About Edenbridge Bonfire Society
Edenbridge Bonfire Society is a volunteer-led organisation based in Edenbridge, Kent, responsible for one of the largest and best-known Bonfire celebrations in the South East.
The society was founded in 1928, when around 700 people attended its first event and 25 shillings was raised for local charities. Almost a century later, the same combination of spectacle and charitable fundraising remains at the heart of Edenbridge Bonfire.
Today, Edenbridge is famous for its torchlit carnival procession, traditional characters, enormous fireworks display and two towering effigies – the traditional Guy Fawkes and the society's internationally recognised Celebrity Guy.
In 2026, Edenbridge Bonfire takes place on Saturday 7 November.
Founded in 1928
Edenbridge Bonfire Society traces its beginnings to 1928.
The first celebration attracted around 700 people and raised 25 shillings for local charities – a modest beginning for an event that would eventually attract crowds numbering in the thousands.
The society grew rapidly.
One of the most extraordinary years came immediately after the Second World War. In 1946, when Edenbridge itself had a population of only around 3,000 people, an estimated 30,000 spectators attended Bonfire.
Visitors paid the equivalent of 2.5p to enter the bonfire field and the society raised £150 for charity.
The scale of the occasion attracted national attention, with British Pathé recording Edenbridge Bonfire during the post-war years.
The Bishop of the Bonfire
One of Edenbridge's most distinctive traditions is the Bishop of the Bonfire.
Rather than being led simply by society officers, Edenbridge's procession traditionally features the Bishop accompanied by choirboys and choirgirls.
The Bishop is far more than a decorative character. Historical accounts show the Bishop taking a central ceremonial role in the celebrations, including addressing the crowd and presiding over the traditional fate of Guy Fawkes.
A fascinating account from 1946 records Bishop Harry Oliver addressing the assembled crowd before asking whether Guy Fawkes should die. The response from the crowd was emphatic: he should be burned.
The Bishop and choir remain at the front of the Edenbridge procession today, providing a direct and unusually visible link with earlier generations of the society.
Anne Boleyn and General Wolfe
Guy Fawkes is not the only historic character represented in the Edenbridge procession.
The society also processes with effigies of Anne Boleyn and General James Wolfe, two historical figures with connections to the local area.
Anne Boleyn's connection is particularly well known. Her childhood home was Hever Castle, only a few miles from Edenbridge. The society's Anne Boleyn traditionally appears carrying her severed head beneath her arm.
General James Wolfe, meanwhile, grew up at Westerham, another nearby town. He became famous for his victory over the French at Quebec in 1759, where he was mortally wounded.
Together with Guy Fawkes, these figures give Edenbridge's procession a distinctly local historical character.
The Celebrity Guy
The tradition for which Edenbridge has become internationally famous is the Celebrity Guy.
Since the 1990s, the society has selected a prominent person or subject from the year's news and transformed them into an enormous satirical effigy.
Standing around 11 metres tall, the Celebrity Guy is constructed alongside an equally enormous traditional Guy Fawkes before both are destroyed during the fireworks display.
Over the years, the honour has fallen to politicians, celebrities, sporting figures and organisations that have dominated the headlines.
Previous Celebrity Guys have included Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Sadiq Khan, Katie Hopkins, Lance Armstrong and Russell Brand, among many others. In 2024, the society chose Ticketmaster, while Sir Keir Starmer became the Celebrity Guy for 2025.
The identity of the Celebrity Guy is deliberately kept secret until shortly before Bonfire, and its unveiling regularly attracts national and international media attention.
What began as an addition to the traditional celebration has become one of Edenbridge's defining traditions.
More Than 1,000 Flaming Torches
Edenbridge Bonfire begins with a major torchlit carnival procession through the town.
The Bishop of the Bonfire, choir and traditional effigies lead the way, followed by members, visiting societies, illuminated carnival floats, walking groups and marching bands.
More than 1,000 flaming torches can be carried during the procession, while around 20 floats and walking groups may take part.
The procession makes its way through Edenbridge before attention turns to the Recreation Ground for the culmination of the evening.
There, the two enormous Guys await their fate.
Two Giant Effigies
The scale of the effigies is difficult to appreciate until they are seen standing on the bonfire field.
Both Guy Fawkes and the Celebrity Guy stand around 11 metres tall – roughly the height of a three-storey building.
During the fireworks display, the enormous figures are destroyed with a combination of fire and pyrotechnics.
It provides the dramatic climax to an evening that begins with traditional procession and ceremony before ending with one of the largest spectacles on the bonfire calendar.
Famous Patrons
Edenbridge Bonfire Society has attracted some remarkable supporters during its history.
Past patrons have included two British Prime Ministers: Sir Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee.
Churchill had particularly strong connections with the area through his home at Chartwell, near Westerham.
The society also records a remarkable family tradition surrounding its Bishop of the Bonfire, with three generations of one local family serving as Bishop.
These details provide an indication of just how firmly Edenbridge Bonfire became established within local life during the twentieth century.
Charity and Community
Despite the international attention generated by the Celebrity Guy, charitable fundraising remains one of the fundamental purposes of Edenbridge Bonfire Society.
That principle was present from the very beginning, when the first celebration in 1928 raised money for local charities.
Collections continue during the procession, with money raised supporting local charities and community organisations.
The society is also active away from Bonfire Night. Its members and mobile stage support community fetes and other events during the year, while members travel to celebrations elsewhere during the autumn.
The enormous November event is therefore only the most visible part of a volunteer organisation active throughout the year.
Membership and Volunteering
Putting on an event of Edenbridge's size requires a considerable number of volunteers.
Members help with everything from preparing the procession and constructing the enormous effigies to fundraising, stewarding and organising the bonfire field.
There is also a strong social side to membership, with the society organising gatherings and taking members to other Bonfire celebrations across Sussex and Kent.
For those interested in becoming more involved, joining Edenbridge Bonfire Society offers the opportunity to participate in traditions that have developed over almost a century.
Edenbridge Bonfire 2026
The 2026 Edenbridge Bonfire celebration takes place on Saturday 7 November.
The torchlit procession is scheduled to begin at 6:30pm, followed by the main fireworks display at approximately 8:30pm.
As usual, the Bishop of the Bonfire and choir will lead the procession, accompanied by the traditional effigies and joined by visiting societies, carnival floats, walking groups and bands.
Waiting at the Recreation Ground will be the giant Guy Fawkes – and another enormous figure whose identity will remain one of the most eagerly awaited questions of Edenbridge's Bonfire season.
Almost a Century of Edenbridge Bonfire
Edenbridge Bonfire Society has come a remarkable distance since 700 people gathered for its first celebration in 1928.
Within less than two decades, tens of thousands were travelling to the town to experience Bonfire. The society attracted patrons including Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee, developed traditions around its Bishop and choir and established an event that became an important part of Edenbridge life.
More recently, the Celebrity Guy has taken Edenbridge Bonfire to an international audience, while the enormous traditional Guy Fawkes, Anne Boleyn, General Wolfe and the Bishop of the Bonfire ensure that the society's older traditions remain highly visible.
Nearly 100 years after its formation, Edenbridge Bonfire Society continues to combine local history, carnival, satire, charity and spectacular pyrotechnics in a celebration unmistakably its own.