Hastings Bonfire 2019
Saturday 19th October - 7:15pm
It's one of the busiest nights of the year, and many town centre businesses will see an increase in visitors over the weekend. The torch-lit procession is quite possibly the largest of it's kind in the world and the town will start to get increasingly busy from the late afternoon.
Hopefully the following information will help you plan for your business, as well as give you the information you need to help spectactors enjoy their visit.
Road closures
Road closures will be in place from 6pm and will reopen between 10:30-11pm approximately. Road closure details are available here. Please ensure your delivery drivers and staff are aware of these restrictions.
Car parks
All car parks will be open as usual, except for Pelham Place car park, which closes on Friday 18th October and partially reopens on Sunday 20th October. Please be aware that any vehicles park inside the road closure area will not be permitted to move until the end of the event. This includes the parking bays in Robertson Terrace (by Debenhams), the Pier car park and on-street parking in the Trinity Triangle/America Ground and White Rock area.
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Procession
The procession starts on White Rock, between the America Ground and Hastings Pier. You'll notice on the map that there are 'cracker points'. These are controlled fire crackers, set off in contained areas by a professional pyro crew. There will be a cracker point in the America Ground, on Harold Place by the old toilets and at the top of the Bourne in the old town.
There has been an event-wide ban on rookies/bangers throughout the procession and firesite. If you sell handheld fireworks, it is worth noting that these will not be permitted during the event so this may impact sales - it is illegal to let off fireworks on the highway. The cracker points have been designed to help keep the atmosphere and noise that we have grown to love and expect at any bonfire event.
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Security
We have booked 2 SIA personnel to patrol the area from approximately 7pm, with another 2 starting at 9:30pm and working through to the early hours. They will be available on the Business Watch radios if you need assistance. They will also be supporting with crowd control at the end of the event, so may be unavailable for approximately 20 minutes around 10pm.
The authorities are aware that at the end of the event last year, the underpass between Castle Street and Wellington Place became a pinch point. Love Hastings, the event organisers and authorities are working together to come up with ways to help alleviate this.
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St John Ambulance, security and the emergency services will be using What3Words on the night of the event. This app gives you 3 unique words to your exact location, making it easier for the emergency services to find you in a busy environment. Please consider downloading this free app, as it could make a huge difference in the event of an emergency.
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Cannon fire
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hastings Bonfire, there will be a special event taking place in the old town and harbour arm. This will involve loud noises and explosions, which will likely be heard from the town centre.
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Further information
The official programme is available from the Tourist Information Centre (Breeds Place) for a suggested donation of £1.
Alternatively, visit the Facebook event page for the latest updates.
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