Festival Fun
Published 17th Nov 2008 by Matt Costello

Brighton is known for its flamboyant style, vibrant residents and lively atmosphere, which translates several times every year into some fantastically fun festivals. Even if you don’t live there, the seaside city is easy enough to reach by rail or road, being less than an hour from London.

There are plenty of events in Brighton to choose from year-round, but if you’re only planning to visit Brighton a few times then here are the ones that you simply can’t miss.

1. Brighton Festival: The biggest and best known of the city’s many festivals (and indeed the biggest arts festival in England), Brighton Festival is a colourful extravaganza of theatre, art and music which takes place throughout May. Many Edinburgh acts see it as a dress rehearsal, so you’ll find a great deal of experimental performances as well as some established acts.
   
2. Pride in Brighton and Hove: Brighton is often referred to as ‘Britain’s gayest city’, so it will come as no surprise that it has one of the biggest Pride events in the country. Thousands gather every year to march through the streets in support of gay rights, and cars are banned from much of the city for a full day. In 2009, the theme of the event will be ‘Pride Beside the Seaside’, which follows 2008’s ‘Pride Around the World’.
   
3. Brighton Food Festival: Pick up plenty of delicious freebies at this celebration of the best food and drink in Sussex. The Food Festival takes place in Brighton and the surrounding area throughout September, and features hundreds of local producers. Over 50,000 people visited the event last year.
   
4. Lewes Bonfire Night: If you thought that a few fireworks were enough to make the 5h November special, then think again. The little town of Lewes, a few miles from Brighton, features a huge, gloriously politically incorrect celebration every year, which involves gigantic bonfires, torch-lit processions and games. This is supposedly a Christian festival, but be prepared for some truly Pagan-style fun. You’ll see thousands of processing Lewisians, dressed as everything from Zulus to pirates; a 15-foot tall ‘Guy’, which is wheeled through the streets as the crowds shriek ‘burn him!’, and firework displays that rival Sydney New Year. Great fun for kids and adults alike - if you go to just one festival this year, make it Lewes Bonfire Night.

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