With Sarah Owen MP's Fireworks Bill scheduled for its second reading in the Commons, Senior Researcher Niamh O Regan looks at why it can help make us the envy of our neighbours in Europe.
As the clock struck midnight cities across the world welcomed 2025 with a bang – well, lots of bangs. Skies were lit up with brilliant, colourful fireworks displays. But not all were cause for celebration. Five people died in Germany, and a further two in the Netherlands, due to accidents and incidents with illegal fireworks. Hundreds were injured. Meanwhile in the US, fireworks mortars were found to be used in the New Year’s Day explosion (and suspected terrorist attack) on Trump Towers in Las Vegas.
Recent weeks have been particularly bloody, and highlight the need for greater scrutiny of how fireworks are regulated. But there is growing awareness of the risks and harms of fireworks even in normal times, which we at the Social Market Foundation highlighted in a recent report. Emergency workers routinely report being attacked with fireworks. The sound and suddenness of the blasts has been linked to animal distress and triggering PTSD for veterans and those who have fled war zones.
England currently lags behind other countries in fireworks legislation. Unlike many other jurisdictions, fireworks can be bought and used at any time of year from specialist licensed shops. At certain times of year fireworks can also be bought from unlicensed shops, like supermarkets. Even within the UK, Scotland and Northern Ireland have stricter regulation than England. It is no surprise then to see politicians exploring stricter restrictions.
Today, a proposed misuse of fireworks bill sponsored by Labour MP Sarah Owen is scheduled for its second reading in the House of Commons. While it would keep fireworks on British shelves, it would limit the types of fireworks that can be sold, where, and to whom. With the noise impact in mind the bill would also reduce the maximum noise limit of fireworks, from 120dB, to 90dB.
Owen’s proposals should go down well with the public. When the Office for Product Safety and Standards surveyed the public in 2020, they found that the vast majority of the public wanted regulation around the sale and use of fireworks to be stricter. Their survey also found a desire for noise limits on fireworks. The OPSS has also found that two fifths (40%) of the pubic think there is too little regulation over private fireworks displays, and view publicly organised events much more favourably. Our own polling found that 44% of Britons think private fireworks displays should be banned, but public displays should be maintained. A further 34% thought that private displays should be allowed, but that these should be limited to particular, set times of the year, like Diwali, New Years Eve, Bonfire night and Chinese New Year.
The case for regulating fireworks is all the stronger for the emergence of alternatives, like laser shows, illuminations and drone displays. These can be equally artistic and impressive, but carry less danger and pollution. Given the increasing frustration with traditional fireworks, a gradual move toward these alternatives, at this stage seems to be an inevitability rather than a possibility. England may have been relatively slow to regulate for alternatives to fireworks, but other countries with stronger fireworks regulations have also not yet embraced the opportunity to explore alternatives at scale.
Drones in particular have been used as part of public new year celebrations for many years in China and Korea. In the US, they are increasingly used on 4th of July to reduce the risk of forest fires. In Japan, illumination festivals and around the country have been long running and proven very popular to locals and tourists alike.
With Europe relatively slow to adopt firework alternatives, there is a chance for the UK to be a leader – which could come with economic rewards. In 2019 one Japanese illumination festival contributed approximately £800 million to the local economy. In 2024, Hong Kong introduced regular drone shows to attract more overnight visitors to the city.
Our polling suggests the British public are amenable to the change. While 75% of the public say they like fireworks, 91% of people say they are open to at least partial replacement traditional fireworks with alternatives.
But for the UK to grasp the opportunity, it needs to proactively support and promote firework alternatives. Organised public displays should start to incorporate things like drones, to increase their exposure. The case is especially strong for higher budget events – like London’s new year’s eve celebrations – where bigger budgets will mean more impressive display. Crucially, legislation is needed not only to restrict fireworks but to enable greater use of alternatives. Drone displays in particular are more subject to strict permissions, which ought to be reviewed.
