Thousands to attend annual Lewes bonfire event

Former effigies include former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg

Thousands of people are set to attend the annual bonfire event in Lewes this evening.

Six different bonfire societies are holding processions through the East Sussex town and spectators will watch as huge effigies are paraded through the streets.

Previous effigies include former Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson, as well as other politicians including current American President Joe Biden.

Sussex Police is urging non-locals to stay away from the historic event due to the risk of "crowd crushing and crowd movement" in the town's narrow streets.

“The celebrations are always busy, challenging and complex,” Ch Supt Howard Hodges told BBC Radio Sussex.

“This is an event steeped in history, culture and tradition but it’s one we can’t be complacent about.

“There are inherent risks and that’s why the police, ambulance and fire service work really closely to make sure people can attend safely.”

The procession through Lewes High Street from 2023's event

While Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot of 1605 dominate the UK's autumnal bonfire tradition, Lewes Bonfire Society also remembers the 17 martyrs burnt to death by Mary I in the town in the 1500s.

The event is the result of the combined work of seven bonfire societies, most of which date back to the 19th Century.

Each society is located in a different part of town, centred around its own pub, which doubles as an HQ. Six societies are taking part this year, according to Lewes District Council.

Two of the societies, Lewes Borough Bonfire Society and Cliffe Bonfire Society, date back to 1853 – but the celebrations are said to have been going on for many years before that.

An effigy of Guy Fawkes is always paraded through the town

Participants also carry burning barrels and 17 burning crosses. These hark back to the 17 Protestant martyrs who were burnt in Lewes during the reign of Bloody Mary, half a century before Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

Lewes Bonfire is also well-known for its effigies of politicians and celebrities, including FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Donald Trump when he was US President. These are kept top secret and only revealed on the night.