British Fireworks Championships
On 12th August 2026 to 13th August 2026 The Hoe, Plymouth
The British Firework Championships were started in 1997 and, after considering a number of venues around the UK, Plymouth was chosen to host the Championships as it provides a natural amphitheatre for the large scale pyrotechnics and can be viewed from a variety of points around the harbour and Sound by tens of thousands of people each year.
Each year six professional display companies are selected by draw to participate and then three of them fire on each evening (they have 10 minutes each to fire their display). Judges view from the Citadel which dominates the Hoe and Sound and gives them uninterrupted views of the displays. Every sixth year there is a Champions event when winners from the previous five years plus the previous Champion-of-Champions winner return to battle it out for the overall title Champion-of-Champions.
The Hoe is the focal point for families and a large proportion of people watching the Championships and entertainment is provided here throughout both evenings - including live music and funfair.
Reviews
- Lovely day out - We decided on a steam train and boat ride day. The train was lovely, and the boat ride was a lot of fun with an entertaining guide, which one of my teenage daughters found hilarious!
- Chugging along! - The cruise along the River Dart was delightful and the witty commentary was also very informative. The last leg on the steam train was fantastic - chugging along past the beautiful beaches with children waving to you from the sands. Just priceless! We had the most amazing day, the itinerary is done with military precision and is therefore relaxing and exciting - we really loved it. This has got to be a "must do" trip!
- Fantastic visit - We chose to do the steam train and river cruise and it was fantastic. The staff were very helpful. After using the ferry to cross the river we went to find somewhere to have a snack before getting onto the cruise. The commentary was brilliant and we were pointed out different landmarks throughout the cruise. Thank you Dartmouth Steam Railway.