Alexandra Palace Fireworks Festival

Held over two evenings in early November on the elevated parkland at Alexandra Palace, this is the event most often named the UK's best by the likes of Time Out and The Telegraph, and it earns the billing. The headline is a choreographed fireworks display paired with a large-scale drone show, but the ticket also covers a German bier festival, funfair, ice disco, bonfire and live tribute acts, so there is plenty to fill the hours before the main show. The south-facing hillside gives long views back over London, and organised entry, stewarding and public-transport links make it manageable with children. It is ticketed and sells out, so book ahead, wrap up warm and arrive early to claim a good spot on the slope.