Short answer: Thursday 31 December 2026. Truro's displays last year were a free family fireworks display at 7.30pm and a free midnight display, both viewed from Lemon Quay, with children's £3 vouchers. Newquay marked midnight with fireworks over the bay, watched from the harbour, Central Square and the Killacourt. 2026 details are not yet published, so check before you go.
Two of Cornwall's biggest free New Year's Eve fireworks are in Truro and Newquay, and neither needs a ticket. Neither council has published 2026 details yet, so what follows is how the 2025 night worked, which is usually a good guide. New Year's Eve 2026 falls on a Thursday. For the other big NYE nights, see Looe and St Ives.
Truro City Council runs two displays on Lemon Quay. According to the council's 2025 event page:
Both were free to watch. The fireworks are launched from the grounds of Truro School, and people watch from Lemon Quay. The Voice described the midnight show as the one for "traditionalists", with the early show aimed at families.
Children under 16 at the 7.30pm family display could collect a free £3 voucher to spend on food, drink, sweets or a carousel ride at Raymond's stall on Lemon Quay. They were handed out from 6.30pm at the Lemon Street end of Lemon Quay, opposite Hall for Cornwall, first come, first served, and only valid for the family display. If the scheme repeats, arrive early.
The following morning, volunteers cleared tens of thousands of cardboard fragments from the Truro School car park and playing fields, so keep out of the school grounds and take your own litter home.
Newquay Town Council organised fireworks at midnight over the bay to welcome 2026, according to The Voice, with hundreds of people watching, some even climbing on the Huer's Hut. The pre-event report named the harbour, Central Square and the Killacourt as places to watch. Newquay Harbour is a sheltered spot to watch from, and some people climbed up to the Huer's Hut for a wider view over the bay. Newquay does not have a family early display listed in the sources we found.
Newquay also hosts a street fancy-dress and party night, which we do not yet have confirmed 2026 information on. Our Newquay in winter guide covers what is open, and Newquay fireworks night has the viewing and parking advice for the November display, which applies here too.
A holiday-let guide from earlier years lists Mousehole harbour fireworks with a gathering under the clock just before midnight, a town-wide fancy-dress night in Mevagissey, a pub-based countdown in Penzance and annual fireworks at the end of the night in Falmouth. These were not confirmed for 2026 in anything we found, so treat them as ideas to check rather than plans. Looe and St Ives, covered in the links above, are the best-known organised nights.
For a quieter evening in Truro, see Truro City of Lights (earlier in December) and the Truro guide. Newquay's guide is here. For a New Year's Day follow-up, our Looe New Year's Day swim guide and New Year's Day swims in Falmouth and Newquay cover the morning after.
The Truro event page and the Voice articles are our sources for 2025. If the 2026 details change, the councils will announce through Truro City Council, Visit Truro and Newquay Town Council's social channels.
Truro City Council has not published parking advice for the displays, so use the car park listings as a guide and check for notices nearer the date.
Our Truro parking guide lists other city car parks to walk from, and Truro fireworks 2026 covers the November display with similar advice. If you plan to drink, leave the car at home and book a taxi back.
Book ahead or arrive early, as the city centre fills on New Year's Eve. Opening hours below come from Google listings and may change for the night.
For a family, eating at around 5.30pm and then moving to Lemon Quay by 6.30pm for the voucher handout fits the 7.30pm display. Our Truro fish and chips guide has a quick takeaway option, and the Truro page has more places.
The 7.30pm family display is the one to choose for children. It is earlier, and the council ran it with free £3 vouchers for under-16s. The midnight display is for late nights and bigger crowds. Newquay's midnight show over the bay is the only one we found there, so it is a later night for families.
Fireworks are loud, so ear defenders for babies and small children are sensible, and a spot at the edge of the crowd lets you leave if it gets too much. We have not found official advice about dogs. Many dogs are frightened by fireworks, so we would leave a dog at home, and certainly away from a crowd on a closed-in quay.
Access: the council has not published information on step-free viewing, accessible toilets or a quieter area. Midnight crowds on a city centre quay are dense, so ask before you rely on a clear route for pushchairs or wheelchairs. Ring Truro City Council on 01872 274766 for access questions. Wear layers and a waterproof, as a late December night by the river is cold. Our step-free Truro guide covers flat routes.
In 2025 there was a family display at 7.30pm and a midnight display, both free from Lemon Quay. 2026 times are not yet announced.
Both 2025 displays were free to watch. Children under 16 could also collect a £3 voucher at the family display.
From the grounds of Truro School, viewed from Lemon Quay.
Yes. Newquay Town Council ran midnight fireworks over the bay to welcome 2026, watched from the harbour, Central Square and the Killacourt.
We did not find one in the 2025 reports. Truro is the better choice for a 7.30pm family display.
No official parking plan has been published. Lemon Quay Car Park is closest, rated 3.7 from 173 Google reviews, but it fills early. Truro Park and Ride is listed as open until 8.30pm, so it does not cover midnight.
The 7.30pm family display is the better choice for children. In 2025 under-16s could collect a free £3 voucher at the Lemon Street end of Lemon Quay from 6.30pm.
No official dog advice was found. Many dogs are frightened by fireworks, so we suggest leaving yours at home.
Try Dowr (Wetherspoons) is on Lemon Quay and The Old Ale House is on Quay Street. Both will be busy on New Year's Eve.
Times, prices and dates are the businesses' and organisers' to change, so check before you travel. Spotted something we've got wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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