Lantern Releases at UK Funerals: What You Need to Know

Last updated: 7 April 2026

Lantern releases have become one of the most visible ways families choose to honour a loved one’s memory — but few people understand the real rules, risks, or how to do them properly. Over my 15 years running The Teal Farm, I’ve watched families plan meaningful lantern release tributes at UK funerals, and I’ve learned what works, what doesn’t, and what the law actually says. This guide covers everything you need to know: the legal position, safety considerations, how to organise one respectfully, and how a pub venue can provide the perfect gathering point before or after a lantern release. You’ll understand the real impact of this choice — both beautiful and practical — so you can decide if it’s right for your family.

Are Lantern Releases Legal in the UK?

Lantern releases are not illegal across the UK as a blanket rule, but they are heavily restricted and effectively banned in many areas. The legal position is complex because it depends on local fire authority guidance, local council bylaws, and the type of land where you want to release them.

The key issue is that sky lanterns — also called Chinese lanterns or flying lanterns — are classified as open flames. Most fire authorities in the UK recommend against them entirely. The UK Home Office does not prohibit sky lanterns outright, but it leaves guidance to individual fire and rescue services.

In practice, many local fire authorities advise against lantern releases because of fire risk. Some councils have introduced bylaws making them illegal within their boundaries. North East fire authorities — including those covering Washington NE38 — have generally discouraged sky lanterns in recent years, particularly in areas near woodland, grassland, or during dry seasons.

If you are seriously considering a lantern release, your first step must be to contact your local fire authority directly. They can tell you whether it is permitted in your specific area, what conditions apply, and whether you need written permission. In Washington, that means speaking to Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.

Even if lantern releases are not formally banned where you live, many venues — including pubs, funeral homes, and crematoriums — refuse to permit them on their grounds due to insurance and liability concerns.

What Actually Happens During a Lantern Release

A lantern release ceremony typically unfolds in these stages: family and friends gather in a designated outdoor space. Each person (or each family group) holds a paper or fabric lantern with a small fuel cell inside — usually a wax tablet or gel fuel. Someone leading the ceremony lights the lanterns in turn, and when all are alight, families release them simultaneously into the night sky.

The lanterns float upward on the heat they generate, rising into the darkness. Families watch them disappear above, sometimes in silence, sometimes with words, music, or readings. The entire ceremony usually takes 10–15 minutes.

The emotional appeal is obvious: the visual image of light ascending is powerful, and the shared moment creates a strong collective memory. For many families, it feels like sending a message to their loved one. However, what happens after release is less romantic and less visible.

Most lanterns do not float away indefinitely; they cool, lose buoyancy, and fall to earth within 20–200 metres of the release point. The metal frame and fuel cell remain intact and become litter. They can land on roads, in fields, on roofs, or in water. If they land on dry vegetation, they can ignite fires. If animals ingest the metal frames, they can cause serious injury.

Safety and Environmental Concerns

This is the section where I need to be honest with you, because I see families planning tributes without understanding the real risks.

Fire Risk

Sky lanterns have been linked to a number of significant fires across the UK. The lantern itself burns at a high temperature (around 900°C), and if it falls on dry grass, thatched roofing, or woodland, it can ignite a fire. Fire brigades across the country have responded to incidents caused by lantern releases, particularly during dry weather or wildfire seasons.

The risk is especially high in areas near grassland, forests, or rural locations — which unfortunately includes many beautiful outdoor spaces families might choose for a ceremony.

Environmental Impact

The metal frames and fuel cells from sky lanterns persist in the environment for years. They are not biodegradable. Animals, particularly birds and marine life, can become entangled in them or ingest them, causing serious injury or death. Lanterns that fall into water eventually sink, adding to marine debris.

Families often choose lantern releases because they feel like a respectful, gentle tribute — but the environmental legacy is anything but gentle.

Insurance and Liability

Most public venues, crematoriums, and funeral-related businesses will not allow lantern releases due to insurance liability. If a lantern caused a fire or injury after being released from a venue, the venue owner could face legal action. This is why, even if lantern releases are technically legal in your area, you may struggle to find a location that permits them.

How to Organise a Lantern Release Funeral Tribute

If you have decided that a lantern release is the right tribute for your loved one, and you understand the risks, here is how to approach it responsibly.

Step 1: Check Local Restrictions

Contact Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service directly. Ask whether sky lanterns are permitted in your area, what conditions apply, and whether you need written permission. Get this in writing if possible. Also contact your local council to check whether any bylaws restrict or prohibit lantern releases.

Step 2: Find Private Land With Permission

Lantern releases should only happen on private land with the explicit written permission of the landowner. This might be a family garden, a farm, or private woodland. Never release lanterns on public land, council land, or near roads, buildings, or vegetation.

Step 3: Check the Weather and Season

Never release lanterns during dry weather, high winds, or during fire season. Release only in calm conditions, ideally in winter months when vegetation is wet and fire risk is lower. Check the weather forecast 48 hours before your ceremony.

Step 4: Buy Quality Lanterns

If you proceed, use lanterns from reputable suppliers that meet safety standards. Cheap lanterns are more likely to malfunction, tilt, or fall prematurely. Expect to pay £2–£4 per lantern from a reliable source.

Step 5: Plan a Backup

Have an alternative tribute planned in case weather conditions are unsuitable or fire authority restrictions prevent the release. You do not want to disappoint your family at the last moment.

Step 6: Gather Responsibly

Keep numbers manageable — lantern releases are most moving when they are intimate, not crowded. Have someone lead the ceremony with words or readings beforehand. After release, transition to a warm, dignified indoor space where the family can share memories.

Using a Pub Venue to Host Your Gathering

One of the most practical and moving approaches is to use a wake venue in washington as the heart of your tribute, with a lantern release as part of — not the whole of — the ceremony.

This is what I see working best: your family gathers at the pub first. You share memories, have a drink in your loved one’s honour, perhaps play their favourite music or show photos. Then, if conditions and permissions allow, you move outside together for the lantern release — a brief, focused moment. Afterward, you return indoors to warmth, food, and continued time together.

This structure means that even if the lantern release cannot go ahead (due to weather or restrictions), your gathering is not ruined. The meaningful time together — the heart of any funeral tribute — has already happened.

At The Teal Farm, we have hosted families planning exactly this kind of tribute. We provide the space where people feel comfortable and supported. Our step-free access means grandparents and those with mobility difficulties can join fully. We have free parking and can accommodate gatherings at just 48 hours’ notice — important when you are grieving and planning quickly. We can set up photo slideshows, play music, and serve buffet packages from just £8 per head. If your family is planning a lantern release, we can be the warm heart of that day, before and after.

We are minutes from both Birtley and Sunderland crematoriums, so families often combine a cremation ceremony with a gathering at The Teal Farm. I remember one family who came to us with only two days’ notice after a sudden bereavement. We had their loved one’s favourite drink waiting at the head of the table before the first guests arrived. That kind of personal touch — knowing the small details that matter — is what makes a pub venue different from a hotel or funeral home.

For more information about planning a dignified gathering, you can read about the first 24 hours after a bereavement, which includes practical steps and support options available to Washington families.

Alternatives to Lantern Releases

If you love the symbolism of a lantern release but want to avoid the safety and environmental concerns, consider these meaningful alternatives.

Biodegradable Lanterns

Some companies now sell lanterns made from rice paper and bamboo that decompose naturally. However, they still carry fire risk and fall from the sky, so check with your local fire authority first.

Candle Lighting Ceremony

Gather indoors or under shelter and light candles together. This creates the same symbolism — light, remembrance, shared reflection — without fire or environmental risk. Many families find this deeply moving.

Bubble Release

Release bubbles instead of lanterns. They are harmless, temporary, and create a similarly beautiful visual memory. Children particularly enjoy this.

Plant a Tree or Create a Garden

A living memorial that grows each year feels like a lasting tribute. Many families find this more meaningful than a momentary release.

Memory Box or Time Capsule

Gather family and friends to write memories, letters, or reflections. Seal them in a box to be opened on a future anniversary. This creates a sustained remembrance ritual rather than a single event.

Donation in Their Memory

Ask guests to donate to a charity your loved one cared about. This creates lasting good in their name — sometimes more powerful than a symbolic gesture.

For more information, visit direct cremation washington.

For more information, visit funeral directors north east.