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13th May 2016
The month of May provides a treasure trove of treats in Brighton and Hove. Alongside the seasonal shift from chilly weather to beach ready, May is also festival period, offering an exciting array of art, culture, music, dance and delicious food to take you right into June.
We’ve put our ear to the pebbles and come up with a definitive list of what not to miss in Brighton and Hove this May:
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, and with ‘one of America’s most daring pioneers’ in the driving seat, this year’s internationally acclaimed Brighton festival promises to be more vivacious than ever.
A sapphire in Brighton and Hove’s crown, the Brighton Festival is an annual celebration of music, theatre, art, circus, film, literature and creative thought and is one of Europe’s leading art festivals.
Known for its ambitious programme and drawing upon the city’s distinctive festival atmosphere, Brighton Festival attracts visitors from all around the world. This year the festival runs from 7th May - 29th May.
Brighton Fringe
England’s largest fringe festival has now exploded across Brighton and Hove. With over 900 events, venues that had previously lain dormant have sprung to life with the joie de vivre of a great British summer time.
Brighton Fringe sets out to celebrate a diverse range of art forms within an iconic city, loved by many and boasting a unique cultural heritage. Many Fringe events are free, so check out the programme today.
Brighton and Hove Food festival
Tantalise the taste buds and take advantage of the vast array of dining opportunities popping up in Brighton and Hove throughout May.
The Brighton and Hove Food Festival is a year-round celebration of food and drink that puts local produce at its heart. The May stint of the festival, which also runs over Easter, August/September and December, will come to a crescendo over the weekend of the 28th - 30th May for the ‘Sussex and the World’ weekend on Hove Lawns.
The Great Escape
The Great Escape takes place over 35 venues around Brighton and Hove and showcases over 400- up-and-coming artists from all over the world. Named as one of the top 7 best UK festivals for new music by the Independent, The Great Escape will run from the 19th - 21st May and with in promises to cram the streets full of talent for four days. Be quick, tickets are selling out fast.
Artist’s open houses
With over 1200 artists exhibiting in 196 houses on 14 trails across Brighton and Hove, the Artist’s Open Houses celebrates artists from a wide range of genres.
The festival covers five weekends - starting Saturday 30th April and closing on 30th May, each weekend artists all over Brighton, Hove, Ditchling, Rottingdean and Ouse Valley will open their homes to the public and bring you everything from sculpture and painting to textile design and jewellery. There are also many opportunities to attend workshops and watch artists at work.
May is a month of celebrations in Brighton and Hove. Even for those not planning to attend any of these events, the festival atmosphere around the city is enough to give this month extra sparkle.