Oldham’s beloved bonfire night will not be taking place this year, the council has confirmed. The ‘Big Bang Bonfire’ has taken place at Oldham Edge playing fields since 2013, with one exception during the 2020 pandemic year.
But after more than a decade, the council have decided to adapt the bonfire event into a fireworks display located in the town centre. READ NEXT: Scammers used my face to sell non-existent Oasis tickets on Facebook and Instagram A spokesperson for the council suggested the ‘re-look at the event’ was to ‘support local businesses’ by ‘encouraging visitors to explore what our town centre has to offer’.
Instead of a large fire, families will be invited to participate in activities in town, including ‘entertainment and crafts’ from 4pm to 6pm, ‘offers’ at ‘various eateries’ in town and the fireworks display at 6pm.
But the state of council finances are also likely to be a factor. Last year, Oldham spent £55k on the free-to-attend event, up from under £42k in 2022.