Manchester City Council cancels free Bonfire Night events

Bonfire Night firework displays have been cancelled in Manchester for the second year in a row over COVID-19 safety concerns.

The council has cancelled the events in light of organisational complications, but also over fears of increasing COVID-19 spread.

Usually, the events attract tens of thousands of people. The council felt that with this large scale of visitors there was no feasibly safe way for the events to be managed. It also poses a challenge to validating the Covid-status of the attendees.

Manchester City Council had originally planned to host 8 free events on the 5th of November in numerous major parks across Manchester. This included the popular student spot, Platt’s Field Park.

Despite these cancellations, the council will permit private events to go ahead.

Residents on Twitter are already expressing their concern that the cancellation of the council-run events will lead to a rise in anti-social behaviour, such as the purchasing of unsafe fireworks or the illegal construction of bonfires in public spaces.

The council has encouraged those organising private plans to do so “safely and responsibly”.

Here are some other events still going ahead in Manchester this November that are worth exploring.