Dive into some highlights from this May...
This year’s Guest Director, multi award-winning children’s author and screenwriter, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, curated our programme to imagine a better world with the hope, wonder and magic of the arts.
England’s largest multi-arts Festival spread through Brighton & Hove and beyond for three-weeks in a kaleidoscope of music, theatre, dance, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and community events.
The city was brought to life by the annual Children’s Parade, inspiring us all with Frank Cottrell-Boyce's chosen theme: Dream Again.
Supported by Brighton Girls.
For the first time since 2016, the refurbished Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre welcomed Festival audiences and artists back for a wider, more accessible programme of events including Brighton Table Tennis Club’s fun, free all-dayer, AllStars Extravaganza.
It was wonderful to have more free and pay-what-you-feel events than ever this year! Over 18,500 of you came down to the Royal Pavilion Gardens and took part in Leap Then Look’s 100 Miles Of String; weaving and winding an incredible temporary art installation in the heart of the city.
Supported by Southern Housing New Homes.
Our contemporary music programme filled venues with sounds from near and far, including legendary West African ensemble Orchestra Baobab’s infectious Afro-Cuban rhythms...
and London’s DJ legend, Norman Jay MBE, kept everyone dancing until the early hours with his thrilling blend of Black music styles through the decades.
Music programme supported by Mayo Wynne Baxter.
In our expanded theatre programme, the HERstory of Showwomxn past and present was celebrated with the jaw-dropping Carnesky’s Showwomxn Sideshow Spectacular starring a death-defying cast of hair-hangers, contortionists, whip-crackers and more.
Our Guest Director, Frank, opened our eyes to the magic and wonder of words and storytelling with inspired events like The Island Of Brilliant, his and children’s illustrator, Nadia Shireen’s, live podcast recording with special guest, international sensation and author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson.
Theatre took to the streets in Crawley with outdoor arts specialists, Without Walls’ pop-up events including Ancient Giants; the family-friendly fusion of martial arts, puppetry and dance.
Supported by Graves Son & Pilcher.
More outdoor magic included Re-enactment, the part re-enactment, part demonstration and part live-art piece bringing the communities and local businesses of East Brighton together.
The imitable Kae Tempest brought audiences to their feet at their soul-touching spoken-word performance in the Concert Hall.
Hope prevailed throughout our Festival programme! Dance performances such as Lîla Dance’s new work, Fault Lines, called for a better future with a mix of powerful performance, mesmerising music and multi-media.
A most sincere thank you goes out to the incredible artists, enthusiastic audiences, dedicated supporters, and passionate volunteers who continue to make Brighton Festival a huge success. We can’t wait to see you again next year, 3-25 May 2025!
Brighton Festival has been brilliantly supported by: Arts Council England, the UK Government, Brighton & Hove City Council, The Pebble Trust, Mayo Wynne Baxter, the University of Sussex, Brighton College, Graves Son & Pilcher, Brighton Girls, SELITS and Southern Housing New Homes.
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