gutted for the whole team but public safety and the safety of all attendees whilst on the event site must come first.
Some bad news.
Shaldon Parish Councillors have taken the very difficult decision to cancel the 2026 Bonfire and Fireworks which were due to take place on 31st October.
As we said last month, the event going ahead was always conditional on the road closure in place on Marine Parade being temporarily lifted by Devon County Council for the weekend of the event, as this is the main route to the bonfire from the Ness car parks and is also a key evacuation route in case of emergency. Discussions have continued with DCC, and as a result of these, Parish Councillors now do not believe that there is sufficient certainty that the closure will be lifted on 31st October to allow the necessary preparations for the bonfire to take place. Many days of work are carried out by the volunteer bonfire build team in the weeks leading up to the event, and this, along with the significant expense incurred in storing and moving the large number of pallets required for the bonfire during this time, led Councillors to believe it would be best to cancel the event now, and so ensure that as much notice as possible is given to all in the village, including our hospitality businesses, and to those considering visiting Shaldon.
We are deeply sorry for the disappointment that the cancellation will cause, especially to all those families who were looking forward to our traditional Bonfire Night celebration. This huge disappointment is shared by our volunteer Councillors who have spent many days throughout 2026 preparing for the Shaldon Bonfire and Fireworks – an event we love. However Shaldon Parish Council appreciates that the cliff stabilisation work being carried out by DCC above Marine Parade is important and necessary and, as the safety of everyone in Shaldon is of course our main priority, are glad that this vital work is now being done.