Brighton & Hove really is a city of festivals. From the biggest arts Festival in England to comedy, food, music, film and artists' open houses, you'll usually find somewhere in the city that is in full festival swing.
And it’s not just the summer months that draw the festival crowds. The city knows how to celebrate arts and culture year round with Brighton festivals packing venues and filling the streets right across the calendar.
From silver screen and comedy gold to the local fare of the Brunswick Festival and Sussex Beer Festival, there is something for everyone. The festival season starts with the Brighton Science Festival in February and then festival fever really kicks in May when we have Brighton Festival; Brighton Fringe; Artists Open Houses and the Great Escape. Although that’s not all as in Sussex we also have Elderflower Fields and the Charleston Festivals.
In July we have Europe’s largest free beach festival – Paddle Round the Pier – which includes tons of events for sports novices and experts, as well as food, live music and of course the infamous title event! Also in July is the Brighton Kite Festival, a colourful display in the picturesque setting of Stanmer Park.
August the city celebrates Brighton Pride with a weeklong programme of events culminating in the big parade through the streets followed by a party in Preston Park. Also in August is the Brunswick Festival celebrating the diverse nature of this part of Hove.
The festival fun carries on into autumn with a mixture of music, film, photography and visual arts. The Brighton Early Music Festival aims to discover the tangled origins of classical music and the Brighton Art Fair and MADE Brighton provide opportunities to buy art and craft work directly from the creators. In alternate years we welcome HOUSE Biennial, a curated contemporary visual arts festival or the Brighton Photo Biennial curated photography festival.
As the year draws to a close we celebrate the silver screen at the CineCity film festival with a programme of international cinema including premieres and previews. Finally the year draws to a close with Burning the Clocks, a traditional Brighton event which celebrates the Winter Solstice with a lantern parade.
The above is just a snapshot of the fantastic array of Brighton festivals which happen throughout the year. For more details browse the listings below or use the search bar at the top of the page.
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