In Inspiration

Brighton’s calendar is jam-packed full of 2026 fun, take a look at our 26 for '26 to plan your year ahead!

Country & Western Event at the Racecourse: 28 February

The night promises to be a true country hoedown as you'll be entertained by one of the best duos in the country scene. Billy Bubba King will be performing live on the night with hits from all eras of country & there's no doubt about it, he will have you on your feet dancing all night.

Tattoo Convention 28 February – 1 March

The Brighton Centre is the place to be this February as Brighton Tattoo Convention returns for its 17th Annual event. The UK's longest running tattoo convention features 325 hand picked artists & studios, 65 carefully chosen vendors selling a huge range of art, jewellery, clothing and so much more. 

Brighton Marathon: 12 April

The UK's third largest marathon, not to mention the most picturesque, will return on Sunday 12 April 2026. The flat course makes it perfect for runners looking for a quicker race. It is also renowned for its roaring crowd support! 

Brighton Fringe: 1 – 31 May

The largest open-access arts festival in England returns in 2026 bringing a month of top comedy, dance, music, and more!

Brighton Festival: 2 – 25 May

Brighton Festival celebrates the arts in all its guises and invites esteemed artists from around the world to come and perform. For the first three weeks of May you’ll find the city vibrating with theatre, music, dance, art, literature and debate, with outdoor and family events, too. 

The Great Escape: 13 - 16 May

The Great Escape is the festival for new music, showcasing 450 emerging artists from all over the world in 30+ walkable venues across the city and a pop-up festival site on Brighton Beach. It’s the first place to discover your new favourite artist and see them in an intimate setting before they go on to headline major festival stages.

Artist Open Houses: Weekends throughout May

Every year since 1982, Brighton & Hove artists open their doors to show you their work, a perfect chance to meet the artist and buy directly from them.

Elderflower Fields: 22 – 24 May

Elderflower Fields returns for a special 15th anniversary celebration, encouraging families to reconnect with the natural environment and disconnect from tech. Well-known as the ideal first festival for families, this independent, award-winning weekend has grown organically into a much-loved celebration of play, discovery, and community.

Noughty 90s Festival: 23 May 

Noughty 90’s Festival returns for its 5th Birthday Bash on Saturday 23rd May, bringing 90’s classic acts including Vengaboys, East 17, N-Trance and an array of 90’s bands back to Brighton.  

Land Beyond Festival: 24 May

Land Beyond is about stepping into the unknown, away from the day-to-day grind and into a world where you are free to be you, explore new sounds, scenes, and experience the unknown. 

Could Be Real Tribute Festival: 12 June

After a highly successful debut, the Could Be Real Tribute Festival is set to return with an even bigger and better lineup! This ultimate tribute festival promises an unforgettable night of nostalgia, celebrating some of the greatest names in music history. 

Glorious Day Festival: 13 June

Taking place on Hove Lawns with stunning views of Brighton & Hove seafront expect an eclectic line up to keep you dancing all day long as we watch the sun set over the sea.

English Wine Week: 20 - 28 June

Did you know that Sussex is home to a staggering 138 vineyards? This is why we think there is no better way to celebrate English Wine Week than with a glass (or two) of Sussex Sparkling Wine.

London to Brighton Bike Ride: 21 June

This iconic charity bike ride is the oldest in Europe. Join thousands of others on this 54-mile route from the capital to the beach. 

Brighton Comedy Garden: July - Date TBC

A blisteringly hot line-up of comedy’s biggest and best names heads to Preston Park for a smashing series of open-air shows.

Charleston Festival of the Garden: July, Dates TBC

A festival rooted in ideas. Discover new ways of seeing and shaping the world around you. For four days in summer, Charleston invites you to explore the garden as a radical, resilient and restorative space.

Love Supreme: 3 - 5 July

This three day music festival includes a mixture of jazz, funk, blues and soul artists to the beautiful countryside of Glynde, near Lewes. This year's event includes Ezra Collective and Loyle Carner. 

On the Beach: 25 & 26 July, Further Dates TBC

On The Beach comes back to Brighton’s seafront for 6 special dates across two weekends. With headliners, The Maccabees already confirmed as well as the return of FatBoy Slim's iconic Big Beach Boutique with more acts still to be announced, this is going to be two weekends not to forget.

Trans Pride: July - Date TBC

Trans Pride Brighton is the first and the largest Trans Pride event outside of America. Each year since 2013 Brighton has hosted the largest protest for trans liberation in Europe, with over 10,000 people attending.

Brighton & Hove Pride: 1 – 2 August

One of the brightest events in Brighton & Hove’s events calendar, and the UK’s biggest LGBTQIA+ Pride festival returns in 2026, with over 300,000 people pouring out onto the city’s streets to participate in and watch on as an all-singing, all-dancing carnival of colour wends its way from the Hove Lawns to the main Pride festival site.

Brighton Mod Weekender: 27 – 30 August

Brighton, the spiritual home of the Mods, welcomes back the Untouchables, Mod Weekender in 2026 to celebrate the event's 21st anniversary. The August Bank Holiday sees the whole city come alive for an entire weekend of sharp suits, music and of course the iconic scooter run.

The Story Trail: September - November 

Amaze, a local Brighton charity supporting families with disabled children, has partnered with Wild in Art to bring you The Story Trail—a free, fun and family-friendly adventure. Between September and November 2026, you can explore a city-wide gallery of more than 30 BookBenches. Each one is an open book, designed by a talented local artist and waiting to be discovered.

Ace Café Reunion: September, Date TBC

Independently acclaimed as the Worlds' Coolest Motorcycle Event, the Ace Cafe Reunion rides into Brighton, culminating at the iconic Madeira Drive. 

Boundary Festival: 25 - 26 September

Returning to Stanmer Park for the perfect way to close your festival season, Boundary Brighton 2026, the festival's 10th anniversary, is set to be as massive as ever. 

London to Brighton Veteran Car Run: November, Date TBC

For over 120 years motor car enthusiasts have been making the journey from London to Brighton, with nearly 350 pioneering veteran cars, their intrepid drivers, plucky passengers and hordes of enthusiastic well-wishers joining together to celebrate.

Burning the Clocks: 21 December

The whole city comes together to celebrate the shortest day of the year. The annual event brings the city together to celebrate the shortest day of the year and provides an antidote to the excesses of Christmas with a different theme every year. 2026's theme is Magicada!

Happy New Year and we hope to see you in Brighton soon! 

Caroline

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