Fireworks Season 2026 and Your Pets: The Nights to Plan For, from Halloween to Bonfire Night and Diwali

For many dogs and cats, fireworks season isn't one night but a fortnight of bangs, with displays on several weekends and Bonfire Night falling midweek. The animal charities' advice is consistent: prepare early, change the routine on the noisy nights, and talk to your vet if your pet has struggled before. Here are the 2026 dates and a simple plan.

The fireworks nights to plan for in 2026

• Saturday 31 October – Sunday 1 November: Halloween weekend, and the first big display weekend in many towns.
• Thursday 5 November: Bonfire Night. Private fireworks are common through the evening.
• Saturday 7 – Sunday 8 November: many organised displays move to the weekend, and Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November.
• Thursday 31 December: New Year's Eve, with fireworks around midnight.

In England and Wales, fireworks aren't allowed between 11pm and 7am, except until midnight on Bonfire Night and until 1am on Diwali, New Year's Eve and Chinese New Year. So expect late bangs on 5 and 8 November, and after midnight on New Year's Eve.

Start now: things to do before the first bang

• Talk to your vet if your pet has been frightened by fireworks before. PDSA advises doing this as early as possible. Vets can suggest behaviour support and, for severe fear, prescribe medication, some of which needs starting in advance.
• Build a safe den in a quiet room: a covered crate or bed with blankets, favourite toys and treats. Let your pet get used to it before the noisy nights.
• Check microchip details are up to date and that your dog wears an ID tag. Frightened pets can bolt.
• Check the garden for gaps in fences or gates.
• Consider calming aids such as pheromone diffusers, which need plugging in a few days ahead to work well. Ask your vet before trying supplements.

On each fireworks night

1. Walk dogs in daylight, before dusk. The RSPCA advises keeping pets indoors once fireworks are likely. A longer morning walk, with play or training games in the evening instead, helps.
2. Feed earlier than usual, before the noise starts, as anxious pets may not eat.
3. Bring cats in before dark and keep a litter tray indoors.
4. Close windows and curtains at nightfall, and play music, TV or white noise to soften the bangs.
5. Let them hide if they want to. Don't coax them out or tell them off; stay nearby and stay calm.
6. Keep doors closed and be careful when answering the door. Halloween trick-or-treaters and fireworks on the same weekend make escapes more likely.

Small animals and outdoor pets

Rabbits, guinea pigs and birds can be frightened too. Partly cover hutches and cages with blankets, leaving space for air, and give extra bedding to burrow into. If you can, bring hutches into a shed, garage or quiet room for the noisiest nights.

Common questions

When is Bonfire Night 2026? Thursday 5 November 2026.

When is Diwali 2026? Sunday 8 November 2026, when fireworks are allowed until 1am in England and Wales.

What time do fireworks have to stop? In England and Wales, 11pm normally; midnight on Bonfire Night; 1am on Diwali, New Year's Eve and Chinese New Year.

Should I walk my dog on Bonfire Night? Yes, but in daylight, before fireworks are likely. Keep them on a lead and wearing ID.

Can my vet give my dog something for fireworks? For pets with a real fear of fireworks, vets can advise on behaviour support and may prescribe medication. Book early, as some treatments need starting before the noisy nights.

How ReminderIt helps

The plan is simple; remembering it on a busy weekday evening is the hard part. ReminderIt rings your phone at the time you choose, with a natural voice reading the reminder, and sends a WhatsApp message with Done and Snooze. If you miss the call, it tries once more about 5 minutes later.

Set it up by messaging on WhatsApp in plain words, for example "Remind me at 3:30pm on November 5 to walk the dog and bring the cat in", or "Remind me on October 28 to plug in the diffuser". You can also set the same reminders for a family member or pet sitter looking after your animals. There's no app to install, and there's a 7-day free trial with no card. After that it's $7 a month.

Message ReminderIt on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/14786061901 and set your fireworks-night reminders now.