5 Minutes with Theatre-maker Tim Crouch
Festival Hot Seat: A House Repeated
A House Repeated is an interactive performance-game that combines the simplicity of bare-bones storytelling with the limitless possibilities of contemporary open-world computer games. We caught up with creator and performer Seth Kriebel to find out more.Firstly, can you introduce your show and tell us what it is about?A House Repeated is…
Title revealed for Young City Reads 2018
Greg James and Chris Smith's Kid Normal chosen for city-wide 'big read' as part of Brighton Festival Collected Works CIC and Brighton Festival are delighted to reveal that Greg James and Chris Smith's Kid Normal has been chosen as the 2018 'big read' for children across Brighton & Hove and beyond. The concept is simple: one book, by one author,…
Brighton Festival 2016 Listing Highlights
Contemporary musicLaurie Anderson: Music for DogsUK PremiereTue 10 May, 7.30pm‘Wouldn’t it be great if you’re playing a concert and you look out and everyone’s a dog?’ Laurie Anderson mused while waiting backstage with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. True to form, Anderson made her outlandish dream come true: first at the Sydney Opera House, and again in New York’s…
Festival Hot Seat: COAT
Picture this. Nigeria, a grandmother passes. In London, a son cooks a pot of stew for his mother hoping to uncover hidden stories and unanswered questions. Yomi Sode talks to us about immigration, identity, displacement and his moving performance, COAT. Firstly, can you introduce your show and tell us what it is about?COAT explores the relationship…
Charlotte Vincent on...
Vincent Dance Theatre – the Brighton-based dance company and associate company of Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival founded by choreographer and director Charlotte Vincent – is celebrating its 21st birthday this year in style as they head to Brighton Festival 2015 with two very special works; Underworld and Look At Me Now, Mummy, as part of their…
The Measure Of All Things' Sam Green On...
The Measure of All Things is a new live cinema performance by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Sam Green (The Weather Underground) with acclaimed chamber group yMusic. Here he discusses the film and his love of world records (book here for The Measure of All Things)Sam Green on...… describing The Measure Of All Things as a ‘pretty weird’ movie:It’s…
Festival Hot Seat: The Enormous Room
In an epic new production from Stopgap Dance Company - part of the Festival's caravan biennial showcase - we follow a father and daughter gradually coming to terms with the loss of their wife and mother. In this Festival Hot Seat, Stopgap's Artistic Director Lucy Bennett talks to us about her inspiration behind the piece.Firstly, can…
Everything you need to know about Lemn Sissay
The much-loved British and Ethiopian poet, playwright, broadcaster and speaker, Lemn Sissay MBE is Brighton Festival’s Guest Director in 2020. Here are a few interesting facts about Lemn’s life and work.Lemn was born on 21 May 1967 to an Ethiopian mother, shortly after she moved to England to study. Lemn was taken into long-term foster care in Wigan…
Gillian Wearing: ‘A Room With Your Views’
Turner Prize-winning British artist Gillian Wearing will present the world premiere of Your Views - one of the largest collaborative film projects ever to be produced - at HOUSE, Brighton’s festival of visual art, and Brighton Festival 2016 – the largest and most established multi-arts festival in England which this year marks its 50th anniversary.‘A…
Pioneering artist and musician Laurie Anderson announced as Guest Director for 50th Brighton Festival
Brighton Festival is delighted to announce that the Guest Director for 2016 is the pioneering artist and musician Laurie Anderson. Anderson will take the helm as Brighton Festival marks its milestone 50th year, celebrates its unique, energetic and creative city, and reflects on the nature of home. Renowned for her inventive use of technology -…
Add your stories to Lemn Sissay’s storytelling website
Our Guest Director, Lemn Sissay MBE, has just launched Tell Me Something About Family, a new storytelling website created with Brighton Festival 2021.
Festival Hot Seat...SPECTRA: CAST
Artist duo Walter & Zoniel plan to transform Brighton Beach into the biggest canvas in town with SPECTRA: CAST, which is part performance, part installation. Here they tell us more about what’s in store.Can you tell us what your show is about?SPECTRA: CAST is a large-scale public installation where we will be painting Brighton beach multi-coloured.…
Laurie Anderson is Guest Director of Brighton Festival 2016
Brighton Festival is delighted to announce the pioneering artist and musician Laurie Anderson as Guest Director for 2016.Anderson will take the helm as Brighton Festival marks its milestone 50th year, celebrates its unique, energetic and creative city, and reflects on the nature of home.Renowned for her inventive use of technology - from her 1981 hit…
Five minutes with... Alexei Sayle
Alexei Sayle joins us this Brighton Festival to discuss his new memoir, Thatcher Stole My Trousers. We pinned him down for a quick, but seriously funny five minutes of questions...I knew I wanted to be a comedian when…I never wanted to be a comedian that’s why I seem so angry all the time.My first public performance took place at…My mother used…
Programmer Picks: Brighton Festival Books & Debates events
Alice O’Keefe, freelance journalist and Brighton Festival Books & Debate programmer, picks a few, of the many, literary events she’s most looking forward to. Brett Anderson: Coal Black MorningsYes, this is Brett Anderson as in Suede, and it turns out that he is a proper writer: his autobiography, Coal Black Mornings, is so much more…
Programmer Picks: Brighton Festival Theatre, Circus and Dance
Sally Cowling, Associate Producer of the Brighton Festival, shares a couple of her top performance picks.The pieces I’ve picked out of our enormous programme of performances are all works that I think are phenomenal, virtuosic and unlike almost anything else out there in the world, either because of their subject matter or because of their…
Spotlight on Contemporary Music at Brighton Festival: Part Two
From jazz to alt-rock to folk, we've got some epic gigs coming up this May. We shine a light on just a few of the many amazing contemporary music events at this year’s Festival.Deerhoof + s t a r g a z eDeerhoof, an american experimental rock group, was formed in San Francisco in 1994. In a career that has spanned nearly 25 years and showing no signs…
Who are The Storytelling Army?
Ahead of this year's intimate storytelling events in Queen's Park and Worthing Pavilion Cafe, Stef O’Driscoll from nabokov tells us more about these special events that join people from all walks of life in enjoying a simple meal together and hearing each others storiesWho are you and what is Storytelling Army?I am Stef O’Driscoll a theatre director…
First Show Announced for Brighton Festival 2020
Brighton Festival, the biggest annual multi-arts festival in England returns next year from 2 to 24 May 2020 with a world première by Hofesh Shechter Company.Double Murder is a thrilling new two-part contemporary dance for our times, led by the multitalented choreographer Hofesh Shechter OBE and performed by ten of his inimitable dancers, accompanied…
2010: Brian Eno
One of popular music’s most innovative and influential figures, Brian Eno crafted a highly personal programme in 2010
From Your Place to Our Place
Back in 2017, Brighton Festival Guest Director Kate Tempest was inspired to initiate Your Place, a project with the aim of taking the Festival out to the communities of Brighton & Hove who might not be able to participate in cultural and artistic events. For Brighton Festival 2019, Your Place will transition to Our Place - a nation-funded initiative…
Be part of Gillian Wearing’s A Room With Your Views
Turner-Prize winning artist Gillian Wearing is seeking participants to be part of a unique, global, collective filmmaking project - one of the largest of its kind ever to be produced - for a new commission, A Room With Your Views, as part of this year’s Brighton Festival and HOUSE festival.The project aims to capture a snapshot of views from people’s…
Gift Acceptance Policy
The purpose of the Gift Acceptance & due diligence document is for internal use by the BDBF Development department is to ensure best fundraising practice.This document should be read in conjunction with BDFL’s organisational Ethical Policy. BDFL’s Ethical Policy related to fundraising and acceptance of gifts is as follows:4.1 BDFL will not accept…
Winners announced for competition to raise awareness of water scarcity
Brighton Festival, Brighton & Hove environmental education (BHee), Brighton & Lewes Downs Biosphere and Southern Water have announced the winners of the Our Water Matters competition.The competition saw primary-aged children challenged to think of ways that they, their families and their schools could save water, with an aim to raise awareness…
Brighton Festival Live: Bang Said the Gun
Bang Said the Gun will be live streamed on Sat 20 May, 8pmVoted the best poetry night in the UK by The Times, Bang Said the Gun is for people who don’t like poetry. Normal rules do not apply here: it’s loud, raucous, political, trivial, serious and very funny.Bang Said the Gun’s unique brand of stand up poetry has been described by Kate Tempest…
Title revealed for City Reads 2018
Rose Tremain’s Sacred Country chosen for city-wide 'big read' as part of Brighton Festival Collected Works CIC and Brighton Festival are delighted to reveal that Rose Tremain’s Sacred Country has been chosen as this year’s City Read across Brighton & Hove and beyond. The concept is simple: one book, by one author, is selected for the whole community…
Festival Hot Seat: Rear View
David Wheeler, artistic director of Halifax-based IOU theatre tells us about Rear View and working on the show with performance poets Jemima Foxtrot and Cecilia Knapp. Firstly, can you introduce your show and tell us what it is about?The central idea is that the audience is lead around the town by a young woman visiting special places in…
Artist’s blog: Rachel Blackman, theatre artist, performer and somatic educator on Collidescope
As applications are open for Collidescope 2018, we asked a former participant to reflect on her experiences of Brighton Festival’s Artist development programmeCollidescope offers a chance for a group of mid-career artists from various disciplines, to experience a large chunk of the Festival program, it is also a chance to rub shoulders with like…
Festival Hot Seat: Adam
Adam is National Theatre of Scotland’s remarkable production about one trans man’s powerful true story - and the winner of a clutch of awards. We caught up with Director Cora Bissett to find out more about the incredible true story behind the show. Firstly, can you introduce your show and tell us what it is about?Adam is the real-life…
Five Minutes with Flexer & Sandiland: Curiouser
Curiouser is a wild journey deep down into subterranean caves, through leafy forests and high up into the starry night sky. Adults become little and children become great in this interactive imaginary world of ever changing proportions. For a peek behind the curtain of this exciting and innovative show, join us for a quick five minute chat with…
Five Minutes with the Ruisi Quartet
Winners of the Royal Philharmonic Society award for Young British String Players, the Ruisi Quartet has established a reputation as a charismatic and expressive ensemble, delivering performances that are "strikingly immediate, committed and direct" (Chichester Observer). The musicians behind the reputation have given us a quick insight into…
Boho Gelato's Syrian Flavoured Ice Cream Supports Children's Big Read
In honour of this year’s Young City Reads book, The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf, Brighton-based artisan ice-cream parlour Boho Gelato has created a Syrian-inspired flavour, on sale until the end of the summer. The book follows the moving story of Ahmet, a young Syrian refugee and a group of determined nine-year-olds, who…
Lydia Wilkins: How to make Events Accessible and Autism-Friendly
Recently we spoke to Lydia Wilkins, a journalist and occasional blog writer who was diagnosed with autism just before her sixteenth birthday. Hearing from Lydia about the various changes events organisations could implement to make their performances more accessible to those with invisible disabilities, like Autism, mental health issues, and physical…
Brighton Festival's Relaxed Events
It's important to us that everyone who wants to get involved in Brighton Festival is able. This is why we sought out Lydia Wilkins' opinion on how to create an accessible range of events so that everyone is able to find something they will enjoy. We have helpfully compiled a list of the Festival's ‘Relaxed Events’, specifically curated and…
Pay it Forward Scheme
Pay It Forward (PIF) is a scheme that ensures everyone can enjoy Brighton Festival. Introduced in 2017 by Guest Director, Kate Tempest, the Pay It Forward scheme will be entering its third year of bringing the together at Brighton Festival. Guest Director of Brighton Festival 2020, Lemn Sissay welcomes everyone to unite, join in and reflect:“The most…
Interview with caravan showcase artist Andy Field
Andy Field is an artist, writer and curator and is one of the participating artists selected to take part in caravan, the biennial showcase of English performance as part of Brighton Festival. We spoke to him about how he’s adapted from creating a physical piece of theatre for an online audience. Can you tell us about the show…
Brighton Festival is coming: 1-23 May 2021
We are delighted to be working with Lemn Sissay on Brighton Festival 2021, continuing his role as guest director following last year’s cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic.Soon after the cancellation of last year’s Festival, Lemn and the team began planning the 2021 Festival with our ‘new normal’ in mind. Brighton Festival has become known…
Interview: Brighton Festival Photography with Summer Dean
Summer Dean is a freelance photographer/film maker and artist based in Brighton.We caught up with her to find out what she’s doing to keep creative during lockdown and take a look back at some of her favourite Festival images from the last few years.What is your role at Brighton Festival?I’ve worked for the Festival since about 2013, just before I…
Tristan Sharps
Brighton-based theatre artist
Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy
Under 18’s attending performances and activities Parents/carers are responsible for their children at all times when they attend an event. Parents/carers must be fit to supervise and care for their children. Our Safeguarding Policy permits staff to challenge those who may be unfit at events and involve the Police if necessary.Please remember…
Privacy Policy
Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival (Brighton Dome and Festival Ltd – BDBF) is committed to protecting your privacy and conforms to the terms of the 1998 Data Protection Act and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, and from May 25th 2018, the General Data Protection regulation (GDPR) 2018. The personal information that you…
Accessibility
What we offer and further informationDetailed information for your next visit Scroll to the end of this page for more for our Access Statement and how to get here We offer:Wheelchair-accessible foyers, ticket offices, bars & auditoriumDiscounts (subject to availability)Complimentary access assistant ticketsAccessible toiletsLiftsAssistance…
Get involved: Wonderful ways to be part of Brighton Festival
There are plenty of wonderful ways to get involved with Brighton Festival and we’d love you to be part of it. We’ve tonnes of volunteer and artist opportunities - we’ve got options for writers and readers, performers and greeters and treasure seekers and culture needers, not to mention, there’ll be heaps of competitions to enter over the coming weeks.Peacock…
Video: Squarepusher - Most Valid Reason
Producer, bass virtuoso, composer and sound artist, Squarepusher aka Tom Jenkinson has constantly strived to push the boundaries and limits of music, drawing on influences as broad as drum and bass, acid house, jazz and electroacoustic music - with pretty incredible results. Watch him now in this new video performing Most Valid Reason via VICE Japan…
Feathered Facts: 15 things you never knew about starlings, swifts and nightingales…
Does life imitate art or does art imitate life? This year's Brighton Festival celebrates, in as many ways as birds have songs, the vital crossovers between nature and the arts. Starlings, swifts and nightingales feature in a number of events this May and in this series of posts we celebrate our feathered friends with some fascinating facts…This years'…
Feathered Facts: 15 more things you never knew about swifts…
This year we draw inspiration from the avian world - starlings, swifts and nightingales feature in several Brighton Festival events this May. In this series of posts we celebrate our feathered friends with some fascinating facts. This week we explore the lives of swifts - read on to discover 15 more things you never knew about these birds…Swift nests…
Eclectic beats and kaleidoscopic visuals: Get ready for a journey through sound and space with Squarepusher
Legendary electronic producer Squarepusher joins us at Brighton Festival with new album, Damogen Furies. With a career spanning 20 years, and 14 albums under his belt, he remains at the forefront of the electronic scene - constantly pushing the boundaries with his unique sound and approach to performance. Damogen Furies was created using instruments,…
Call out for artists to participate in caravan marketplace 2016
caravan is a three-day showcase of site specific, interactive and incidental performance presented as part of Brighton Festival that aims to strengthen the international networks and expand the range of opportunities for performing artists and companies in England to work abroad. The curated programme features England’s most exciting artists…
caravan 2016 programme announced
caravan, a partnership between Farnham Maltings and Brighton Festival presents a three-day biennial curated showcase of the best new theatre from across England to an international audience of festival organisers and programmers. This press release announces its 2016 programme.caravan 2016 will take place on 15-17 May 2016 as part of the 50th Brighton…
Festival Hot Seat ... Zvizdal
We catch up with Yves Degryse, Artistic Director of Berlin, who are bringing their ‘filmic portrait’ Zvizdal (Chernobyl – so far so close) to Brighton FestivalCan you tell us what your show is about?Over four years we have been filming near Chernobyl in the forbidden zone. Each time we went it was to meet two people, Petro and Nadia, a couple…
Interview: Stewart Hurwood on Lou Reed Drones
'I like to think of it as a sonic massage…'How did you meet Lou Reed and how long did you work with him?I worked with Lou Reed for the last ten years of his life. I became his right-hand man handling many more things than just his guitars, equipment and managing the stages he played on.What was Lou like to work with?Lou was very demanding on everyone…
Record-breaking 50th Brighton Festival comes to a dazzling conclusion
The three week celebration of the arts was the most successful in its history with more people engaging with the festival, both as audiences and participants, and more tickets sold than ever before.Drawing inspiration from Brighton Festival’s origins as a celebration of the new and the avant-garde, as well as Guest Director Laurie Anderson’s own multidisciplinary…
Volunteer call-out: For the Birds
Take part in an immersive night time adventure where sound and light take flight!Brighton Festival is taking to the Sussex woodland to create an enchanting journey for our guests to explore a world of sound and vision across May.We are inviting volunteers to be part of our friendly front of house team for this mesmerising event. Every Wed - Sun throughout…
Interview: Eddie Otchere
Best known for his photographs depicting hip hop culture since the 1990s, acclaimed photographer Eddie Otchere will be creating The Bright Room, a community darkroom at Brighton Festival. We caught up with Eddie to find out moreCan you tell us about your involvement in Brighton Festival this year? How did it come about?My involvement with the Brighton…
Your Place returns for Brighton Festival 2018
Brighton Festival’s Your Place - two weekends of free entertainment in Hangleton and East Brighton, delivered in partnership with Brighton People’s Theatre - is set to return for 2018 following last year’s inaugural programme.Hosted by local community centres, and programmed in collaboration with local residents and artists, Your Place brought a diverse…
Five of the Best…Feminist Festival events
To coincide with International Women’s Day - a global celebration of the economic, cultural, social and political achievements of women that takes place on 8 March each year - we shine a light on just a few of the many amazing female fronted events at this year’s Festival. Les Amazones d’Afrique Les Amazones d'Afrique is a supergroup of 10 incredible…
Your Place artist Kate McCoy on neighbourhoods, Pritt Sticks & shared landmarks
Your Place is a partnership project run by the Brighton Festival, Brighton People's Theatre and two resident led, community development projects on either side of the city: Due East and the Hangleton and Knoll Project. With a steering group of local people from both communities over the last year to co-programme and co-design Your Place for the 2018…
David Shrigley on Brighton Festival 2018
We chatted to David Shrigley about his experience guest directing this year's Brighton Festival. Here's what he thought...When we asked what had prompted you to say yes to being Guest Director, you said that you thought it would be fun. How have you found the experience of guest directing Brighton Festival?The experience of guest directing the Brighton…
Enjoy the Springtime with our Outdoor Events
Spring is on its way to welcome the 2019 Brighton Festival, and there is no better way to enjoy the sunshine than by checking out our range of dynamic outdoor events!This year, we have a huge variety of activities, performances, and exhibits hitting the streets of Brighton. Perfect for families and individuals who fancy taking part in the festival…
Five Minutes with Dan Canham: SESSION
SESSION is an explosive outdoor gathering of dance, and live music, Dan Canham has brought together the domineering troupes Still House, Steppaz Performing Arts Academy and Afrobeats to create an exhilarating, adrenaline-fuelled event that you won't want to miss. In between practices, we grabbed Dan for a quick interview to tell us more. Firstly,…
Phillip Morgan shares fond memories of Brighton Festival
Phillip Morgan, a long-standing employee of Brighton Festival looks back at his fondest memories...When I was asked to write and deliver a talk on the history of Brighton Festival I agreed promptly. Being a freelance writer I’m always looking for the next job but I didn’t realise the extent to which this would become part of my own personal history.…
Must-See Events at Brighton Festival’s Opening Weekend
At last, Brighton Festival is just around the corner! With a jam-packed opening weekend – here’s a quick rundown of what’s happening...Saturday 4 MayNé SoBy now you should be aware of our incredible festival guest director Rokia Traoré, but if you are not, here’s a brief rundown: Rokia is a world-famous Malian musician, known for her incredible range…
Amadou & Mariam and the Blind Boys of Alabama
Malian duo Amadou & Mariam will be performing with Grammy award-winning the Blind Boys of Alabama exclusively at Brighton Festival in May ahead of their London date.Amadou & Mariam made a name for themselves playing Malian blues. They have released a string of acclaimed albums, working with producers such as Manu Chao and…
Brighton Festival 2020 Highlights
The acclaimed British and Ethiopian poet, playwright, broadcaster and speaker, Lemn Sissay MBE has launched Brighton Festival 2020 welcoming everyone to the Imagine Nation from 2 to 24 May 2020. Since it was first established in 1967, Brighton Festival has given artists and performers at the cutting edge of artistic practice and on the edge of society,…
10 Must-see Art exhibitions in Brighton This May
Discover a range of art events and exhibitions happening in Brighton and beyond throughout May. Washed Up Car-go | FreeSat 2-Sun 24 MayHove WarehouseArtist Chris Dobrowolski’s playfully thought-provoking Washed Up Car-go features iconic Brighton landscapes, film, music, toy sea creatures and a lot of local pebbles to ask us to think…
Thank you for your support
It is with great sadness that we have had to close the doors of Brighton Dome and cancel Brighton Festival in light of the current climate. As you can imagine, this wasn’t an easy decision to make but something we felt was right for not only our audience but staff and artists involved. Since sharing this difficult news, we have…
Children’s Parade at Home Sat 2 May, 10.30am for 5 minutes
Help us keep the spirit of the Children’s Parade alive this year and have your own mini parades at home! All of us at Brighton Festival, and our artists at Same Sky were so sad to cancel this year’s Parade, that when received an email from Tobias at Balfour Primary asking if the parade could happen in a different way, we could not resist…
Review: Live is Alive!
Brighton University student, Cassie Murphy reviewed our latest Live is Alive! gig on Fri 21 May at Brighton Dome
Marwa al-Sabouni
Syrian author and architect