The Blackheath fireworks display will be back again this year – but the free displays of the past are unlikely to return in future, Lewisham councillors have been told.
A generation of SE Londoners grew up with free displays on Blackheath, lasting for about 30 years until 2019, with crowds of up to 100,000 people gathering.
The 2020 was cancelled because of the pandemic. After that, Lewisham Council said it could not afford the cost of the event because of government funding cuts.
However, a paid-for display took place in November last year, and Lewisham’s cabinet member for culture, Rotimi Skyers, confirmed at a council meeting on Wednesday that the event would return for 2026.
After Labour councillor Andre Bourne asked if the new Green administration would continue with the fireworks, Skyers said in a written answer: “Planning for the Blackheath Fireworks 2026 event is currently under way. As with last year, the event is being designed to be cost-neutral to the council, with attendees contributing through a ticketed entry model.
“To make the event financially sustainable, ticket income helps cover the significant costs associated with delivering a safe and high-quality event.
“Looking ahead, it is unlikely that the fireworks display could continue at its current scale without some form of admission charge.
“[Council] officers have worked to keep ticket prices as affordable as possible and in line with, or lower than, similar family-focused events. In addition, the council is working with the event operator to make a number of concessionary tickets available for targeted communities, helping to ensure that the event remains accessible to a wide range of residents.”
The free displays were initially jointly funded by Lewisham and Greenwich councils, which share control of Blackheath. But Greenwich pulled out in 2010, casting doubt over the final decade of the event as Lewisham struggled to make up the shortfall.
Last year the fireworks were put on by the company behind the Alexandra Palace display in north London. Adults were charged £16, with discounts for children and families. There were also some concessionary tickets for Lewisham residents. The night also featured live entertainment, DJs, comedians, a food village, craft beer festival and funfair.
Ticket prices and the line-up for this year have not yet been confirmed.
Skyers said that the Lewisham People’s Day festival in Mountsfield Park in Catford would return next year, and would remain a free event. In a separate response, Liam Shrivastava, the elected mayor, said the event in July would be “inclusive, accessible and representative of the diverse communities of Lewisham”.
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