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.

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Brighton Events

  • 07 October 2011 - 22 October 2011

    Brighton Comedy Festival

    This festival is gaining a
    reputation as being one of
    the top comedy events in the
    country. It has been running
    since 2002 and takes place
    over three weeks in
    October. The festival, which
    celebrates live stand-up
    comedy, centres around the
    main ...more

  • 01 May 2012 - 31 May 2012

    Brighton Festival and Festival Fringe

    The Brighton Festival 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. ...more

  • 01 June 2012 - 30 June 2012

    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,
    ...more

  • 01 August 2012 - 31 August 2012

    Brighton Pride

    Brighton Pride 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...more

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  • Residents look for the ‘Beast of the Beacon’

    Residents have been keeping their eyes peeled after sightings of a big cat were reported in their village. The creature, which has been dubbed the Beast of the Beacon, was spotted in the area around Ditchling village, on the outskirts of Brighton. Eileen Nutley says she saw an animal resembling a lynx as she drove along the Beacon Road. Experts say big cats have been reported in the area in the past. Mrs Nutley said: “I spotted a creature coming …

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  • Julie influences the next generation

    A member of staff at the University of Brighton has been listed with Jamie Oliver as one of the most influential people in catering. Julie Barker, the university’s head of residential and catering services, is among the top 20 most influential people in the world of public sector catering according to food service industry magazine Cost Sector Catering. It added: “there is no ranking in the Public Sector Most Influential Top 20. You are either in it or not”. The …

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  • Public to help design new space

    Members of the public are being asked to help decide the future of a piece of land in Brighton. Brighton and Hove City Council is trying out a new decision-making process as it works on a project to create a new public space. A street and small park at the Ann Street/Providence Place area of Brighton is to be redeveloped, thanks to funding from the European Union’s (INTERREG IVB) Lively Cities. Local people will be asked to help choose the …

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  • Work starts on new market

    Work has started on a major £18 million development of Brighton’s Open Market. Traders have moved from the market to a temporary home in Francis Street so the transformation can begin of the area between London Road and Ditchling Road. The new market, which is due to be completed in 2013, will include 44 new permanent covered market stalls and 12 creative workshops for arts, crafts and creative people selling their own work. There will also be a large central square …

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