Heathfield Bonfire Night Ignites the Town in Dazzling Style – the full round-up
15th October
Heathfield Bonfire Night Ignites the Town in Dazzling Style
Thousands gather as the Heathfield and District Bonfire Society delivers a spectacular night of fire, colour, and community spirit.
Heathfield and District Bonfire Society promised a night to remember — and they more than delivered.
After a year of tireless planning, fundraising, and creativity, the town’s biggest event of the year lit up the streets on Saturday with a stunning celebration of fire, music, and unity.
A Remembrance ceremony took place at the mid point of the event and the hushed crowds paid their respects to the fallen.
Crowds packed the town centre, lining the streets to watch the colourful procession wind its way through Heathfield, even Rag N Bone man, paused his busy schedule to watch the event.
The society’s ‘Martyrs Bar’ was a hive of activity, staffed by Julian Pennells and his team of local helpers.
And volunteers from the Union Church and Kings church were on hand to distribute hot chocolate to the masses.
Local businesses saw a welcome boost, with many shops and takeaways staying open late and restaurants adapting their menus to serve hungry revellers on the go.
“We always aim to keep disruption to a minimum. Road closures have to go in place for public safety. We are incredibly humbled by the overwhelming majority of locals that welcome the event and understand the hard work that goes into it, at the end of the day its three and a half hours of inconvenience once a year ”
— said a spokesperson for the society.
A Show-Stopping Tableaux
This year’s tableaux was the talk of the night — a 16-foot-tall sculpture of Elon Musk driving a special edition child’s car, complete with a robot companion and rocket in hand. The creation, crafted by the society’s talented team, drew gasps of admiration and laughter from the crowd.
“Every year they out do themselves — but this was next-level creativity!”
— Local resident, Sarah Cooper
Music, Marches and Merriment
The grand procession began at the Heathfield Tavern, led by the Heathfield Ranks in their iconic Day of the Dead costumes — faces painted in vivid colours, torches blazing.
Following closely behind were the society’s familiar black, white, and green “smugglers,” joined by kindred societies from across Sussex; Crowborough, Waterloo, Newick, Cliffe, Battel, Hastings, Chidingly, Mayfield, East Hoathly, Robertsbridge, Borough, Uckfield, South Heighton, Rotherfield, Ewhurst, Vines Cross, Lindfield, Fletching, Commercial Square, Hailsham, Eastbourne and Burgess Hill.
Over three thousand traditional torches were crafted for the event by the societies members, using recycled hessian from the cocoa industry.
The air pulsed with rhythm from the energetic drumming groups SkullDrummery, Pentacle Drummers, Drum & Blaze, and Raven Drummers, who kept spirits high and feet tapping throughout the evening.
Fireworks to Remember
Spectators were treated to not one, but two jaw-dropping firework displays, masterminded by Ollie Griffin and the skilled team from Battel Bonfire Boyes.
As the night reached its finale, the tableaux was dramatically demolished in a dazzling explosion of pyrotechnics — a fitting end to an unforgettable celebration.
“The fireworks were incredible — easily the best display Heathfield’s ever seen!”
— Visitor from East Hoathly
The morning after the night before
Early on Sunday morning, the volunteers were back in action, cleaning the streets and ensuring Heathfield was spotless once again. And at the community centre, more volunteers worked to return the area to as it was before.
Heathfield and District Bonfire Society expressed heartfelt thanks to local businesses, volunteers, and partner groups who helped marshal and organise the event:
“It’s amazing what we can achieve when the whole community comes together,” said a spokesperson for the society. This year’s celebration truly showed what Heathfield community spirit is all about. So many businesses and individuals gave their time and resources to make this event run as well as it did ”
