BONFIRE Night fireworks will return to the Downs next year after the city council announced it would fund a display.

But the money will come from axing the showpiece display from the city's Harbour Festival – one of a number of changes to the summer event announced yesterday.

The city council will pay £10,000 to put on a display on the Downs next year in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Clifton and Durdham Downs (Bristol) Act, which secured public access to the Downs in 1861.

But it will also be seeking sponsors for the event, which could become an annual fixture again if next year's display is a success.

A display used to be run by volunteers from Clifton Rotary Club and Bristol Round Table, on the nearest Saturday to Bonfire Night, to raise money for charity.

About 15,000 people paid to watch it each year – but about double that number watched for free from outside the perimeter fence. Two years ago the display was hit by heavy rain and organisers made a big loss.

It has not been held since, and earlier this year organisers said it was unlikely it would ever return.

It is not clear whether volunteers will have any role in next year's council-run event.

The decision to shift the fireworks display away from the Harbour Festival forms part of a move to end the festival earlier on a Saturday night to avoid trouble.

At a launch event last night at the Colston Hall it was also revealed that there was a shortfall of more than £100,000 in covering the costs of next year's festival.

City council deputy leader Simon Cook appealed for Bristol businesses to sponsor the event on its 40th anniversary. He said the reason for removing the Saturday night fireworks was that costs soared from £10,000 to £21,000 once policing and stewarding was added.

Mr Cook also said that some traders and residents felt the fireworks caused rowdiness and would prefer the festival to finish earlier on Saturday evening.

Next year, all outdoor events will finish at 7pm on Saturdays and then revellers will have the option to attend ticketed events at the festival's partner venues, including the Arnolfini, Watershed and new M Shed museum.

Mr Cook said if the November display was a success it would continue in the future.

He said: "We think this is the right time to move the fireworks and reinstate them on the Downs. It is much less complicated in terms of security, policing and stewarding on the Downs rather than in the centre of Bristol.

"It means it will cost less and make the centre of Bristol safer during the Harbour Festival."

Mr Cook told the Post the Harbour Festival usually cost around £360,000 to run and this year attracted about 250,000 visitors.

The city council will next year pay £160,000 towards those costs and the festival itself brings in £80,000 but that leaves more than £100,000 to be found.

The Post reported yesterday that the council was trying to attract a large number of small donations from businesses, with a draw to decide which one becomes the main sponsor in the same way as the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.