Carlisle Fireshow

Event date: 02/11/2024

Event Location: Bitts Park // Castle Car Park // Carlisle Cathedral

Saturday 2 November

The date for Cumberland Council’s Fireshow in 2024 has been announced. The Festival of Fire will be held on Saturday 2 November in Bitts Park, Carlisle.

The sparkling event will start at 6.30pm. The bonfire will be lit at 7pm.

There will be a centre piece bonfire and more than 2,000 spectacular sparkling fireworks, set to music, will also light up the sky.

It will be the 35th Fireshow event to be held in Bitts Park and is the biggest event in the region, attracting more than 35,000 people. This year’s event is organised in conjunction with Merlin Fireworks Ltd.

This year’s event programme will include a fairground funfair in Castle Car Park (formerly known as Devonshire Walk Car Park) during October half term.

Additionally, a Taste Cumbria producers’ market will also be held in the grounds of Carlisle Cathedral over the Fireshow weekend, on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November.

On the day of the Fireshow, there will be no fairground, but there will be food and family entertainment for those attending the Fireshow in Castle Car Park between 5pm and 8.30pm.

Visitors to this year’s Carlisle Fireshow are being asked to dig into the bottom of their pockets and support local charities. Although the event is free to attend, a charity collection is held each year. All donations go towards the Rotary in Carlisle (which donates most of its fundraising efforts to local good causes), and Pancreatic Cancer UK, the charity supported by the Chair of Cumberland, Cllr Andy Semple and the Mayor of Carlisle, Chris Southward’s chosen charity - Eden Valley Hospice.

This is a family event, and no alcohol will be permitted on site or within the Fireshow Village in Castle Car Park.

The overall events programme has been supported by the UK Government using UKSPF funding.

Parking/Access information and Safety Advice

The majority of Cumberland Council car parks are available for use throughout the day. Customers are further reminded to read the car park information boards or visit www.cumberland.gov.uk for further information.

Barrier controlled car parks (West Walls and Caldew Riverside) - car park closures will be suspended on the evening of Saturday 2 November.

The following temporary traffic arrangements will apply throughout the day (Saturday 2 November):

No vehicle access to Bitts Park.
No vehicle access to Dacre Road (adjacent to Carlisle Castle and Bitts Park).
Parking for Blue Badge holders will be available at Castle Car Park. This will be available on a first come, first served basis with the last entry at 5.45pm. Vehicles parked within this car park will not be able to leave until 8.30pm.
No parking in Bitts Park Car Park.
No vehicle access to Bitts Park from Willowholme or The Sheepmount.
The skate park will be closed on the day of the event.

Access

A special viewing area for people with disabilities including wheelchair users will be set aside on the Sheepmount Road. Up to two carers allowed on the viewing area per individual.

After the event has ended, those wanting to walk to the west of the city will be filtered to the right of Devonshire Walk (towards Caldewgate and the pedestrian crossing opposite the former Globe public house) and those wanting to walk into the city centre will be filtered to the left and will then be able access Castle Street across Castle Way (between the barriers opposite the Castle).

Safety

Visitors are asked to note that by the very nature of the event, smoke, noise, embers, and mud underfoot, are inevitable. All are requested to be mindful of the risks and to come prepared for such eventualities: warm clothing and suitable footwear. For safety reasons, no fireworks of any kind (including sparklers) are allowed into this event. Pets are also prohibited from the park: they should be kept safely at home to avoid any possible distress. The sale of glow sticks and other fluorescent items should only be purchased from official sales staff.