Anoushka Shankar / Brighton Festival guest director
Discover Brighton / home
Features
Brighton Open Air Theatre 2025
Friday 2 May – Sunday 21 September 2025 Brighton’s only outdoor theatre, BOAT, opens for 2025 Summer Season The premiere purpose-built outdoor venue in Sussex – Brighton Open Air Theatre – opens its gates once more on 2nd May for a jam-packed summer season, filled...
Anoushka Shankar
Grammy-nominated musician, composer and activist Anoushka Shankar is Guest Director for this year’s Brighton Festival, we caught up with her for a chat ahead of her appearance at The Dome on Sunday 25th of May Anoushka Shankar’s many accomplishments include a...
Rising Stars and DIY Dreams
If it’s anything like previous years, an air of anticipation will swallow last-minute pint buyers in a body-heat smog, as the crowd takes its place - ready to witness the fast-rising underdog. The Great Escape festival (14-17 May) is back with a bang and it’s still...
Brighton Fringe / ENTASI DANCE COMPANY – HOST
In HOST, chaos becomes the canvas. This dynamic performance, driven by the untamed energy of youth, invites you to dive into the beautiful mess of our human experience. Through movement, black feathers, wine, paint, grapes and chocolate, HOST explores our...
Brighton Fringe / FESTIVAL WUNDABARN
Editor’s top picks This May, the city will come alive with the vibrant energy of SpiegelGardens, the most central Brighton Fringe venue, nestled in the picturesque Victoria Gardens. With 31 electrifying nights, more than 90 extraordinary artists and an atmosphere...
Nymans National Trust
Kick-start your weekend with an evening visit to Nymans for one of the Friday lates with music. Every Friday from 11 Jul–15 Aug picnic on the lawn and relax and unwind. Dogs are welcome for one of these special evening visits. Open-air theatre performances run...
Brighton Fringe / United Queendom – SMOOCH!
United Queendom are back and this time it’s getting intimate! Pucker up and get ready for SMOOCH! The smash-hit show from Brighton Spiegeltent and Glastonbury Festival 2024 is coming to the seaside for a second helping! Featuring a dazzling cast of international...
Brighton Festival / STATUS FLO
AFLO. the poet, Kid Anansi & Merki Mon 19 May 20:00 A special Brighton Festival edition of Brighton’s freshest spoken word night. Award-winning Brighton-based spoken-word artist, AFLO. the poet presents an uplifting night of spoken word featuring fresh local...
One Garden Brighton May
May brings longer days, warmer air and a gentle buzz of activity to One Garden Brighton. Whether you’re after a moment of calm, something creative for the kids, or a chance to enjoy good food and music in the fresh air, there’s plenty to look forward to. Early May...
The In Crowd
Ben Sherman celebrates Mod heritage with a fashion retrospective at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery The British heritage brand presents its archival installation, Ben Sherman: The Decades, alongside Brighton Museum’s The In Crowd: Mod Fashion & Style 1958-66...
Polyamorous Wedding Ceremonies with Jess May
Jess May is a Brighton-based celebrant, host and creator of the Opening Ceremony podcast a soulful series that explores human stories and connections. As a double-award-winning celebrant with more than a decade of experience, Jess is known for creating vibrant,...
Jules Emporium – New Road, Brighton
A big happy birthday to Jules Emporium, which marked its second anniversary last month with a lively celebration of free-flowing drinks, live art, and plenty of community spirit. In just two years, this unique boutique has firmly established itself as a vibrant hub...
The PRam Diaries
Diary of a working mum (and accidental boob-flasher). It’s 5:42am and someone’s crying. Could be the baby. Could be me. Hard to say. I’m a working mum of two. My eldest is eight and very into “being right”; my youngest is eight months and very into chewing...
Cherry Shakewell / Cooler than you
This month we chat to Cherry Shakewell, Brighton’s burlesque icon, about turning 21 and her fabulous Fringe shows. How did you get into Burlesque? I finished university in the early 2000s and quickly realised I didn’t really want to pursue graphic design. I took...
Less screen time, more fun experiences
Have you heard about Yuup? Newly launched in Brighton & Hove, this well-established experience company is all about connecting you with exciting things to do around the city – while supporting small, independent businesses at the same time. Using Yuup couldn’t...
What’s On
The City Of Ladies
Two muses. One 15th Century French widow. Absolutely loads of women. Offbeat comedy exploring the radical ladies of the past through puppetry, drag, and special hats. Christine de Pizan is having a rubbish day. Stuck in the court of king Charles VI, she’s getting...
20-years of Brighton’s Gay Men’s Chorus
Fri 2 - Sat 3 May 19:30 @St George’s Church Picture the scene, Brighton 2005… a small group of friends are lamenting the lack of a non-scene space to socialise and decide it’s high time Brighton & Hove had its own gay men’s chorus. This small, but...
The Giant Balloon Show
Sun 4 May - Sun 1 Jun 13:00 @WundaBarn at The SpiegelGardens Take everything you know about balloons, add an award-winning entertainer, an 80s soundtrack, and twist that into this hilarious show for the whole family. Expect feverous balloon sculptures, high-energy...
Katherine and Pierre
Mon 5 May 2025 14:00 @The Lantern Theatre Katherine & Pierre, set to Katy Perry's playlist, explores relationship highs and lows through lip syncing, acrobatics, and stunning choreography. This award-winning, queer-led theatre company Talksmall captivates UK...
The Waterboys
Mon 5 May 2025 19:00 @Brighton Centre The iconic folk-rock band returns to Brighton to continue their legacy of exquisite showmanship and introspective storytelling on the human condition. Back with another musical triumph, the band presents their audacious new...
You’re So F***ing Croydon
Thu 8 - Fri 9 May 19:00 @The Lantern Theatre Set in gritty Croydon, ‘You’re SO F**king Croydon!’ challenges perceptions through the female working-class experience. This interactive show blends music, dance, and comedy, exploring noughties club culture while...
Victoria Melody presents Re-Enactment
Thu 8 - Fri 9 May 19:00 @Wundabarn at the Spiegelgardens Re-Enactment is a vibrant exploration of history and identity set in Whitehawk, East Brighton. Blending historical re-enactment with real community stories, it celebrates resilience and unity. Often likened...
Bananagun + The Stanford Family Band
Sat 10 May 2025 20:00 @The Hope & Ruin Delivering freak-beat jams from Down Under, watch Australian band Bananagun sprinkle sun-soaked melodies as they get their groove on at The Hope and Ruin. Sharing the stage is The Stanford Family Band, the perfect...
Snapped Ankles
Tues 13 May 2025 19:30 @The Old Market Post-punk meets apocalyptic rock. Grab your ghillie suit and mosh out to swampy bass riffs that will send you on a feral funk quest. The East London-based band transforms The Open Market into a forested frenzy as they escape...
The Great Escape Festival
Wed 14 - Sat 17 May 2025 @Multiple Venues Experience the acclaimed four-day, venue-hopping music festival showcasing emerging artists from around the world. One wristband unlocks an immersive music discovery journey, with genre-spanning sounds across 30+ venues...
Glenda & Rita: LIVE
Wed 14 & Mon 26 May 18:45 @Rotunda Theatre: Squeak Glenda & Rita celebrate their cinematic career by revisiting songs and roles from forgotten films. Journey through their musical monochrome past, from ‘Know Your Onions’ to ‘The Professional Blues,’...
Seckou Keita & The Homeland Band
Wed 14 May 2025 20:00 @Brighton Dome Corn Exchange An ingenious artist who channels raw soul through the 22-string instrument he masters with grace, Seckou weaves tales of home, belonging, and self-exploration into the moving melodies he creates. Nicknamed “the...
Final Destination: Bloodlines
In cinemas from May 16 2025 In the latest chapter of New Line Cinema's successful franchise, college student Stefanie, haunted by a violent nightmare, returns home. She seeks the one person who can break Death's cycle and protect her family from the grisly fate...
Hurry Up Tomorrow
In cinemas from May 16 2025 In "Hurry Up Tomorrow," directed by Trey Edward Shults, a musician tormented by insomnia embarks on an extraordinary journey with a mysterious stranger. As their bond deepens, the stranger begins to unravel the fabric of the musician's...
Notion and Sim0ne presents Club 0
Fri 16 May 2025 23:00 @The Arch Hot off her euphoric Boiler Room set, Scottish-born Sim0ne is making moves in the electronic scene, dropping high-energy house into techno-tinged girly bops. She now brings her highly anticipated night to The Arch, guaranteed to keep...
Our Mission