As bonfires and sparklers light up the night, we welcome in November with a bang! See within for artful exhibitions, friendly competitions and local indie sellers...

Hiss Hiss Bang Bang

Remember, remember that this weekend there are displays a-plenty for all you firework lovers! One of the best local displays is on Sat 8th in South Park, brought to you by Oxford Round Table . This is a very established Oxford tradition, with rides, live music, a bar, and a rather muddy park, and a really good firework display. Bring your oohs and aahs, and wrap up warm.

Also on 8th is the Thame Fireworks Display, organised by three local primary schools. This is, as you’d guess, a very child-friendly display, with an entertainer on hand in the marquee while you wait for the display, and under 4s go free.

Abingdon’s amazing wrap-around display is on Saturday 15th, and also offers a K-Pop Demon Hunters themed show for children and a campervan with a jet engine! This is the biggest display locally, taking over Abingdon Airfield. Lasers, food, you name it, they have it.

There are also a whole host of smaller displays locally including Oxford Sea Scouts, Hanborough Musical Fireworks and Witney Lakes on Fri 7th, Ducklington on Sun 9th, and many, many more! See them all on our 2025 Oxfordshire Firework Displays page .

And if all that banging is a bit loud, you can take refuge in the Ashmolean and celebrate Guy Fawkes’ Night by going to see the very lantern he was carrying when he was arrested under the Houses of Parliament.

For full details of all firework displays, see our 2025 Guide .

Setting the Tone

Oxford is known for launching bands into the stratosphere, but there’s plenty we keep close at home. Three gigs this week showcase different styles, all stuffed with homegrown talent.

Rock yourselves under (or possibly onto) the tables on Friday night, with a triple bill of grunge, indie, emo and punk dabblers. Local big news The Dirty Sock Puppets play covers and originals, bigging up the noughties and bringing them bang up to date. Midori Wave and Perry Leigh are promised to be like-minded rockers.

Oxford City Festival showcases local bands too, with different nights immersing audiences in different genres. The Blues and Americana night may be punctuated by the odd bang from South Park but we’re sure this lineup can drown out any firework. Featuring Journeyman, The Oxford Blues Corporation, Jonny's Sexual Kitchen, Mojo Demon, Doug Grayves & The Sextons, Will Cox, Tony Batey and The Revelators, this is a stacked show.

Raise your eyes above the city smogbowl with this breadth of music and influences, for a good cause. The Bullingdon's Palestine Fundraiser sees headliners Papa Nui pulsate with horn-driven ska-pop, while Tarik Bashir, KCard, Benza and Kemastry deliver indie, politically charged hip hop and the melodious tones of the Egyptian Oud. All proceeds go to Medical Aid for Palestine, with collections on the night for our own political prisoners.

The Dirty Sock Puppets: Tap Social Movement (North Hinksey Industrial Estate), Fri 7th Nov, 8pm. Entry free.

Oxford City Festival Big Blues Night Out: Florence Park Community Centre, Sat 8th Nov, doors 5pm. Tickets from £8.

Palestine Fundraiser: The Bullingdon, Thu 13th Nov, 7pm. Tickets: £4 - £15+.

Get Stuck In

Of course, some of us aren’t content with taking in a show; sometimes, we want to show off! If that sounds like you, this week comes with plenty of chances to put your talents on display, or even learn some new ones.

First up, test your cinematic knowledge with the next instalment of film pop quiz, Keeping It Reel. Just in time for the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future, this edition is all about sci fi; robots, aliens, tech and time travel. How bright do you have to be to win? We’d say at least 1.21 gigawatts.

For the songbirds, there’s karaoke galore, with dedicated nights springing up at The Cape of Good Hope, Big Society and of course, The Mad Hatter. Pitch, Please, the newest night on the block from Big Society, is already establishing itself as a favourite midweek release for wannabe crooners, The Cape offers £3.50 drinks for all participants and The Mad Hatter sweetens the deal with a bottle of Prosecco up for grabs for the night’s best performer, so time to warm up those vocal cords…

On the chiller side of things, Draughts and Crafts comes to the Tap Social courtesy of our pals at The Cowley Rag, Oxford’s local DIY zine full of “bad art for the community”. Bring your own craft material, from crochet to watercolour and beyond, and get creative. The team also promise live music and 2-for-1 pizza for every crafter brave enough to share their work.

And baristas, start your frothers, as the Latte Art Knockout gets underway at Proof Social Bakehouse. All-star latte artists (lattists?) go head to head in a bracketed battle for the most beauteous brew. Pour whatever you like, but remember, you can only use each design once. And we thought regular coffee got us hyped!

Keeping It Reel Sci Fi Quiz: Port Mahon, Sun 9th Nov, 7pm. Tickets £2 per person.

Pitch, Please: Big Society, every Wednesday, 8pm. Donation/Free.

Karaoke Night: Cape of Good Hope, every Thursday, 8pm-midnight. Free.

Kanpai Karaoke: The Mad Hatter, every Thursday, 6pm - 1am. Free, booking recommended.

Draughts and Crafts Night: Tap Social Movement, Thurs 13th Nov, 6pm. Free.

Latte Art Knockout: Proof Social Bakehouse, Fri 14th Nov, 6:30pm - 10pm. Free to watch, £7 to compete.

Curation Station

We begin our art watch on a local footing, as Bampton's West Ox Arts Gallery welcomes their annual Art and Craft Winter Festival. With pieces from over 40 Oxfordshire artisans showcasing pottery, textiles, woodworking, painting and more, discover the artistic talent the county has to offer and find one-of-a-kind pieces (especially with the holidays coming up!).

Next, a true delight for any fan of gothic illustration: New College plays host to the oeuvre of legendary illustrator Edward Gorey to mark his centenary. If you’ve ever been a fan of Tim Burton or Lemony Snicket, you have Gorey to thank. Well known for darkly whimsical tales like The Gashlycrumb Tinies, his body of work is both charming and deliciously grim, combining dark humour and Victorian/Edwardian aesthetics to create a lasting artistic legacy.

At the North Wall, Jillian Edelstein delivers a thought provoking and timely photo series in Truth and Lies. Edelstein documents the perspectives of some of the 27,000 testimonials conducted by Desmond Tutu’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission following the dissolution of apartheid in South Africa; those that suffered under segregation and those that perpetrated the suffering. Edelstein continues the work of the commission by putting human faces to South Africa’s colonial history.

After dark, the Pitt Rivers shows you firsthand how craft shapes civilisations with their newest Museum Late Night, With These Hands. In collaboration with local organisations like cultural exchange group Multaka, the event displays clothing, textiles, jewellery and ornaments across cultures, explaining their significance and encouraging participation in their tradition. You can make Ukrainian Motanka dolls, learn Chinese beading techniques, craft decorative flowers and more, all set to a fittingly eclectic soundtrack from Inspire Sounds.

West Ox Arts and Craft Festival: West Ox Arts Gallery, Sat 8th Nov - Sun 21st Dec, 11:30am - 4:30pm (2pm - 4pm Sundays). Free.

Edward Gorey Anniversary Exhibition: New College Upper Reading Room, Wed 5th Nov - Sat 31st Jan, 9am - 5pm. Free.

Jillian Edelstein - Truth and Lies: North Wall Arts Centre, until Sun 9th Nov, 10am - 4pm. Free.

Museum Late - With These Hands: Pitt Rivers Museum, Fri 7th Nov, 7pm-10pm. Free.

And Finally

Botley Road is home to some fantastic local businesses, but since the closure of the road for building works in 2023, getting to sample what’s on offer has become something of an odyssey. Thankfully, Broad Street’s latest pop up venture brings Botley Road’s independent spirit right to the heart of town, with three local traders setting up shop over the next three months.

Jericho Coffee Traders, Warlands Cycles, and Spanner Works will all be plying their wares at 8 Broad Street, as part of the council’s effort to increase visibility for shops affected by the road closure. Grab a cup of speciality coffee, peruse new bikes (or zero emission mopeds if you're feeling fancy!), and support independent stores in the process!

Image credits: Papa Nui, The Mad Hatter, New College