Sponsorship opportunities for 50th Brighton Festival

Local businesses are being offered a unique opportunity to be part of a major historical landmark next year as Brighton Festival - the largest and most established annual curated multi-arts festival in England – celebrates its 50th year of bringing arts and culture to the city in 2016.

Established in 1967, Brighton Festival become one of the city's most enduring symbols of inventiveness and celebration over the past half century. This milestone year offers a chance for companies to be a part of the celebrations and also to demonstrate the spirit of partnership that will enable the city to thrive for the next fifty years.

With audiences reaching over 460,000 in 2013, Brighton Festival not only encourages visitors the city, but also engenders a sense of pride that increases leisure visits. Audience data demonstrates that 36% of Brighton Festival bookers are from outside the city and of the rest - a third of these local resident bookers - also buy tickets for visiting friends and family.

The annual Children’s Parade - the largest of its kind in Europe - which traditionally opens the Festival is embraced by the whole city, attended by 5,000 children from over 80 schools and community groups from across the region and watched by many thousands of spectators.

Andrew Comben, Chief Executive, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival said: “I believe Brighton Festival has become part of the city’s DNA – one of the things everyone thinks about when they think of Brighton and part of the reason businesses and visitors want to come here. One of the most exciting thing is that the whole city gets involved, from our colleagues in the cultural sector to the city’s hotels and pubs. Together, we make sure the month is not only a cause for celebration, but also one that contributes tens of millions of pounds to our local economy every year.”

As a registered arts charity with just 34% of its operational costs covered by regular public funding, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival has to raise from a variety of sources, the other 66% needed to operate and to continue to successfully run the various strands of the organisation. Sponsoring Brighton Festival not only allows businesses to raise their profile, reach new customers by engaging with over half a million audiences and expand their networks, but also meet corporate social responsibility objectives by supporting the local community through outreach work.

2015 sponsors included University of Sussex, Southern Water, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, London Gatwick, Mayo Wynne Baxter, Class of Their Own, Riverford Organic Farms, DMH Stallard, The Montefiore Hospital, Nutshell Construction Limited, Griffith Smith Farrington Webb LLP solicitors and GM Building.

Confirmed sponsors for 2016 already include Nutshell Construction and SELITS.

Managing Director, Nutshell Construction, Ben Copper said: “We are delighted to be renewing our sponsorship of the Brighton Festival during its 50th anniversary year. Sponsorship of the event gets us in front of potential customers, it raises our profile by associating our business with a gilt-edged brand and it makes real business sense – as well as giving us a chance to support the arts and our home town.”

Andrew Comben continues: “Bringing Brighton Festival together every year is an incredible privilege. We wouldn’t be able to present the sheer number of quality performances, installations and exclusive talks that make up Brighton Festival without the help of sponsors, many of whom also support the work of Brighton Dome year-round. It’s an exciting time for Brighton Festival as we look towards our 50th celebrations in 2016 - and with the help of new and returning supporters we hope to make it very special indeed.”

To find out more about sponsorship opportunities for the 50th Brighton Festival in 2016, please contact Kata Gyongyosi on 01273 260 810 or email [javascript protected email address]