Brighton Local Information: 10 top things to know... more

  • 1. History of Brighton

    The Regency period left its mark on Brighton through its opulent architecture. One of the buildings to demonstrate this is The Royal Pavilion. The Regency period ran from 1811 to 1820 and it was during this time that the town first became fashionable. Buildings from the Victorian period include Brighton Pier, the aquarium and the Clock Tower. In the 1930s and 1940s, art deco bu...Read moreildings appeared and the Brighton Dome was redesigned in art deco style. The town became a meeting place for mods and rockers in the 1960s. It was also a popular holiday resort at this time. The Brighton Centre was opened in 1977, making the town an international conference destination. Brighton and Hove officially merged in 1997 and became a city in 2000. Read less

  • 2. Now in Brighton

    The seafront area has been made fashionable again, with a redevelopment including a new artists’ quarter, clubs, bars and restaurants. Major renovation projects took place in 2002 including work to restore Brighton Dome, the Aquarium Terraces, Brighton Marina waterfront and many museums and galleries. The new Cultural Quarter added an area of trendy hotels, bars and restaura...Read morents. Work still planned for the city includes Brighton i360, a 183-metre observation tower at the site of the old West Pier, designed by the architects behind the London Eye. Read less

  • 3. Events in Brighton

    Brighton and Hove has no shortage of annual festivals. The list includes Brighton Japan Festival, Brighton Beer Festival, Brighton Science Festival, Brighton Winter Pride, Brighton Festival and Festival Fringe, Brighton Kite Festival, Brighton Great Escape music festival, Springwatch Festival, Brighton Summer Pride, Brighton Food and Drink Festival, Brighton Comedy Festival, Br...Read moreighton Sacred Music Festival and the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. Read less

  • 4. Attractions in Brighton

    The Brighton Museum and Art Gallery has been redeveloped and has interactive displays and exhibitions focusing on fashion, style, art and design. Brighton Pier has food and drink outlets, fairground rides and an arcade. The Victorian structure is also an historic attraction itself. The Royal Pavilion is a stunning piece of architecture, which was transformed into a palace in t...Read morehe Regency period. It now houses furniture and works of art as well as a balcony tearoom. Sea Life Brighton has 60 displays featuring over 150 species, including an underwater tunnel and a glass bottomed boat. This is also an historic building. Read less

  • 5. Things To Do in Brighton

    The waterfront in Brighton and Hove offers a variety of restaurants and bars as well as the beach, watersports and sailing activities. The Lanes were once the heart of the fishing town in the area, but are now an historic maze of alleyways containing antiques, jewellery shops, fashion boutiques, restaurants and cafes. Brighton Fishing Museum is free to visit and sits alongside ...Read morereal working fishermen in the arches area of the city. Other museums include The Old Police Cells Museum, The Brighton Toy and Model Museum and the Booth Museum of Natural History. Brighton Marina has boats to marvel at, shopping, restaurants, bars, boat trips, cinema, bowling, a casino and more. At Brighton Racecourse, visitors can watch the horseracing while enjoying views of the sea. Read less

  • 6. Business in Brighton

    Brighton and Hove has shopping for all tastes. Brighton Marina is the place to go for bargain stores and the city’s outlet centre. The Lanes has small boutiques, jewellery shops and independent shops. Hove offers a big selection of interior design shops, fashion boutiques and specialist shops in an historic setting. Churchill Square, in the centre of Brighton, has over 90 sho...Read moreps, including all the high street names. North Laine has many shops selling ethnic, exotic and funky items. Read less

  • 7. Transport in Brighton

    Gatwick Airport is just 30 minutes’ drive from Brighton and London Heathrow Airport is 90 minutes’ drive. The port of Newhaven is 20 minutes from Brighton by road and has services to Dieppe or other major UK ports. Rail services to London take around 50 minutes. There are also direct train services from Brighton to Southampton, Salisbury, Bath, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff, G...Read moreloucester, Cheltenham, Worcester and Great Malvern, as well as local destinations. The A27 runs to the east and west of Brighton and the A23 links with the M23 and then the M25 London orbital. Read less

  • 8. Entertainment in Brighton

    The Brighton Theatre Royal shows West End plays, comedies, musicals and pantomimes. Brighton Komedia and the Pavilion Theatre offer a range of performances to suit all tastes.The Brighton Dome and Brighton Centre are venues for live music as well as the Komedia, The Hanbury Club, Black Lion and Concorde2.

  • 9. Famous Landmarks in Brighton

    The Royal Pavilion is in the centre of Brighton and is an image often associated with the city.Brighton Pier is a Victorian structure still full of attractions for the public. The remains of Brighton West Pier still make a striking landmark after a fire destroyed most of the structure in 2003.

  • 10. Interesting Facts about Brighton

    Volks Electric Railway, opened in 1883, is the world’s oldest operating electric railway.

Close Window
Thumb

  • Loading...

Special Offers

Top Business Reviews

Brighton Events

  • Brighton Festival and Festival Fringe

    The Brighton Festival in May has been running since 1967 and celebrates the themes of freedom and liberty using arts such as music, dance, circus, theatre, art and film. The event also hosts talks and free outdoor events for people of all ages to enjoy. Events have inc

  • Brighton Pride

    Brighton Pride in August is the festival celebrating the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community in the city. This festival began in 1992 with a small afternoon event and has since grown into a week-long celebration in the summer. It claims to be the b

  • The Brighton Japan Festival

    The Brighton Japan Festival runs for one week in June to celebrate Japanese film, art, performance and culture. The celebrations look at the traditional and the modern and take place in a variety of Brighton venues including cafés, bars, shops, exhibition spaces, rest

  • Springwatch Festival Brighton

    This one-day event in June has been running since 2006 and is free to attend. It takes place in the field outside Stanmer House and Stanmer church and aims to promote local wildlife and wildlife-friendly living. The family-friendly festival has wildlife zones and hand

  • See more events
  • Add an event

Brighton Marketplace

Brighton Blog

  • Teens name best businesses

    Young people have picked their best Brighton businesses in the annual Teen Verdict Awards. The awards are organised by students at Brighton College in an aim to recognise local organisations and businesses that provide excellent products, services or facilities for...

    Continue reading →

  • New image for ramblers

    A ramblers’ club enlisted the help of college students in an attempt to find some younger members. The Sussex Pathfinders were keen to become more appealing to the younger generation, so they set a challenge for students at Varndean...

    Continue reading →

  • Top delegates enjoy fish and chips

    Brighton has been praised for its top tourism skills following a high profile visit of European Ministers. The delegates of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe enjoyed fish and chips on the pier and a trip to the Brighton...

    Continue reading →

  • Music boost for young people

    Music is being nurtured in Brighton with the help of a programme of workshops for young people. Brighton & Hove City Council is running a music and arts summer school for primary school age children in an aim to encourage their...

    Continue reading →

  • See more blogs

Brighton News