The largest curated annual arts festival in England.

A celebration of music, theatre, dance, circus, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and community events, Brighton Festival takes place in familiar and unusual locations across Brighton & Hove and further afield for three weeks every May.

Renowned for its pioneering spirit and experimental reputation, Brighton Festival has become one of the city’s most enduring symbols of inventiveness.

Visit Brighton Festival

Brighton Fringe is the largest open-access arts festival in England. It is an international festival that is at the same time rooted in the community. It embraces every art form and every form of artistic expression, and supports both new and established performers in trying out new work and taking risks.

Visit Brighton Fringe

The Artists Open Houses festival provides a unique experience for visitors, where you can view an array of work from contemporary and original local artists and makers in their homes, as well as meeting the artists and buying artwork and crafts directly from them.
Work includes jewellery, ceramics and textiles, as well as painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and many other media. Many visitors buy their first piece of original artwork at an Open House and return year after year.

The festival runs twice a year – throughout May and for thee weekends in November/December.

Visit Artists Open Houses

Firmly established as the UK’s most popular international Pride Festival, Brighton &  Hove Pride attracts a diverse demographic audience from across the globe and is singularly the most popular visitor attraction in the City’s event calendar. Pride is as famous, vibrant, popular and utterly unique as our city itself.

Brighton and Hove Pride’s sole ethos is to promote tolerance, diversity, inclusion and education within our communities.

Pride in the Park festival on Preston Park is a glittering and truly inclusive community celebration that delivers an unforgettable day of Pride. A unique community fundraising event, the Brighton Pride Festival has enjoyed amazing performances from international stars.

(August)

Visit Pride Festival website.

Europe’s biggest FREE Beach Festival run by volunteers.

The Worlds biggest charity water sports and beach lifestyle event, over 50,000 people expected to attend.

If you want to have fun, don’t miss it!

Visit Paddle Round The Pier

For two decades, Burning the Clocks has become a special date in Brighton’s calendar. Taking place on the winter solstice 21st December, this fantastical procession brings magic to the streets, with a stream of luminous lanterns and a spectacular 2,000-strong parade.

When the winter parade has wound its way to the beach, people pass their handmade paper and willow lanterns – filled symbolically with their hopes and dreams – into a blazing bonfire and prepare for the spectacular fire show and firework display.

Held on the shortest day (longest night) of the year, this growing tradition marks the passing of time by ‘burning the clocks’ and welcoming in the new sun. With over 20,000 spectators, this popular event turns the spotlight away from the more commercial side of Christmas and lights up the darkest of winter nights.

Burning the Clocks was created by Same Sky in 1994 as a way for the whole community to enjoy the festive season, regardless of faith or creed. Each year a new theme, related to the concept of time, is incorporated into the event to bring new and exciting elements.

Visit Burning the Clocks

A magical walk through a winter wonderland as seasonal lanterns light up Wakehurst after dark.

Glow Wild is a spellbinding night-time experience that all ages will adore. Now in its sixth year, Wakehurst’s winter lantern trail is full of surprises, with trees, ponds and forest floors brought to life by hundreds of handmade lanterns and torches of fire.

Visit Glow Wild (40 min by car)

 This is the place to catch the next big thing with over 450 emerging artists performing in city centre venues – all of which are within easy walking distance of each other. Past performers have gone on to become huge stars including Adele; George Ezra; Royal Blood; Rag ‘n’ Bone Man; Mumford & Sons and Ed Sheeran.

Visit The Great Escape

is an annual one-day festival celebrating jazz and jazz-inspired music and culture, produced by the respected Jazz re:freshed. It showcases the incredibly diverse, colourful, expressive and creative world of jazz music and alternative culture.

Visit JAZZ RE:Freshed

Starting back in 2007, The Brighton Tattoo Convention is hurtling towards it’s 12th anniversary edition at break neck speed.

The convention has grown year after year into a major event on the world tattoo calendar. The Brighton Tattoo Convention welcomes over 300 world class tattooists, score of traders, exhibitions and of course, thousands of visitors to the Brighton Centre on the iconic sea front.

Visit Brighton Tattoo Convention