Postponement hits spectacular Firework Championships near Ripon this weekend amid threat of wildfires

Fears over ‘tinderbox Britain’ after a summer of intense heat have led to the postponement of a spectacular Firework Championships at Newby Hall this weekend.

The skies above Newby Hall and Gardens were scheduled to be alight this Saturday, August 22 with impressive pyrotechnic displays by three of the UK’s leading professional fireworks companies as part of the historic estate’s annual Fireworks Championships.

But a recent spate of major wildfires across the country have led organisers of Fireworks Champions to take the decision to postpone the event to avoid any risk of fire after a series of record-breaking heatwaves in the UK and Europe.

Firework Champions and Newby Hall said: “Following further discussion between Firework Champions and Newby Hall, we have jointly made the difficult decision to postpone this year’s event until Saturday, 21st August 2027.

“Due to the extremely dry conditions in the surrounding countryside, this has created an increased risk around a large-scale fireworks event.”

The announcement comes after a warning from Prime Minister Andy Burnham who urged the public not to light fires, saying Britain was a “tinderbox”.

Last Friday, when temperatures exceeded 35C or more, millions of people received an emergency wildfire alert emergency on their mobile phones from the Government warning about the heightened risk of wildfires.

Organisers of the Newby Hall event have said all existing bookings will automatically be transferred to the new date in August 2027.