Fawkes Festival 2025: Anger as major fireworks show billed as 'largest in Scotland' cancelled at last minute

A major fireworks show at the Royal Highland Centre has been cancelled at the last minute due to rising costs, with ticket holders given just a few weeks’ notice of the decision.

Fawkes Festival was set to take place at the Ingliston venue, near Edinburgh Airport, on November 2. But event has been called off due to financial pressures.

Organisers said that while demand had been “incredibly strong”, the costs of delivering the event to the desired standard posed an insurmountable challenge.

The festival was billed as a family friendly event, with fairground rides and marshmallow tastings | Getty Images

They said: “Rather than compromise on quality, the team is taking this time to pause, reassess and reimagine how they bring Fawkes Festival to life - at a level that’s both extraordinary and accessible.”

Staff said no action by ticket holders was required. All tickets for the 2025 show will be automatically refunded via the original payment method within five to ten working days.

A post on the festival’s social media page read: “We understand this will be disappointing news to those who had bought tickets and were planning to come along, but we appreciate and value your understanding.”

Organisers described the move as a “pause” while they focused on planning next year’s spectacle.

The festival’s website said the event would return in 2026 with “enhanced production” and an “expanded programme”, with work already underway.

The 2025 event was previously described as a “full-throttle celebration of colour, light and sound” with a large-scale fireworks display and live entertainment.

There were advertised live performances from Scottish artist Ben Walker, Cal and Ally, Bombskare, and headliners Ibiza in Symphony, as well as a large bonfire and laser show.

The festival was promoted as "Scotland’s most dazzling fireworks experience" | Fawkes Festival

The event was also set to host a number of fairground rides, street food stalls and bars.

One disappointed ticket-holder said on social media: “Hardly a ‘planned pause’ or an ‘early decision’!! I bought our tickets two weeks ago - five weeks before the event was due to take place!!

“Poor planning and customer service.”

Another posted on Instagram, saying: “Why have you just decided this now when you've been marketing it months, and why have you given such a vague non-transparent reason?

“We literally planned a trip around this and bought train tickets assuming that at this late stage it would go ahead unless there was significantly bad weather.”

In September, it was announced Inverness's Hogmanay event, the Red Hot Highland Fling, had been scrapped over rising costs. The event was previously described as Scotland's biggest free Hogmanay concert.

Meanwhile, Festivals Edinburgh, which was set up in 2007 and involves representatives from a range of major festivals in the capital city, including Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said the rising cost of doing business was the “single greatest challenge” facing major events.

That included increasing costs of materials, labour, insurance, transport and energy. The body also highlighted the impact of adverse weather events, which can force cancellations.

Last year’s Edinburgh Hogmanay celebration was called off the day before after severe weather warnings were put in place for the whole of Scotland. High winds led to the cancellation of dozens of Festival Fringe shows earlier this year.