Memorial fireworks in the UK are a small field

Search for memorial fireworks and you might expect dozens of companies. In reality, only a handful of businesses in the UK actually put ashes into fireworks themselves. Several websites that appear to offer fireworks for ashes are resellers, or brand names of the same few firms.

That’s not a bad thing. The companies doing it tend to be established firework businesses with decades of experience. But you should know who you’re really dealing with before you book.

How ashes go into fireworks

Only a portion of the ashes is used. The firework company takes a measured amount, often a few hundred grams, and places it in specially made compartments inside the fireworks. When they fire, the ashes are released high into the sky along with the colour and light.

A typical adult’s ashes weigh a couple of kilos, so most families have plenty left over. Many keep the rest, scatter it somewhere meaningful, or split it for keepsakes. Turning ashes into a firework doesn’t have to be the only thing you do.

You’ll usually either post the ashes to the company or take them in person. Some firms can make self-fire fireworks with ashes while you wait if you book ahead.

Two kinds of ashes fireworks, and most families only know about one

This is the most useful thing to understand before you start ringing round. There are two completely different products, and the price gap between them is huge.

Professional ashes firework displays

A qualified display team designs the show, visits your chosen site beforehand, sets everything up, fires it and clears up afterwards. You can usually choose colours and effects, and the bigger packages can be set to music. It works well as a celebration of life fireworks display at a wake, a gathering or on a significant date. You just stand with your family and watch.

Expect to pay from roughly £1,300 to £4,000 or more.

Self-fire fireworks with ashes

The company puts the ashes into rockets or a barrage (a single box that fires a sequence of shots) and sends them to you with safety instructions. You set them off yourself, on a date and at a place of your choosing, within the normal firework rules.

These cost a fraction of a professional display, typically a few hundred pounds. They suit smaller, more personal gatherings, and some families like lighting the firework themselves as their own goodbye.

Neither is better. A professional funeral fireworks display is a big shared event. Self-fire is quieter and more flexible. Knowing both exist means you can choose, rather than assuming it has to cost thousands.

How much does it cost to put ashes into fireworks in the UK?

Ashes into fireworks UK prices vary a lot depending on which of the two options you choose. Very few companies publish their prices, which makes comparing hard. Heavenly Stars Fireworks, based in Colchester, is an exception. Their professional display packages start at:

Standard pricing covers locations within 100 miles of Colchester, with travel costs on top beyond that. Different pricing applies around Bonfire Night and New Year’s Eve.

Their self-fire range is much cheaper. At the time of writing it includes a four-rocket pack at £399 and barrages at £499 and £599.

Use these as a benchmark when getting quotes elsewhere. Most other firms quote individually, so ask for a full breakdown including travel.

How do you know it’s really their ashes?

It’s the obvious worry. You hand over your loved one’s ashes and you get back a box of fireworks. How do you know they’re in there, and that nobody else’s are?

Most families wonder about this and never ask, because it feels rude or morbid. It isn’t. A reputable company will expect the question and have a clear answer.

As an example of good practice, Heavenly Stars give every order a unique tracking number. They only have one person’s ashes in their incorporation room at any time, a second staff member checks and countersigns the paperwork at each stage, and they provide a certificate of authenticity confirming the fireworks contain your loved one’s ashes and no one else’s.

You don’t need every firm to do exactly that. But you should expect some kind of tracking, written confirmation and a certificate. If a company can’t explain how they keep ashes identified from start to finish, that’s your answer.

Finding cremation fireworks near you

Coverage is patchy, and it’s better to know that now than after an evening searching for memorial fireworks near me.

• South East and East: the best served area, with several providers in Essex and Kent, and Fantastic Fireworks in Luton, who offer professional displays UK-wide.
• South West, Midlands and South Wales: Chase Lane Fireworks in Gloucester cover a wide area including Bristol, Wiltshire, Birmingham and Cardiff.
• North West: Nemisis Pyrotechnics in Crewe, Cheshire.
• Scotland and Northern Ireland: at the time of writing, we haven’t found a provider based in either.

If you’re outside the main areas, you have two realistic routes. Self-fire fireworks can be posted to you anywhere in the UK, or you can ask a professional firm for a quote including travel. Bigger companies do travel, it just costs more.

You can see every provider we list in our Memorial Fireworks directory.

Setting off self-fire fireworks with ashes: the rules

Self-fire gives you flexibility, but not unlimited flexibility. The normal firework rules apply, and the government’s fireworks law guidance sets them out in full:

• Timing. In England and Wales, you can’t set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am. The cut-off moves to midnight on Bonfire Night and 1am on New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year. In Scotland it’s tighter: only between 6pm and 11pm, with the same later cut-offs on those four nights.
• Location. You need permission from whoever owns the land. A garden, a farmer’s field or a private venue is fine with their agreement. Streets, roads and public parks are not.
• Age. You must be 18 or over to buy and use these fireworks.
• Neighbours and animals. A quick word with neighbours, and anyone nearby with horses or livestock, goes a long way.

Always follow the safety instructions that come with the fireworks. If you’re unsure, the company that made them will happily advise.

Choosing a date

There’s no rush. Ashes can be kept safely for as long as you need, and many families wait until a date that means something: a birthday, an anniversary or a family get-together.

Bonfire Night and New Year are popular choices, especially for someone who loved fireworks. If you’re thinking of either, contact companies early. It’s their busiest time of year, and professional display prices often go up.

Questions to ask before you book

• Do you put the ashes into the fireworks yourselves, or send them elsewhere?
• How much of the ashes will you use, and how do I get the rest back?
• How do you track the ashes, and will I get a certificate?
• Is the price all-inclusive, or are travel and site visits extra?
• Are you insured, and are your display staff qualified?
• How long does it take from receiving the ashes to being ready?
• What happens if the weather’s bad on the day?

A send-off that sounds like them

For the right person, ashes to fireworks is about as fitting a goodbye as there is. Families regularly describe the moment as joyful as well as sad: everyone gathered, looking up, sharing something at the same time.

If you’re still weighing up options, our guide to memorial ideas for ashes walks through every alternative. You can also browse our memorial fireworks listings and contact each provider directly, or read our guides to scattering ashes at sea and burying ashes in a family grave.