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Bonfire Insurance
Firework display insurance
Firework display and bonfire insurance can be arranged for businesses, organisations and individuals organising public or private events.
This can include community groups, sports and social clubs, associations, schools, pubs and other businesses, charities, councils and local organisations arranging events involving fireworks, a bonfire or both. Cover can also be arranged where the fireworks are set off by the organiser or by a professional fireworks contractor.
It can protect event organisers against legal liability for injury to members of the public and damage to third-party property.
Depending on your requirements, cover can also include employers’ liability, event equipment and event cancellation. A policy for a one-off event organiser differs from annual business insurance for a professional firework contractor.
Standard event and public liability policies do not always cover fireworks, bonfires or pyrotechnic activities. If you already have insurance, check whether it covers the display and any bonfire.
To request a firework display and bonfire insurance quotation, complete our online quote form or contact us to discuss your requirements.
COVERS
What does firework display insurance cover?
Public liability insurance
Can cover your legal liability if a member of the public is injured or third-party property is damaged in connection with your event.
We can arrange cover from £1 million to £10 million, with higher limits available where needed for larger public events or where required by contract. Venues, landowners and local authorities often require evidence of insurance before allowing a display to proceed.
Employers’ liability insurance
Can cover your legal liability if an employee is injured or becomes ill as a result of their work at your event.
When arranging cover, include permanent and temporary employees, stewards and marshals, casual event workers, volunteers and unpaid helpers, and anyone working under your direction or control.
Event equipment insurance
Can cover event equipment you own, hire or lease against insured risks such as accidental damage, loss or theft. This might include crowd barriers, sound and lighting equipment, generators, marquees and other temporary structures used at the event.
Event cancellation insurance
Can cover certain irrecoverable costs and expenses or loss of revenue if an event is cancelled, postponed, interrupted or abandoned for an insured reason.
Adverse weather cover can also be included if required.
Poor ticket sales, lack of or inadequate attendance or insufficient interest, lack of funding, financial difficulties and circumstances you were already aware of when you took out the policy are normally excluded.
Bonfire insurance
Cover for a bonfire can be arranged whether the bonfire is the main feature or part of a larger event with fireworks.
When arranging cover, we’ll need to know where the bonfire will be positioned, how it will be supervised and how spectators will be kept at a safe distance.
Does a professional fireworks contractor need separate insurance?
A professional fireworks contractor should have their own public liability insurance for the work they carry out. If you appoint a contractor, ask for evidence of their insurance and check that it provides the right cover.
Professional display operators using Category F4 fireworks are specifically required by product safety law to have public liability insurance covering their use.
The contractor’s insurance does not replace the event organiser’s own cover. You may still need insurance for your responsibilities as the organiser, including spectators, the venue, staff, volunteers and other activities at the event.
How much does firework display and bonfire insurance cost?
What are these prices based on?
These starting prices are based on:
This is an actual quotation arranged through David J Miller Insurance Brokers, issued and underwritten by Convex Insurance UK Limited dated 16 August 2026. Your premium will be calculated based on the details of your event and the cover selected, so the price you receive may be higher than the examples shown.
Factors that can affect the premium include the total attendance over the full duration of the event, the public liability limit of indemnity, the duration of the event, whether fireworks, a bonfire or both are included, who is responsible for setting off the fireworks, and whether a professional contractor is involved. Adding employers’ liability, event equipment or cancellation cover can also increase the premium.
How
to get
a quote
You can call us, fill in our online form, or ask us to call you back, whatever suits you best.
Read more about the different ways to get in touch, what information we will need from you and FAQs about getting an event insurance quote.
What do I need for a firework display insurance quote?
Depending on the size and scale of your event a copy of your risk assessment, site plan and details of the event’s safety arrangements may also be required.
To obtain a firework display insurance quote, you will normally need:
Firework display and bonfire safety
Before the event, organisers should make sure they have permission to use the site and complete a risk assessment. The venue should have enough space for the required safety distances, spectators and a fallout zone for spent fireworks, in line with the GOV.UK guidance on organising non-professional firework displays.
If a bonfire is included, its location and construction also need to be considered carefully, including how far it is from spectators, buildings, vehicles and the firework display, and who will be responsible for supervising it.
The safety arrangements will vary depending on the venue, the number of people attending, the weather, the types of fireworks being used and whether the display is being handled by a professional contractor. Category F4 fireworks are restricted to professional display operators under the Health and Safety Executive guidance on organising firework displays.
Why
choose
us
Specialist event insurance with direct support from a UK-based team
Read MoreFirework display and bonfire insurance FAQs
Answers to common questions about fireworks and bonfire event insurance.
Policy requirements vary between insurers. The distances and conditions provided are examples of requirements that may apply and should not be treated as universal requirements. Check the terms applying to your policy for certainty.
Can I insure a firework display that I am setting off myself?
Yes, provided Category F4 fireworks are not used and you comply with the policy terms and conditions.
Can I arrange bonfire insurance without fireworks?
Yes. Bonfire insurance can be arranged for an organised bonfire without a fireworks display.
Can the policy cover both fireworks and a bonfire?
Yes. Cover can be arranged for an event involving both a fireworks display and a bonfire, subject to the policy conditions.
What conditions apply to the fireworks?
Insurers will usually require fireworks to be obtained from a reputable supplier or manufacturer, meet the relevant safety requirements and carry an appropriate conformity marking. They should not be altered or modified and must be stored safely and in accordance with any applicable requirements. Your policy will detail the full terms, conditions and requirements that apply.
Are sparklers covered?
Public liability policies will often exclude claims arising from handheld sparklers or other handheld pyrotechnic devices.
Can Category F4 fireworks be used?
Category F4 fireworks are for professional use only and are generally excluded from the organiser’s public liability cover. They may still be used at the event when released by a fully insured third-party pyrotechnics contractor.
What safety distances apply to the firework display?
Some policies may require:
– at least 50 metres by 20 metres for your firing area. Beyond this a dropping zone for spent fireworks of one 100 metres by 50 metres in the downwind direction;
– spectators are kept back on the opposite side to the dropping zone, at least 25 metres from the firing zone using a physical barrier.
Your policy will detail the specific conditions and requirements that apply.
What conditions apply to a bonfire?
Requirements may include ensuring:
– that any bonfires are kept well away from any fireworks display;
– spectators are kept back at least 20 metres from the bonfire using a physical barrier;
– that any bonfires are at least 50 metres away from any vehicles, premises, flammable or other dangerous materials;
– dangerous rubbish, such as foam-filled furniture, aerosols, tins of paint and bottles is not burned;
– that the bonfire is stable and checked so that it will not fall to one side;
– paraffin, petrol or solvents are not used to light the fire;
– bonfires are kept to a manageable size and additional materials to be burnt kept at a safe distance;
– the bonfire is under the control of a responsible adult, and at least one person oversees all safety arrangements;
– water is poured on the embers of the fire, and the site is not left until the bonfire is out and safe.
Your policy will detail the specific conditions and requirements that apply.
Is a risk assessment required?
Yes, you must carry out a full, documented risk assessment in advance of the event.
Do I need to contact the relevant authorities?
Relevant authorities must be consulted before the event, and any recommendations or instructions given must be complied with.
How far must the event be from a motorway?
Some insurers may require fireworks displays and bonfires to be held at least one mile from a motorway.
Your policy will detail the specific conditions and requirements that apply.
Are stewards, first aiders and firefighting equipment required?
Insurers will usually expect you to:
– provide an adequate number of marshals or stewards to control spectators;
– have fully operational fire-fighting equipment available, such as a hose, fire extinguishers or buckets of water and sand;
– ensure qualified first aiders with suitable equipment are in attendance.
Your policy will detail the specific conditions and requirements that apply.
What happens if the policy conditions are not followed?
If a policy condition is not met, a claim may be reduced or rejected where the breach is relevant to the loss.
