Advice for Potential Visitors

Clothing

This will be a long evening, and may be cold or even wet.  Make sure that you wear appropriate clothes and footwear (firesites may be muddy).  On windy evenings, sparks will fly from the bonfires and from the torches in the street processions, so wear old clothes.

Children and Animals

Do not in any circumstances bring animals with you! Even away from the noise of the fireworks, the press of crowds in the streets makes the evening totally unsuitable for them.  You are also strongly advised not to bring children, particularly so young as to require pushchairs.  The routes to the firesites may be unsuitable for pushchairs, and a child in a pushchair is greatly at risk from fireworks.

Your Health

If there is any possibility you may become unwell, make sure you bring your appropriate medication with you.  In particular, if you are asthmatic, make sure that you bring a full inhaler.  There is a lot of smoke around, and the St John Ambulance regularly have problems with people suffering asthma attacks but who have not brought their inhalers. Please be warned that unexpected very loud bangs occur throughout.

Money

Do bring a reasonable amount of money.  You may wish to buy food and drink from the vendors, and to contribute to the collections for charity which take place during the processions.  Do not, however, expect all the pubs to be open; some close entirely, and many admit regulars only and have bouncers on the doors.  The existing Lewes Street Drinking Prohibition will be enforced.

Timings

The first of the many processions starts at 5:30 pm and the last ends around midnight.   In order to accommodate this, road closures are in force, meaning that there are no parking facilities.  Programmes are on sale; however, largely because of the pressure of crowds in the streets, the proceedings are often delayed and no timings are guaranteed.

Safety

Never bring fireworks with you!  The police will very quickly remove you from the celebrations if you are seen to be letting off fireworks yourself. Please do not pick up discarded torches in the street, and prevent children from trying to do so.  Even a burnt-out torch is still very hot, and there are always some newly-lit torches which are discarded because they are burning too fiercely to be safe to hold.  At the tail of every procession there is a specialist team who will collect discarded torches.

Try not to drop litter, especially food or bottles which may cause others to slip and fall on the crowded pavements.  Patience and courtesy is important when making your way through the crowds - it benefits everyone!

If you have a personal radio (i.e. with an earpiece), bring it with you and tune it to Rocket FM Lewes on 87.8 MHz FM.  This local radio station will be covering the celebrations and will make safety announcements when appropriate.

Remember, if at any point in the evening you feel threatened or uncomfortable, you should leave the crowded areas.  Safety is everyone's responsibility - including yours!