Lindfield Bonfire Night is Thursday 5 November: procession 7.30pm, bonfire 8.15pm, fireworks 8.30pm on the Common. Free. Roads close 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

Lindfield Bonfire Night is on Thursday 5 November 2026. Lindfield Bonfire Society holds it on the fifth every year rather than moving it to a weekend, and it is free to attend. The society published its timings, road closures and parking advice for this year on its own website. (Lindfield Bonfire Society, Bonfire Celebrations 2026)

The quick answer

  • 7pm: procession forms up outside the Stand Up Inn, Lindfield High Street.
  • 7.30pm: torchlit procession through the village.
  • 8.15pm: the Bonfire Prayer, then the bonfire is lit on Lindfield Common.
  • 8.30pm: grand firework display. 9pm: end.
  • Free, with a street collection. Roads close 6.30pm to 9.30pm. Do not drive in.

The society says all timings are approximate and depend on the weather.

The procession route

The procession assembles on the High Street (the B2028) from the Lewes Road junction upwards between 7pm and 7.30pm. At about 7.30pm it sets off south down Black Hill to the traffic lights, turns right into Hickmans Lane and follows it to the end, stopping to re-torch about 45 metres short of the High Street junction. It turns right back into the High Street and comes down to Lewes Road.

There the band leaves and carries on towards the King Edward Hall, while the main procession and the Guy go down Lewes Road and into Lindfield Common by the main Lewes Road entrance, at about 8pm.

Only members of Lindfield Bonfire Society, visiting bonfire societies and invited organisations walk in it. Torches go only to society members and visitors in stripes, costume or fancy dress. Spectators stay on the pavements.

Road closures, 6.30pm to 9.30pm

The society lists these closures for the duration of the event:

  • The High Street from Black Hill to the junction with Hickmans Lane
  • Lewes Road to the High Street
  • Hickmans Lane, from 6.30pm, with no entry onto it from Denmans Lane, Brookway, Finches Park Road, The Welkin, Compton Road or Sunte Avenue

The High Street and Black Hill are closed for the whole evening. Its advice for through traffic: heading south from Ardingly, go via College Road in Ardingly to avoid Lindfield; heading north from Haywards Heath to Ardingly, use Summerhill Lane. Only official and emergency vehicles may move inside the closure, and the society warns that drivers who breach the closure order can be prosecuted.

Any formal closure order that West Sussex County Council advertises will appear on our roadworks and travel page; none had been posted on the Public Notice Portal when we checked on 3 October.

Parking: the society says walk

Parking in the village is very limited, and the society’s advice is not to arrive by car. If you live locally, walk. If you have to drive, park on the outskirts of Lindfield and walk in.

It asks people not to park on any road used by the procession or inside the closures, including Black Hill, Little Black Hill, Hickmans Lane, Pickers Green, the High Street, Alma Road, Compton Road, Denmans Lane, Pondcroft, Chaloner Road, Lewes Road and School Lane. It also strongly recommends keeping off the roads next to the Common and the route: Appledore Gardens, Backwoods Lane, Meadow Lane, West Common, Sunte Avenue, Meadow Drive, Dukes Road, Newton Road, Luxford Road, Eastern Road, Noahs Ark Lane, Finches Park, Croxton Lane, West View and Saville Road. Leaving takes time, because every road off the Common is busy once the crowd disperses.

District car park charges stop at 6pm on weekdays, so a car park in Haywards Heath is free for the evening; tariffs are on our parking page. (Mid Sussex District Council, parking)

Is it free?

Yes. The society says the night costs about £18,000 to stage, raised by its members through the year, and asks spectators to give something, pointing out that a private display nearby would charge £10 to £20 an adult. You can give to the collection buckets on the night, online through its SumUp link, or by buying a programme for a minimum £2 donation from village outlets or its online shop.

The street collection goes to four children’s charities: Riding for the Disabled, the Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA), Finley’s Touch and Orchard House.

The rules on the night

The society sets out seven rules:

  • No fireworks, including sparklers. Using fireworks in a public place is illegal.
  • Stay out of the procession and on the footpaths.
  • Do not pick up dropped torches. Its team collects them.
  • No pets. There are naked flames, loud bangs and big crowds.
  • No drones. Anyone flying one will be reported to the police.
  • Obey the road closures.
  • Be considerate to residents and their property.

Do not cross the safety fence round the fire site at any point, even after the display, because unexploded fireworks may be inside it.

First aid and lost children

Event Medic’s first aid post is in the Bowls Club car park at the top of the Common, with mobile patrols through the evening. The lost children and vulnerable people point is at the United Reformed Church on the High Street.

Other displays near Lindfield

Lindfield is the only free display in the district this November. Cuckfield’s ticketed bonfire and fireworks at Cuckfield Park follows two days later, on Saturday 7 November, and Hurstpierpoint’s at Danny Park is on Sunday 1 November. All of them, with times and prices, are on our Mid Sussex fireworks page.

Sources