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Year in Review 2025: Devon and Cornwall events

Getty Images A flaming tar barrel at the centre of a huge crowd of people. It is dark and the glow is lighting up everyone's facesGetty Images
Flaming tar barrels were carried through streets of Ottery St Mary for Bonfire Night

Flaming tar barrels, Newquay's Boardmasters festival and fireworks championships.

We have highlighted six events that took place in Devon and Cornwall in 2025.

Thousands flock to town for flaming tar barrels

A flaming barrel with people leaning away from it.
A large crowd gathered on a street with a flaming tar barrel at the centre of the action.
In a centuries-old tradition tar barrels are lit and carried on people's backs through the streets of Ottery St Mary
You can only take part as an adult if you have taken part as a child and must be born and bred in the town to qualify at all

Thousands flocked to Ottery St Mary to see flaming tar barrels carried along its streets for Bonfire Night.

It was expected to double in size with 20,000 visitors but the Devon town had to close to visitors with the car parks filling up early due to poor weather.

The evening spectacle, which is believed to date back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, started with the children's barrels before the women's, men's and intermediate events got under way.

A total of 27 barrels were carried throughout the evening.

'Sun, sea and good vibes' at Boardmasters

A wide shot of Emma and Kate. Emma is blonde with glasses on her head, and is wearing a blue top. Kate has long brown hair and is wearing a dark top. In the background are various tents.
Emma (left) and Kate said they were most excited to see RAYE perform

Festival goers in Cornwall praised the "vibes and sunshine" at Boardmasters' weekend of music and surfing.

Upwards of 58,000 flocked to Newquay for the five-day event, which hosted performances from stars including RAYE, Central Cee, and The Prodigy.

The Kaiser Chiefs' lead singer Ricky Wilson described headlining at the event as "a privilege".

Surfing also took place at Fistral Beach, with the Boardmasters Surf Open 2025.

Revellers said they felt Boardmasters had improved from last year - including feeling safer.

British Firework Championships return to Plymouth

Jason Way A mass of fireworks exploding behind Smeaton's Tower. The tower is red and white striped with a glass lantern on the top. The fireworks are like enormous gold stars and there are orange and neon blue stream of lights falling.Jason Way
West Sussex firm SelStar Fireworks won the two-day competition in Plymouth

Plymouth's annual hosting of the British Fireworks Championships took place in August.

SelStar Fireworks, from Selsey, in West Sussex, won the two-day event while BBB Fireworks from Battle, East Sussex, was named as runner-up, 1st Galaxy Fireworks from Nottingham finished in third place, and Devon-based Sonic Fireworks came sixth.

This year's event included 10-minute displays from six previous winners as they competed for the "champion of champions" title.

Devon and Cornwall mark 80th anniversary of VE Day

Watch: Key moments from VE Day in Devon and Cornwall

People in Devon and Cornwall marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe.

On 8 May 1945 at exactly 15:00 BST, Sir Winston Churchill took to the radio waves to announce Nazi Germany's surrender.

The date is known as VE Day, or Victory in Europe Day, and this year marked 80 years since the announcement.

A number of events were held across the counties including two minutes of silence, parades, marches, wreath-laying, concerts, beacon lighting and bell ringing.

Northern Lights sparkle in night sky

Cornwall_Colours/BBC Weather Watchers A person sits on a gate at a farm in Zennor, Cornwall, as they watch the Northern Lights' shine in pink and purple.Cornwall_Colours/BBC Weather Watchers
NickF/BBC Weather Watchers The Northern Lights shine in pink and purple over St Ervan in Cornwall. A set of trees are beneath the hue.NickF/BBC Weather Watchers
The Northern Lights shone above Zennor
St Ervan was another location where the Northern Lights were seen

The Northern Lights put on colourful displays in the night sky across Devon and Cornwall on several occasions this year, including in April.

Spectacular images were taken by BBC Weather Watchers across both counties as the lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, appeared.

The lights, which had a pink-purple hue, were spotted over parts of the north Devon coastline including Croyde and Woolacombe.

People also spotted the lights over St Ervan, Zennor and Stithians.

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