The 2017 Matlock Bath Illuminations, a fun-packed family event featuring a spectacular parade of illuminated and decorated boats along the River Derwent, will run every Saturday and Sunday from 9 September to 28 October.

During the 8-week season Matlock Bath Venetian Boat Builders’ Association will decorate themed models with an array of coloured lights. The models will be mounted on rowing boats and paraded on the River Derwent each Saturday (7.45pm and 9.15pm) and Sunday (7.30pm) in Derwent Gardens, giving a unique and illuminous display. The boats can only be viewed on admission into the gardens.

There will be fantastic firework displays every Saturday evening, which will light up the skies around Matlock Bath in multi-colours. The firework displays begin at 9pm with the best viewing positions being in the Bandstand area of Derwent Gardens.

• Please note that on Saturdays in particular Matlock Bath can get extremely busy. For travel, timings and ticketing tips, see our FAQs
• View our 2016 photo gallery on Facebook

Prices, events & capacity

This year adults pay £5.50 on Saturdays and £4.50 on Sundays if they buy online in advance – that’s 50p cheaper than last year. Accompanied under 16s continue to be free, with concessions available for students and OAPs.

People who buy on the night will pay £7.50 on Saturdays and £6.50 on Sundays – £2 more expensive than the online prices.

• Here’s the link to the booking page.

Online bookers will be fast-tracked into the Derwent Gardens – and the online incentive prices will also apply to visitors who take the train to Matlock Bath.

The District Council has acted on feedback from a customer survey conducted after last year’s eight-week spectacular. Every Saturday in 2017 will include a fireworks finale, with numbers in Derwent Gardens restricted to a maximum of 6,000 – down from 8,000 in previous years – to improve crowd movement and enjoyment for visitors.

To enhance the reputation of Sundays as a “family night”, the event will start and finish earlier, running from 6-8pm to take account of the fact that younger visitors have school the following morning.

Other improvements for the 2017 Illuminations – the 120th – include better signage to the park and ride service, more stewards and more enforcement officers to police pedlars on the streets of Matlock Bath.

2017 Season

Dates

Matlock Bath Illuminations runs every Saturday and Sunday evening from 9 September until 28 October.

Fireworks nights in 2017 will take place every Saturday evening from 9 September through to 28 October.

Dogs

Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome at the Illuminations, but owners should be aware that the fireworks at 9pm on Saturday are loud and can cause distress to some animals. Here’s some advice from the RSPCA on pets and fireworks.