Festival fever in Brighton & Hove

By Kingfisher Visitor Guides

Brighton & Hove’s exciting cultural scene has made it one of Europe’s most vibrant cities, the place is positively awash with festivals. Here are some of the best picks for unforgettable experiences.


Brighton Festival
Without Walls performance at Brighton Festival

Watch fantastic performances in unusual locations as part of Brighton Festival

Brighton Festival is a celebration of music, theatre, dance, circus, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and community events, it takes place in familiar and unusual locations across Brighton & Hove and further afield for three weeks every May. Established in 1967, it’s known for its ambitious and daring programme that aims to make the most of the city’s distinctive cultural atmosphere, drawing some of the most innovative artists and companies from the UK and around the world.


Boundary Brighton

Boundary Brighton in Stanmer Park is another big musical festival. This is Brighton’s biggest electronic music festival, showcasing a line-up of house and bass music inside the city’s Stanmer Park each September.


Artists Open Houses
Girl drawing a face at Artists Open Houses, Brighton

Take a peak around artists homes or get involved in the action at Artists Open Houses

Artists Open Houses, which runs every weekend in May and December, sees more than 1,000 artists open up their homes and studios across the city. They provide the opportunity to buy direct from local artists, or you can just nose around people’s homes while eating home-made cake and drinking tea. What’s not to like?


Great Escape Festival

May welcomes some of the world’s hottest new bands to Brighton for the three-day Great Escape Festival. Our tip is to get tickets for the Thursday, when there are fewer crowds. That way you can enjoy loads of different bands without the queues.

Brighton Fringe
Cabaret Boheme performing at Brighton Fringe Festival

See amazing performers such as Cabaret Boheme at Brighton Fringe

Brighton Fringe, one of the largest fringe festivals in the world, celebrates all things creative as it welcomes international performers and audiences showcasing the creative heart and soul of the city and its unique cultural heritage. This vast celebration of the weird, wild and wonderful has grown out of, and is inspired by, home-grown talent. See acts such as Alfie Ordinary performing ‘Help! I think I might be fabulous’ (pictured top) and Lolo Brow Attention Seeker.


Brighton Comedy Garden

Brighton Comedy Garden takes place in June and in 2019 the festival featured an array of big names including, Alan Davies, Sarah Pascoe, Adam Hills, Nish Kumah, Lolly Adafope and Tim Key.


Love Supreme
Crowds at Love Supreme Festival, Brighton

If you love jazz, funk or soul music, then Love Supreme is the festival for you!

Love Supreme, which takes place at the foot of the South Downs in Glynde, is Europe’s biggest greenfield jazz festival. Plenty of big R&B names have played there over the years, from Chic to Grace Jones to De La Soul and also jazz legends like Herbie Hancock. In 2019 more than 50,000 punters came through the doors, a record for the event.


Foodies Festival

Brighton Foodies Festival offers a fun day out for all the family. This is the UK’s largest celebration of food and drink where visitors can feast on a vast array of culinary activities, making it the social event of the summer!


Brighton Fringe 2021 highlights

Read more

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The best cafes to visit in Brighton

How to spend 48 hours in Brighton and Hove

Image credits: ©Ayla Carli/Brighton Fringe; IC Image/Artists Open Houses; Summer Dean/Brighton Festival; Video: Brighton Fringe/YouTube

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