Brighton Festival 2026 - 60th Edition by Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival

Thank you to our supporters for making Brighton Festival possible As a charity, we rely on the generosity of our individual, corporate and trust & foundation donors

Funders

Principal Supporter

Major Sponsor

WELCOME

to the 60 th edition of Brighton Festival!

Our great chaotic city of subcultures and beach life has always been a perfect home for creative happenings and artistic collisions. Born in the late 1960s, Brighton Festival embodied that pivotal era, mixing superstar artists with a socially rising counterculture.

Our aim is to re-root the Festival in the city, to revisit the unique essence of Brighton Festival that has endured for so many decades, and to spread our arms wide to conversations and invitations across our city, the nation and the world.

Our programming team, all passionate and knowledgeable about their art forms, have created a stellar line-up for you over three weeks and four weekends, driven to turbo-charge our city with creative energy and to deliver incredible memory-making events.

For the first time, we are producing a piece of original theatre to open Brighton Festival. Created by one of the most visionary directors of his generation, Omar Elerian, Kohlhaas will show you Brighton Dome Corn Exchange as it has never been seen before.

The whole Festival Corn Exchange programme offers unique theatrical experiences, re-imagining what is surely one of the most beautiful creative spaces in this whole country.

I am thrilled to place land art, visual art and social sculpture at the centre of Brighton Festival with a major new commission for Ivan Morison and Heather Peak, their love letter to the city where they trained and met. And to be staging some pure legends of global music in Brighton Dome Concert Hall. We have used regenerative thinking throughout the Festival, to be as sustainable and circular as we can be; to add rather than extract. This is particularly true of Our Place, with 2026 marking ten years of co-creating Festival events and hosting resident artists across the city each May.

I stand on so many shoulders in bringing this 60th edition of Brighton Festival to you. Wholehearted thanks and acknowledgement must go to the many people, and our funders, sponsors and supporters who truly make it happen.

We relished every moment of putting this anniversary Festival together for you, and we hope you will accept our invitation to celebrate together.

Lucy Davies, Chief Executive

In the dark times

Will there also be singing?

Yes, there will also be singing

About the dark times.

Brecht, 1939

About Brighton Festival

Who We Are

We are the largest curated annual arts festival in England. A celebration of music, theatre, dance, circus, art, literature, outdoor and community events. Renowned for our pioneering spirit and experimental reputation, Brighton Festival has become one of the city’s most enduring symbols of inventiveness.

Sustainability

At the heart of our activities is our aim to run an ethical organisation where our legacy is a positive one. This includes the need to recognise and address the climate emergency and we aim both to reduce our own impact and to encourage everyone who connects to us to take responsibility for their impact to the environment too. We are looking towards 2030 when we aim to reach net zero in our own operations.

This year we have printed the Brighton Festival brochure on recycled stock from an FSC certified printer. The FSC® label on this brochure ensures responsible use of the world’s forest resources.

Read more at brightonfestival.org/sustainability

Brochure correct at time of going to press. Brighton Festival reserves the right to alter the programme without prior notice if necessary.

Full terms and conditions available at brightonfestival.org.

Brighton Festival would like to thank all the artists, partners, venues, sponsors and individual supporters, and the entire team of staff and volunteers at Brighton Dome, Brighton Festival, and Create Music. Brighton Festival is produced and promoted by Brighton Dome and Festival Ltd.

Registered charity number 249748.

The Dance Space, 2 Market St, Circus St, Brighton, BN2 9AS

Volunteer

Help make Brighton Festival happen and join our invaluable team of volunteers. To find out how you can be a part of this year’s Brighton Festival email volunteers@brightonfestival.org

Become a Member

Did you know that by supporting our charity you can save money and secure tickets to your favourite shows before general sale?

From as little as £40 a year, Members receive:

• Early booking access for all Brighton Festival shows, and selected Brighton Dome shows year round

• 20% discount at our bars

• No order charges on ticket purchases

• Members ticket offers – look out for the icon throughout the programme

• Invites to exclusive events

• Discounts at local partners across the city

Find out more at brightonfestival.org/membership

Supported by

Brighton Festival

Chief Executive

Lucy Davies

Brighton Festival

Producing Director

Beth Burgess

Brighton Festival Producers

Polly Barker

Rachel Briscoe

Bea Colley

Hilary Cooke

Rosie Crane

Luisa Hinchliff

Slavka Jovanovic

Gill Kay

David Martin

Amanda Northcote-Green

Abs Reeve

Sally Scott

Contemporary

Music Consultant

Jane Beese

Brochure Cover Design

Johnson Banksjohnsonbanks.co.uk

Brochure Design

Christian Inkpen

Brochure Copywriters

Mark Pappenheim (Classical Music events)

Brochure Editor

Rosie Blackwell-Sutton

Did you know we’re a charity? Every ticket sold, Membership purchased, and donation made helps make Brighton Festival happen. Thank you for your support.

Image: Summer Dean

Booking info

Book Your Tickets brightonfestival.org

01273 709709

Members’ priority booking: Thu 19 Feb, 9am

Public booking opens: Thu 26 Feb, 10am

Brighton Dome Ticket Office Church St, BN1 1UE

Mon–Sat, 10am–5pm Mon–Sun, 10am–7pm, throughout Brighton Festival

There is a £3.50 per order charge for all phone and online bookings (not applicable to Members) Navigate the Programme

Theatre & Dance p8

Circus p26

Music p28

Outdoor p50

Literature & Words p62

Visual Art p70

Comedy p72

Community p73

Daily Diary p82

Access

Look out for these icons throughout the programme

Full listing of our Assisted Performances and Events can be found on p79

To get in touch about specific access requirements contact: access@brightondome.org | 01273 261541

British Sign Language Interpreted

Audio Description

TT Icon – Touch Tour

Captioned

Chilled Performances

Highly Visual Performances

Relaxed Performances

How to make the most of your experience at Brighton Festival

See More For Less

Full T&Cs online

Free and £15 or Less

Don’t miss our range of 25 free events and 60 performances with tickets £15 or less. Our £10 Festival Standbys are also available on many events to Concession groups* and Members from one hour before the performance in person or via telephone subject to availability.

*Under 30s, Over 60s, JSA/ESA or Universal Credit, registered Disabled/DLA or PIP, Equity/BECTU/Prospect/ SDUK, Brighton Festival Members and Artists, and those with Pay It Forward vouchers.

Multi-buy 6 for 5 Offer

Buy tickets for six different events and we’ll give you the cheapest free – available by phone or in person at our Ticket Office.

Group Savings

Groups of 10+ save 10% and groups of 20+ save 20% on most events.

Members Offers

Look out for the throughout the programme for Members offers on previews and matinees (unless indicated otherwise).

Under 30s Ticket Prices - U30

Look out for the U30 next to ticket prices throughout the programme for limited allocations of reduced price tickets for Under 30s to many of our events (excluding top price).

Advance Concession Tickets - C/LC

Look out for the C next to ticket prices throughout the programme. Concession prices are offered to under 30s, over 60s and all low income groups, including students, Universal Credit, registered disabled/DLA or ESA/ IB. LC prices are available to low income groups.

Standing Events

Events marked with an are in a standing format with limited seating. For these in the Brighton Dome Concert Hall, the stalls has both a standing area at the front and unreserved rear seating with reserved seating still available in the circle.

Pay It Forward

Join the Pay It Forward movement and help more people experience Brighton Festival. Pay an extra £5 when you book your tickets, or donate online, and we’ll put this towards giving a free ticket to someone who might not otherwise be able to attend.

Step into unforgettable moments: beautiful shows, surprising venues and one-of-a-kind experiences that stay with you long after the

• Patti Smith: An Evening of

• Mehfils: A Studio Theatre

THE FESTIVAL

THEATRE

& DANCE

From our first Brighton Festival produced show… …to the swansong of an iconic choreographer, we are hosting a knockout programme of rare and unique theatrical events. Brighton Dome Corn Exchange vibrates with global stories and world class companies: Brighton Festival produced Kohlhaas, Clod Ensemble, fix+foxy and Fevered Sleep. Step into Anita’s Room with Klanghaus’ immersive and innovative Last Haus on Earth and Darkroom, or party at the other end of the world with Mr Blackpool. Festival favourite Emma Rice revives her hit Malory Towers, and we bow out together with Akram Khan Company’s magnificent final work, Thikra.

A Brighton Festival Production | WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Omar Elerian

‘If a man can break the circle of the world for just two horses, then it means that that circle can be broken at any moment...’

The first ever Brighton Festival Production and a world premiere, Kohlhaas has been developed specifically for the refurbished Brighton Dome Corn Exchange. A bold adaptation of Heinrich von Kleist’s novella Michael Kohlhaas, it asks what happens when justice fails, and one man refuses to let it go?

Performed by the critically acclaimed Arinzé Kene (Misty, Girl From The North Country, Get Up Stand Up), Kohlhaas tells the story of a 16th century German horse dealer who seeks redress after a local Baron tricks him out of his two most beautiful horses. When met with corruption and indifference, a principled demand for fairness spirals into an uncompromising quest for justice, with violent and far-reaching consequences.

Translated and directed by Omar Elerian (Misty, The Chairs, Rhinoceros), and adapted by the pioneering Italian playwrights, Marco Baliani and Remo Rostagno, Kohlhaas reunites Elerian and Kene in their first one-man show since the Olivier-Award nominated Misty

Urgent, unsettling and fiercely contemporary, Kohlhaas is an atmospheric, brooding journey into the psychology of protest and resistance, asking what does justice really look like when systems are broken, and rights are denied –and how far is too far?

Preview: Fri 1 May, 8pm Sat 2–Tue 5 May, 8pm Sun 3 May, 4pm £25–£45, U30 £20, Preview £30 Brighton Dome Corn Exchange

Supported by Louise & Jamie Arnell

‘Kleist’s tale about the consequences of injustice will never not be relevant and is so thrilling that once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop for anything. Stunning’ Ali Smith (The Guardian, Dec 2025)

KlangHaus

‘The most innovative presentation of live music I’ve ever seen’ The Guardian

KlangHaus: Last Haus on Earth

A totally unique, site-responsive experience where barriers between performers and audience are dismantled in an audio-visual sensual storm. Pin-drop quiet to full-on loud and back again. Live music from The Neutrinos is set to stunningly evocative and original films and projections by artist and filmmaker Sal Pittman.

Performed in a dramatically enhanced domestic setting where you are welcomed into the artists’ personal space, immersed in the present, the sound, the lights. We invite you to sit, stand, lean and move in and around the performers for a full-on sensory experience.

Sat 2–Sat 23 May, Various Times, 5–9pm

£25.50 | Brighton Dome Anita’s Room

Image: Peter Dibden

KlangHaus: Darkroom

Conceived working with climate themes in collaboration with scientists at University of East Anglia’s Tyndall Centre, Darkroom was originally presented by invitation at Glasgow’s COP26 International Climate Change Conference. Now the 20-minute installation for just six audience members at a time, held in complete darkness, has been updated and reimagined for Brighton Festival.

An immersive, multi-sensory, intense, profoundly emotional and affecting climate-chaos wake-up call. Virtual reality for the ears and eyes.

Sat 2–Sat 23 May, Various Times, 12–3pm £20.50 | Brighton Dome Anita’s Room

FEVERED SLEEP

Time Keeps The Drummer

A five-hour durational performance for family and adult audiences, performed by 12 local children and one adult percussionist. Time Keeps The Drummer explores time from a child’s perspective: time as play, experimentation, and repetition. Audiences are invited to slow down, linger, rest, and engage on their own terms, coming and going throughout the performance. Using improvised movement, text, projection, music, and lighting, each live-directed performance unfolds as a unique, unrepeatable experience, shifting between theatre and live

gallery installation. Playing a motion-capture drum kit, the percussionist creates a continuous beat of clock time, which the audience can hear through headphones before setting them aside to enter the world of children’s time.

Preview: Fri 8 May, 4–9pm Sat 9 & Sun 10 May, 2–7pm Entry slots every hour | £12.50, U18 £8

Preview £10 Brighton Dome Corn Exchange | Age 7+ RP

‘This is special… Fevered Sleep lets young people speak their mind… a raw, compelling performance’

The Stage, about We Are Not Finished, 2021

The Black Saint &

‘A joyful celebration of movement [...] it’s a delight to be caught up in it, swept up in a wave with the simple pleasure of synchrony, community and great music.’

Image: Jesse Olu Ogunbanjo

the Sinner Lady

Celebrate the sensuality and power of jazz. Share the floor with a company of outstanding dancers and a 12-piece live band as Clod Ensemble and Nu Civilisation Orchestra join together to present Charles Mingus’ iconic 1963 masterpiece, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, widely considered to be one of the greatest records of all time.

Lose yourself in the music, get up and dance or take a seat and soak up the atmosphere with a drink. Everyone, including wallflowers, is welcome.

Sat 16 & Sun 17 May, 8pm £35, U30 £25 | Age 16+

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange

Dark fix+foxy

A mind-blowing theatrical experience – a brutal reimagining of the history of America

Dark Noon by fix+foxy flips the script on the Wild West, envisioning US history as absurd, horrifying and deeply profound. A pioneer town springs up in real time as an extraordinary cast of South African actors rebuild the frontier through an outsider’s lens. With slapstick humour, satire and breathtaking stagecraft, the show comes fresh from five-star runs at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Factory International Manchester, St. Ann’s Warehouse New York and Sydney Festival.

Dark Noon transforms Brighton Dome Corn Exchange for a limited run, pulling audiences into a raw, immersive ride through history that confronts power, race and displacement.

Thu 21–Sat 23 May, 8pm Sat 23 & Sun 24 May, 2pm

Reserved Main Tier & Balcony

£35

On Stage Unreserved Bench Seating

£30, U30 £20

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange | Age 14+

DENMARK & SOUTH AFRICA

‘Extraordinary

‘Exhilarating and outrageously entertaining... The stagecraft is spectacular and the slapstick is delightfully silly’ Time Out, New York

Produced by fix+foxy, Glynis Henderson Productions, The Pleasance and Republique

‘Khan’s

choreography bypasses thinking mode and goes straight for weighty but intangible worlds of colour and emotion, life and death, animal spirit, magic and witchery.’

The Guardian

Image: Camilla Greenwell

Akram Khan Company

AKRAM KHAN & MANAL ALDOWAYAN

Thikra: Night of Remembering

UK & SAUDI ARABIA

‘Thikra is a handsome finale, showing off Khan’s gift for spellbinding movement’

The Independent

In Akram Khan Company’s final touring production, Thikra: Night of Remembering, the past and present converge in a journey through tradition to honour our ancestors, deeply rooted in the power of rituals. Imagined as an annual gathering, a tribe of women come together for one night only to awaken the spirit of those who came before them. Through ceremony and shared remembrance, they transcend time, uniting the past and present in a profound act of renewal.

Khan draws inspiration from diverse cultures that engage in these sacred practices across the globe. With scenography and costume design by award-winning Saudi visual artist Manal AlDowayan, the piece explores the echoes of a colonised past.

Featuring an original score by Aditya Prakash (ROOM-i-Nation, 2025), sound design by Gareth Fry, lighting design by Zeynep Kepekli, dramaturgy by Blue Pieta, and an all-female international cast of contemporary and Bharatanatyam dancers, Thikra weaves a narrative that is at once universal and deeply personal.

Together, these creative voices invite us to reflect on our own heritage and the rituals that have shaped our shared humanity.

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May, 8pm | Age 12+

£27.50–£39.50, U30 £25, RV £17.50 Brighton Dome Concert Hall

HARRY CLAYTON-WRIGHT

Mr Blackpool

Co-presented by Marlborough Productions and Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts

A tongue-in-cheek theatrical extravaganza, Mr Blackpool is an end of the pier show at the end of the world, exploring the iconic resort town’s history of variety and entertainment through a contemporary and cabaret-infused lens. Pure escapism with flavours of variety, dance, drag, magic and sideshow.

Thu 7–Sat 9 May, 8pm £25, C £20 | Age 18+

Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts

‘It revels in the power and potential of young women, and that makes you want to cheer!’

The Times

Image: Matt Crockett

‘Stuffed full of inventions and enchantments… Emma Rice takes Blyton to the top of the class!’ Guardian

Emma Rice returns to Brighton Festival following the huge successes of Wise Children's North By Northwest (2025) and Wuthering Heights (2022) and Kneehigh's The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk (2018) and Tristan & Yseult (2017).

Darrell Rivers is starting school with an eager mind and fierce heart. Unfortunately, she also has a quick temper! Can she learn to tolerate the infuriating Gwendoline Lacey, or value the kind-hearted Sally Hope? Can she save the school play and rescue terrified Mary Lou from the grip of a raging storm?

If she can do these things anywhere, she will do them at Malory Towers! Nostalgic, naughty, and perfect for now, Malory Towers is the original ‘Girl Power’ story. This is a show for girls, boys and all grown-up children who still dream of midnight feasts and Cornish clifftops.

Tue 19-Sat 23 May, 7.30pm, Thu 21 & Sat 23 May, 2pm | Age 8+ £15–£35, Member’s Matinees offer £27.50, U30 £20 | Theatre Royal Brighton

Emma Rice Company

MaloryTowers

From the novels by Enid Blyton

Adapted and directed by Emma Rice

caravan assembly

is a three-day event that presents contemporary performance made in England to an audience of international programmers and collaborators. The performances are open to the public as part of Brighton Festival and sit alongside a series of industry conversations and discussions for those participating in the assembly. caravan assembly is delivered by Farnham Maltings in partnership with Brighton Festival.

Tink Flaherty & Abra Flaherty

Gen X Gen Z

Tom of Finland. Breastfeeding. Men. Raving at the Hacienda decades apart. Just the usual parent and child catch up. A show about parenting where Tink (parent) and Abra (child) ask ‘without you, who am I?’.

Theatre | Sun 10 May, 4pm | £15, C £12

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Sung Im Her | UK & South Korea

Tomorrowisnowtodayisyesterday

Sung Im Her looks at the impact of (social) media on society as it focuses on oversharing, over-saturation and the bombardment of information. To a club-like soundtrack, three dancers perform overly produced gestures, reflecting the physiological effects of the blurring of individual and collective identities on the physical body.

Dance | Sun 10 May, 7.30pm | £15, C £10

The Dance Space

Action Hero

Rebel Resistors Radio Club

Rebel Resistors Radio Club builds a global-analogueclandestine network of young people, tooled up for the future they will inherit. Stepping into their power, they create a post-digital, pirate social network that transcends digital technologies and imagines a future that belongs to them.

Installation | Mon 11 May, 10am–1pm | FREE Brighton Unitarian Church

Krishna Istha & Geetha Shankar, directed by Milli Bhatia

Second Trimester

Trans performance artist Krishna Istha and his mother, Geetha Shankar, confront pregnancy, loss, gender and the weight of inherited memories in this cinematic, Bollywood-inspired epic family saga. Based on a true story, Second Trimester asks: how well can you ever really know your parents?

Theatre | Mon 11 May, 7.15pm | £15 C £12

Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts

In Bed With My Brother

Philosophy of the World

A delirious, genre-defying explosion of sound, fury and feminist fire. It’s raucous, relentless and utterly alive, twisting and turning through the strange, tragic, true story of outsider musicians, The Shaggs. It’s a wild, tongue-in-cheek reclamation of who gets to define you, who decides whether you’re a legend or a loser and who owns the right (and the rights) to tell your story.

Theatre | Mon 11 May, 9.15pm | £15, C £12

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Trouble, Struggle, Bubble & Squeak

Brighton Festival Commission

Award-winning theatre maker Victoria Melody joined a historical re-enactment society… because we all deal with divorce differently! Blending storytelling and stand-up, past and present collide in this tale of high jinks and resistance.

Theatre | Tue 12 May, 2pm | £15, C £10

WundaBarn

Ray Young

OUT

Defiantly challenging homophobia and transphobia across our communities, OUT is a duet - a conversation between two bodies, which bravely carves out a new kind of space, reclaiming Dancehall and celebrating queerness amongst the bittersweet scent of oranges.

★★★★ The Stage

Dance | Tue 12 May, 4pm | £15, C £12

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Bert & Nasi | UK & France

TONIGHT

Somewhere between a durational text and very public meltdown, TONIGHT is a two-person monologue written four handedly. With a healthy amount of self-awareness and their patented brand of high grade, all-killer no-filler surreal comedy, Bert & Nasi return to Brighton Festival to deconstruct the perilous, tight rope act of a show.

Theatre | Tue 12 May, 7.30pm | £15, C £10

The Dance Space

Victoria Melody

WORLD PREMIERE | NOFIT STATE CIRCUS

carn a

Image: Bianco Silvia Gelli

A BRIGHTON FESTIVAL COMMISSION

a tion

THE REVOLUTION IS COMING AND I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR

A physical, human, sensual rollercoaster of large-scale immersive circus about hope in rebellion.

World-class circus, live music and bold cinematic imagery collide in a charged, immersive big top experience, created and directed by Firenza Guidi (SABOTAGE, 2024).

Blending humour, heart and real risk, carnation dives head first into rebellion, resistance and hope in turbulent times, channelling twentieth century dystopian fiction to speak clearly to the world we’re living in now.

With 40 years at the forefront of UK contemporary circus, NoFit State continues to push the artform in exciting new directions; always making bold, daring, accessible work for audiences of all ages who would rather step into the unknown than watch from the sidelines.

Sat 2–Mon 25 May, Various Times

Sat 2 May Previews & Wed £22.50, C £18, £15, F £70

Thu–Sun & Bank Hols £24, C £19.50, F £75

Suitable for All Ages | Black Rock

‘Once inside the big top, you are enveloped in a world of magic.’

The Guardian

MUSIC

Image: Chloe Hashemi

Icons abound in the music programme

This is what memories are made of: being in the room with artists like Antonio Pappano, Patti Smith, Angélique Kidjo, Sampa The Great and W.I.T.C.H., Laurie Anderson, Iestyn Davies, the dizzying Aldous Harding, from a young solo pianist to the sheer power of 200 musicians performing Bach. Music that defies categorisation and one-off shows to make you soar, dance, reflect, cry and laugh.

One World Orchestra

One World Orchestra brings together musicians from 16 countries to create an exhilarating fusion where ancient instruments meet contemporary beats, salsa montunos collide with English folk and Arabic maqams pulse through African rhythms.

At a One World Orchestra concert everyone’s a member of the band, so come prepared to sing, dance and drum to create a unique night to remember.

Fri 1 May, Doors 8pm | £22, U30 £15

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

KNEEBODY + New Generation Jazz Futures

Grammy-nominated US jazz-fusion legends

KNEEBODY bring their explosive blend of rock energy and high-level, nuanced chamber ensemble playing to Brighton Festival for an adventurous night of genre-bending no-holds barred improvisation.

Sat 2 May, Doors 8pm | £22, U30 £15

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

AK/DK x Danalogue

AK/DK and Danalogue join forces for a night dedicated to building mind-melting sonic worlds through the most imaginative and authentic use of fuzzed-up synths, beats and full-on live performances.

Sun 3 May, Doors 8pm | £22, U30 £15

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

CANADA

Glenn-Copeland Beverly

Fresh off the release of his brand-new album Laughter In Summer, a musical love letter between him and his wife, Elizabeth Copeland, the legendary singer, composer and transgender activist Beverly Glenn-Copeland comes to Brighton Festival. Remaining virtually undiscovered until the age of 71, the now 82-year-old known for his unique blend of folk, jazz, classical and electronic music will be joined on stage by a choir.

Fri 1 May, 7.30pm | £35– £45, U30 £25 | Brighton Dome Concert Hall

‘this music is impossible to resist’

The Age of Consent

The Chateau & Southbank Centre

Bronski Beat’s defiant debut album, live and reimagined through the voices of ground-breaking queer and trans contemporary artists including Planningtorock, Tom Rasmussen and Bishi.

A piece of musical and political history from 1980s Britain, The Age of Consent is presented as you’ve never heard it before. This show features a powerhouse line-up including Planningtorock, Tom Rasmussen and BISHI, plus more to be announced. Backed by The Chateau Collective; a specially curated queer house band performing bold new arrangements of the record, including Smalltown Boy and Why.

An unashamed portrait of radical queerness in 1980s Britain, this record marked a pivotal moment in LGBTQIA+ cultural history, acting as a beacon of hope for a generation of disenfranchised youth. Originally staged in 2024 to celebrate the record’s 40th anniversary, The Age of Consent is now back by popular demand, re-energised and revitalised.

Join us for a musical celebration, and a collective call to action for the work still to be done in the fight for queer and trans liberation.

Sat 2 May, 8.15pm | £25–£32.50

Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Laurie Anderson The Republic of Love

‘Love cannot give you an idea of music, but music can give you an idea of love.’

Following an inspirational opening speech given at Vienna Festival Weeks, pioneering artist, and former Brighton Festival Guest Director, Laurie Anderson returns to Brighton Festival with a solo version of The Republic of Love; a project about the relationship between government and love.

The Republic of Love live show is a multi-sensory experience that combines songs from the past, taking new meaning in our current political climate, including Anderson’s Big Science and Language Is A Virus, with poetic talks that explore love as a unifying force.

Wed 6 May, 8pm

£35–£45, U30 £25

Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Chiaroscuro Quartet

Alina Ibragimova and Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux violin

Emilie Hörnlund viola | Claire Thirion cello

Glyndebourne Recital Consone Quartet

Agata Daraškaitė and Magdalena Loth-Hill violin

Elitsa Bogdanova viola | George Ross cello

Mozart String Quartet No.19 in C Major, K.465, Dissonance

Haydn String Quartet No.28 in E-flat Major, Op.20 No.1

Mendelssohn String Octet in E-flat Major, Op.20, MWV R20

As this year’s Brighton Festival looks both backwards over its first 60 years and forwards to its next 60, two leading string quartets – one formed over 20 years ago, the other from a younger generation, but both proponents of authentic period styles – each present a masterpiece by one of the twin founders of the genre, Haydn and Mozart.

They combine forces, uniting past, present and future, in the teenage Mendelssohn’s miraculously mature yet evergreen Octet, which was itself the first of its kind.

Supported by Margaret Polmear Sun 3 May, 3pm | Gardens, Mildmay Tea Rooms and Long Bar open from 1pm £22.50–£35, U30 £20, Standing £10

Glyndebourne Opera House

St John Passion Bach

Britten Sinfonia

Conductor/Director James Morgan

Brighton Festival Chorus and Youth Choir

Evangelist Nick Pritchard

Christ Benjamin Schilperoort

Pilate Edward Grint

Soprano Lauren Lodge Cambell

Alto Helen Charleston

Tenor Bastien Rimondi

Bass Olivier Bergeron

A live, shared experience of faith, persecution and hope. Set around the Brighton Dome auditorium, this bold staging of Bach’s St John Passion, a story of life, death and resurrection – of a person persecuted for their beliefs, crushed by authority and ultimately transformed through resilience and hope – is made even more immediate by being sung in English and in parts from memory. The artistry of the Britten Sinfonia, young soloists from Les Arts Florissants and the magnificent Brighton Festival Chorus and Youth Choir combine, whilst community choirs and audience are invited to join in the chorales.

Mon 4 May, 7.30pm

Reserved seated £22.50–£35, Proms standing £10 Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Asian Dub Foundation La Haine - Live

Asian Dub Foundation celebrates cult movie

La Haine with a live soundtrack, creating a powerful journey between music and frames.

This incredible show brings the original soundtrack to the stage, played live by the band while the film screens in the background.

Steve Chandra Savale, Jamil Jammaz Ahmed and Brian Fairbairn are respectively guitar, bass and drums of legendary Asian Dub Foundation, a band that has always been politically and socially motivated.

The film, now more prescient than ever, stars Vincent Cassel and portrays the tension in Paris’ banlieuea

after the killing of a local man by French police. The rawness of the film has made it a real cult classic, and a strong match for Asian Dub Foundation’s message.

‘The film starts to roll with images of Paris burning, looting and rioters beaten by police, its soundtrack, played live by Asian Dub Foundation, throbbing through the hall. For the next few hours, no one moves’

The Guardian

Thu 7 May, 7pm | £22.50–£27.50, U30 £20

Brighton Dome Concert Hall | Age 15+

ZAMBIA

Zamrock Allstars SAMPA THE GREAT X W.I.T.C.H.

Presented with Acid Box

A night celebrating the new resurgence of Zamrock; bringing W.I.T.C.H., one of the original voices of this inspirational African music phenomenon together with Nu Zamrock wave led visionary - Sampa The Great, driving the next generation energy into a new cultural movement.

The two acts will not only be sharing the stage in this evening of powerful and joyful music but will be collaborating and performing together in this UK exclusive for Brighton Festival.

Sampa The Great is a Zambian-born, Botswana raised rapper, singer, and visionary who has long been celebrated as one of global hip-hop’s most compelling voices and is stepping into her most powerful era yet.

In recent years, she has embarked on a musical journey, discovering that her connection to Zamrock runs deeper in her family than she ever realised.

In 2023, she learned that her uncle, Joe “Groovy Joe” Kunda, is the founder of the band W.I.T.C.H., and that he had recruited lead singer Jagari long before her own collaboration with the band, or her Zamrock discovery.

This special performance, embracing legacy, destiny, and evolution, sees her fully stepping into the electrifying energy of Zamrock.

Sat 9 May, 8pm

£27.50–£35, U30 £25 Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Shakespeare’s Sisters

Harriet Walter | Sophie Bevan Soprano | Christopher Glynn piano

Dame Harriet Walter, Olivier Award-winning star of stage and screen, reads from her new book, She Speaks!, in which she imagines – in authentically Shakespearean verse – what some of the Bard’s most intriguing female characters would have said, if only they’d been given more lines to say. Meanwhile, soprano Sophie Bevan and pianist Christopher Glynn explore how these same women – mothers and mistresses, saints and sinners, fairies and murderers, witches and wenches – have inspired composers down the ages.

Sun 10 May, 7.30pm | £30, U30 £20 | Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Brighton & East Sussex Youth Orchestra

Aged 19, Curtis Phill Hsu won the 2024 Hastings International Piano Competition; we welcome Curtis to Brighton Festival alongside Brighton and East Sussex Youth Orchestra to play Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto, immortalized in the film

Brief Encounter. Written specifically for young players, veteran composer Nicola LeFanu’s exuberant Airs and Fanfares are framed by suffragette composer Ethel Smyth’s Edwardian evocation of Cornish sea scavengers and Saint-Saëns’s Hallowe’en vision of Death playing the fiddle while skeletons dance.

Peter Davison Conductor

Curtis Phill Hsu piano

Rachmaninoff

Piano Concerto No. 2 in E minor, Op.27

Ethel Smyth

Overture from The Wreckers

LeFanu Airs and Fanfares

Saint-Saëns

Danse Macabre Op.40

Mon 11 May, 7.30pm | £10–£17.50

Brighton Dome Concert Hall

BESYO forms a key part of Create Music’s work across Brighton and Sussex.

Did you know we’re a charity?

Every ticket sold, Membership purchased, and donation made helps make Brighton Festival happen. Thank you for your support.

‘….this stupendous Prom performance conducted by Antonio Pappano, the London Symphony Orchestra played with phenomenal virtuosity.’

London Symphony Orchestra

In his Third Piano Concerto Beethoven typically transformed any passing hints of pessimism into sparkling, unalloyed joy. Tchaikovsky, by contrast, concluded his symphonic swansong with a headlong descent from the heights of euphoria into the depths of despair. The London Symphony Orchestra, under Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, are joined on their Spring European tour by international star pianist Denis Kozhukhin.

Supported by Prof David Gann CBE FREng

Sir Antonio Pappano conductor Denis Kozhukhin piano London Symphony Orchestra

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 Op. 37

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 Op. 74

Pathétique

Fri 8 May, 7.30pm | £15–£40, U30 £25

Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Angélique Kidjo HOPE TOUR

Plus Support

‘Angélique Kidjo sings fearlessly, with an irresistibly vibrant tone’ The Guardian

‘Exuding magnetic stage presence and charisma’ Financial Times

Five-time Grammy Award winner, Angélique Kidjo, is one of the greatest artists in international music with 16 albums to her name.

Angélique’s music has explored the roads of Africa’s diaspora, offered an electrifying take on Talking Heads’ Remain In Light, reflected on salsa icon Celia Cruz and collaborated with young creators on the radiant Mother Nature. Now, she brings her striking voice and stage presence to Brighton as part of the Hope Tour Sat 16 May, 7.30pm £35–£45, U30 £25 Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

Oh To Believe in Another World

Shostakovich Symphony No.10

William Kentridge director

Joanna MacGregor conductor

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

Using collage, puppets and masked actors in his animated film

Oh To Believe in Another World, the global creative powerhouse

William Kentridge has devised a dream-like ‘Soviet museum’ to accompany Shostakovich’s powerful Symphony No.10. Featuring a cast of characters that include Lenin, Stalin and Shostakovich himself, Kentridge will introduce this astonishing work from the stage, drawing on the politics of oppression in his native South Africa and around the world.

Sun 17 May, 8pm

£27.50–£37.50, U30 £25, RV £17.50

Brighton Dome Concert Hall

The Guardian

‘A dazzling, sly, subversive show: a fever dream of Shostakovich’

The New York Times

Patti Smith

★★★★

‘Moving, powerful and unexpected... Patti Smith is still in constant motion’

The Guardian

Two exclusive nights with the iconic Patti Smith - intimate and epic USA

Patti Smith Quartet

The Patti Smith Quartet, fronted by four-time Grammy award nominee Patti Smith, returns to the Brighton Dome Concert Hall stage with her band of long-time collaborators; bassist and keyboardist Tony Shanahan, Seb Rochford on drums and her son Jackson Smith on guitar.

With a career spanning over five decades, the punk-poet’s emotionally charged performances combine music, art and activism, situating the Patti Smith Quartet as fiercely present in today’s cultural conversation.

Tue 12 May, 8pm | £50–£65

Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Patti Smith:

An

Evening of Words and Music

Emerging onto the New York punk scene in the 1970s, Patti Smith’s extensive achievements as a performer, author, recording and visual artist have been acknowledged worldwide.

In an exclusive event for Brighton Festival, Patti Smith presents An Evening of Words and Music, showcasing rousing iterations of her spoken word and poetry combined with an intimate live musical performance.

Wed 13 May, 8pm | £80 Brighton Dome Corn Exchange

‘She is... a shining resistance, knowing of her own mind but tempered with kindness.’

The Guardian.

countertenor

Iestyn Davies & Oliver Wass

harp

In the dazzling Regency splendour of the Music Room at Brighton’s Royal Pavilion, two internationally acclaimed and award-winning artists – celebrated countertenor Iestyn Davies and harpist Oliver Wass – present a captivating programme that traverses some 400 years of music and song from both the Old and New Worlds, encompassing composers from Monteverdi, Purcell and Handel to Amy Beach, Nico Muhly and Anna Meredith, by way of Schubert and Poulenc.

Wed 20 May, 8pm | £50

Ticket includes drink in the Banqueting Room

Royal Pavilion Music Room

BRIGHTON FESTIVAL EXCLUSIVE

Ivo Neame Trio

Multi-award-winning pianist

Ivo Neame is one of the most innovative figures in contemporary European jazz. In this Brighton Festival edition of Brighton Dome’s Jazz Connections series, he is linking up with long-time collaborators Tom Farmer (bass) and James Maddren (drums), as the Ivo Neame Trio for an evening of inventive compositions, rich harmonies and brilliant improvising.

Wed 20 May, 8pm | £25, U30 £20

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Mehfils: A Studio Theatre Takeover

Sat 23 May | £18, C/U30 £15

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Join us for a specially curated Mehfil gathering where performers and audience come together to experience the ‘rasa’ (emotion) of South Asian classical arts. As the performers emerge from the audience, the Mehfil is a space where they can experiment and take risks. Bring, or find a rug or cushion in this relaxed setting where you are encouraged to find your own place around the stage.

Shift Octatonic | 6pm–8pm

A sequence of raags using the octatonic scale collide and connect to create a new piece.

Jonathan Mayer on sitar is joined by William Rees Hoffman (sarod), Robin Christian (bansuri/ flute), Chandra Chakraborty (vocals), Debasish Mukherjee (tabla), Camilo Tirado (electronics) and kathak choreographed by Amina Khayyam

Presented in partnership with The Mehfil Space & zerOclassikal

Shift Marwa Time | 9pm–11pm

Four closely related raags migrate through the different ‘rasas’ / emotions of a day.

Artists include Akash Parekar (sitar), Shishir Rao (vocals), Jawand Jheeta (dilruba), Jason Kalidas (bansuri/flute), Junaid Ali (tabla), Carmilo Tirado (electronics) and Kathak choreographed by Amina Khayyam

Tenebrae A Celestial Gift

Renowned for its twin watchwords of passion and precision, the award-winning chamber choir Tenebrae makes a welcome return to Brighton. A Celestial Gift surveys five centuries of sacred choral music in Latin, English and Russian, ranging in mood from hushed awe to ecstatic joy. Highlights include Allegri’s celebrated

Miserere – once the exclusive preserve of the Sistine Chapel until the teenage Mozart transcribed the score by ear and broke the papal embargo – and Sir James MacMillan’s beautiful setting of the same penitential text.

Sat 23 May, 7.30pm | £25

All Saints Hove

Aldous Harding

+ support | In partnership with FORM

New Zealand artist Aldous Harding is working on her fifth studio album, the follow up to 2022’s Warm Chris, and returns to the stage with a huge live tour starting at Brighton Festival before heading around the UK and Ireland, Europe and North America.

A true one-off, her gothic indie folk music has been compared to influences as diverse and unique as Kate Bush, Scott Walker and Nico.

Mon 25 May, 7.45pm | £27.50–£37.50

Brighton Dome Concert Hall

‘A compellingly theatrical performer of her extraordinary songs’

The Observer

IRELAND

Kingfishr Peaches

Formed in Limerick during lockdown, Kingfishr have rapidly become one of Ireland’s most talked-about new acts. Their soaring soundscapes, emotive songwriting, and anthemic live performances have earned them a devoted following, with breakout track Killeagh spending 18 weeks in the Irish Top 10 and achieving four-times platinum status.

Thu 14 May, Doors 7pm | £32

Brighton Dome Concert Hall

CANADA

Iconic feminist musician and performance artist Peaches brings her fearless, sexually transgressive and utterly magnetic persona back to Brighton. Her newest album, No Lube So Rude, explores identity, sexuality, age and bodily autonomy. This provocative work of emotional and sonic alchemy balances the poetic and the profane in equal measure as it transforms all the friction and frustration of modern life into joy and transcendence.

Fri 15 May, Doors 7pm | £33

Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Presented by The Great Escape Festival

Image: Emma Wallbanks

Youth Curated Weekend

Create Music & Lighthouse’s Future Creative Leaders

Create Music presents Sounds Like Us

What happens when young people take reins? Sounds Like Us will transform the Brighton Dome Studio Theatre for a day of bold, youth-curated celebration of musical creativity, identity and expression.

This takeover is being shaped from the ground up by emerging creative professionals from Create Music and Future Creators, working directly with young people to design something fresh, fearless and totally their own.

Come and see new sounds from young creators with genre-bending sets on a stage where new ideas and change are taking shape.

Sun 24 May, Doors 7pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Full details at brightonfestival.org

Supported by

Lighthouse’s Future Creative Leaders presents We, Generate

As part of their city and festival-wide We, Generate programme, Lighthouse’s Future Creative Leaders are curating a day of activity within the two-day youth-led takeover of Brighton Dome Studio Theatre. This unique, live programme places young people fully in control, shaping, hosting and activating the space to explore what culture can become when power is shared. Expect live art, music, performances and open conversations. This is young people practising cultural regeneration in real time, centring care, curiosity and courage while challenging power, hierarchy and who gets heard.

Mon 25 May, Doors 7pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Full details at brightonfestival.org

Lunchtimes

£15, U30 £10

NOVO QUARTET Denmark

Kaya Kato Møller violin

Nikolai Vasili Nedergaard violin

Daniel Śledziński viola

Signe Ebstrup Bitsch cello

Caroline Shaw Entr’acte

Beethoven String Quartet Op.131

Four best friends from music college in Copenhagen, the award-winning Novo Quartet pair Beethoven’s most monumental ‘late quartet’ with a modern take on a Haydn minuet and trio.

Tue 5 May, 1pm | Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

MINERVA BAROQUE

Danni O’Neill soprano

May Robertson violin

Iain Hall cello

Callum Anderson harpsichord

Minerva Baroque recreates the typical repertoire of an 18th-century English music room, interspersing sacred and secular vocal works by Handel with pieces by English and Italian precursors and contemporaries.

In Association with Brighton Early Music Festival

Thu 7 May, 1pm | Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

ASTATINE TRIO

Maja Horvat violin

Riya Hamie cello

Berniya Hamie piano

Haydn Piano Trio No.44 in E Major Hob XV:28

Hosokawa Trio

Mendelssohn Trio No.1 in D minor

One third Slovenian, two thirds Brightonian, the award-winning, all-female Astatine Trio contrast classic works by Haydn and Mendelssohn with a short shaman-inspired cosmic vision by contemporary Japanese master Toshio Hosokawa.

In Association with Kirckman Concerts

Wed 13 May, 1pm | Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

SHERRI LUN

solo piano | Hong Kong

Bach/Busoni Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ

Bach/Busoni Chaconne in D minor

Ravel Valses Nobles et Sentimentales

Brahms Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel

Winner of the 2024 Birmingham International Piano Competition, Hong Kong-born Sherri Lun features three great composer-pianists of the modern era – Busoni, Ravel and Brahms – reacting to the music of earlier masters.

In Association with Kirckman Concerts

Thu 14 May, 1pm | Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

MITHRAS TRIO

Ionel Manciu violin

Leo Popplewell cello

Dominic Degavino piano

Shostakovich Piano Trio No.1 in C minor, Op.8

Joy Lisney Petrichor (2022)

Schubert Piano Trio No.1 in B-flat Major, D.898

The prize-winning Mithras Trio pair pieces by Shostakovich and Schubert – written respectively in the throes of passion and the shadow of death – with a recent work evoking the scent of rain.

Fri 15 May, 1pm | Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

JERWOOD GLYNDEBOURNE YOUNG SINGERS WITH PIANIST MATTHEW FLETCHER

Hear tomorrow’s opera stars today, as exceptional young singers from this summer’s Glyndebourne Festival Chorus step out into the spotlight to perform popular operatic extracts.

The Jerwood Young Artist programme is made possible thanks to the generosity of Jerwood Foundation

Mon 18 May, 1pm | Brighton Dome Concert Hall

RAFAEL KYRYCHENKO

solo piano

Messiaen Première Communion de la Vierge Liszt Mephisto No.1

Schumann Arabesque Op.18

Schumann Études Symphoniques

Prize-winning pianist Rafael Kyrychenko contrasts depictions of the Virgin at prayer and the Devil at play, alongside two Schumann pieces exploring the dual aspects of his split personality.

In Association with Royal Over-Seas League

Tue 19 May, 1pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

DELPHINE TRIO

Magdalenna Krstevska clarinet

Jobine Siekman cello

Roelof Temmingh piano

Beethoven Trio in B-flat Major, Op.11

Pépin Snow, Moon & Flowers

Frühling Trio in A minor, Op.40

The prize-winning Delphine Trio couple a Beethoven classic with a recent French work evoking woodblock images of old Tokyo and a rediscovered 1925 gem by a forgotten Austrian-Jewish master.

In association with Royal Over-Seas League

Wed 20 May, 1pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

OUTDOOR

Our city in May is what makes Brighton Festival

unique

Objects appear to make us look anew: Soft Machines emerge on Hove seafront, NoFit State’s big top lands at Black Rock with a world premiere, newly commissioned works pop-up across the city for two weekends of Without Walls, plus you can head into the woods with the Lost Woods Project or go walking on St James Street. Embrace our many free family outdoor events, lie under the stars, enjoy being together.

Children’s Read All About It!

YEAR 40th

Read all about it! A theme inspired by 2026 as the National Year of Reading, the Children’s Parade imagines all sorts of children’s books in a joyous, loud and memorable procession through the streets of Brighton.

This year also marks the 40th Children’s Parade and 40 years of partnership between Same Sky and Brighton Festival. With a different imaginative theme each year, Same Sky’s team of dedicated artists have worked with over 150,000 students, teachers and group leaders to develop their parade displays, creating a unique Brighton event and the largest of its kind in Europe.

From fiction to fantasy and traditional stories to graphic books, join us in a fiesta of colour, costume and live music to kick start Brighton Festival 2026.

Sat 2 May, 10.30am, FREE Starts: New Road - Ends: Madeira Drive

Did you know we’re a charity? Every ticket sold, Membership purchased, and donation made helps make Brighton Festival happen. Thank you for your support.

A Brighton Festival Commission

WORLD PREMIERE

Machines

IVAN MORISON

Large-scale outdoor sculptures exploring the bodies that make a city

Soft Machines is a new public artwork by Ivan Morison, developed with long-term collaborator Heather Peak. It explores the bodies that make a city, and the plurality of love, intimacy and desire between them.

Installed on Hove Promenade, between sea and city, it appears as a set of monumental, embodied forms. Moving from public life drawing into communal fabrication, the project foregrounds negotiations of looking, touch, trust and becoming. It began with a citywide series of open life drawing sessions, creating shared ground from which the sculptures could emerge. The works have been developed and built with Millimetre and Making It Out, a Brighton based charity supporting people after prison. Together, agricultural materials are shaped into corporeal forms held within cocooning skins.

Rooted in Morison’s queer, relational practice, Soft Machines asks how bodies meet through gaze, desire and work, translating those encounters into raw, disruptive public forms.

Sat 2–Sun 24 May | FREE Hove Promenade

BRIGHTON FESTIVAL COMMISSIONS

A WEEKEND

Walls

Full schedule available from Wed 1 Apr, please see brightonfestival.org SAT 16 & SUN 17 MAY

Our first Weekend Without Walls showcases four new Brighton Festival Commissions from UK outdoor artists. This selection of free, outdoor performances have been curated for you, to celebrate the unique essence of this chaotic city and all who live in it. Discover the performances at Moulsecoomb Place and over the road on The Avenue.

Tender Exchange

Radical Ritual

Pause for a moment of connection in the midst of a busy world. Whisper something that matters to you into a carved wooden heart. When the heart is full, hand it back and be part of a shared listening experience.

Sat 16 & Sun 17 May

Moulsecoomb Place

ElevateHer

Daughters of the Wire

Taking place across three multi-level interconnecting wires, we learn the stories of six female performers through music, spoken word and movement. ElevateHer is a joyful, defiant and beautiful celebration of female camaraderie and sisterhood.

Sat 16 & Sun 17 May

The Avenue

Garbh

Shyam Dattani & Mira Salat

Garbh (womb) is an innovative, in-the-round, outdoor dance work that reimagines ancient Gujarati Folk Dance ‘Garba’, giving voice to this underrepresented ancestral form through contemporary choreography and immersive design. Honouring divine feminine energy ‘Shakti’, Garbh embodies the source of life, force of transformation and essence of motherhood.

Sun 17 May | The Avenue

The Torch

Nigel ‘Kobby’ Taylor

A high-energy gig-theatre experience where Afrobeat, hip-hop, rap and storytelling collide — powered by live DJ decks and shimmering synths. With comedy, heartbreak and a beat-driven narrative about not fitting in, this show celebrates identity, legacy and the moment you finally discover your own light.

Sun 17 May | Moulsecoomb Place

BRIGHTON FESTIVAL COMMISSIONS

A WEEKEND

Full schedule available from Wed 1 Apr, please see brightonfestival.org SAT 23 & SUN 24 MAY

Our second Weekend Without Walls this time showcases five new Brighton Festival Commissions from UK outdoor artists. We have spread our arms wide across the city - explore this selection of free, outdoor performances in different venues celebrating regeneration. Discover the performances at Black Rock and Market Square.

HOLY DIRT

Thirunarayan Productions

A playful exploration of the mythic feminine as she struggles ridiculously through our climate catastrophe – she stumbles, she dances, she transforms. Clay, stones, water and sand erupt across the space in a visually startling drama set to a rich global soundscape.

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May | Black Rock

Fragments of Us

Talawa Theatre Company

Unfolding in a natural setting, Fragments of Us invites audiences to stumble upon a tapestry of personal narratives expressed through dance and spoken word. Centred around a cast of Black boys and men, this intimate production explores themes of identity, resilience, vulnerability and the beauty of shared experience.

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May | Black Rock

Stick and Stone

Ferdinando + Bernstein

We have lost 50% of all wild things. What are we going to do? Communicating through physical comedy and visual imagery, Ferdinando + Bernstein face the climate breakdown with the joy of idiocy and play. Feel the rough bark in your hand and let it be a guide back to the woods. Hold the stone, it is the mountain and the shoreline. Doom scrolling is over.

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May | Black Rock

Kismat Walla

Thingumajig Theatre

Capturing the bustling atmosphere of South Asian market streets, Kismat Walla is a street theatre puppet show set on and around a magical rairi (cart), telling three interlocking puppet plays about fate, fortune and serendipity.

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May | Black Rock

CHAIR!

Bring a chair and take a seat. We will be recruiting for a community cast. Please keep an eye on brightonfestival.org for more information

Geraldine Pilgrim Performance Company

When did our public seating disappear and what would happen if we brought it back? Set in a dreamlike world, CHAIR! imagines how we can once again have public spaces that care. Where people can sit uninterrupted ready to relax, work, remember and have time and place to dream.

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May | Market Square

Queer Heritage South, powered by Marlborough Productions

REVEALING St James Street

What makes St James’s Street so fabulously unique? Drag icons Alfie Ordinary, Alex Fincher, and Billie Gold have dug deep into the history books and listened to all the juicy gossip to create a new walking tour of the places and spaces that make up the beating heart of queer Brighton & Hove. Following the walking tour, you’ll enjoy a 45-minute cabaret show at the Queens Arms.

Sat 2, Sun 3, Sat 9 & Sun 10 May 5pm, 5.10pm, & 5.20pm £12, C £10 | Age 18+

Meet: Outside Pinocchio, New Road

The Lost Woods of the Low Weald and Downs

The Lost Woods

Celebrate Sussex’s woodland heritage with the Lost Woods project. Explore ancient woodlands, discover cultural and wildlife treasures and learn how we can restore and protect our woods for future generations. Join us for inspiring events that reconnect people and nature, bringing the Lost Woods back to life. With special events for hearing impaired community and people with learning disabilities. Visit lostwoods.org.uk for more info

FESTIVAL OF Ideas

A collaboration with the University of Sussex, the Festival of Ideas harnesses the transformative influence of arts and humanities research to fashion new ways of thinking about the past, present and future.

Planting Seeds: A Game to Imagine Our Future Food Production

Dr Jo Lindsay Walton

Can games, storytelling and creative collaboration help us imagine better futures for farming, nature and everyday life in Brighton and the South East? Drawing on University of Sussex research — and leaving plenty of room for the unexpected — we’ll explore regenerative futures together.

Sun 10 May, 12.30pm, 1.15pm & 2pm | £15, C £10

The Dice Saloon

What

We Talk About When We Talk About Magic Vincent Gambini

Are magicians really doing magic? In this original performance sharing and Q&A, sleight-of-hand artist Vincent Gambini will present new material from his current project on theatre and magic. The event will feature a special Q&A led by artist Ocean Hester Stefan Chillingworth, in which we will try and answer the question: what do we talk about when we talk about magic?

Fri 15 May, 6pm | £15, C £10

Jane Attenborough Studio, Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts

AI and the Arts: What Does this Mean For Our Creative Future?

Dr Cécile Chevalier

Dr Beatrice Fazi

Dr Irene Fubara-Manuel

Dr Chris Kiefer

Dr Robyn Waller

Dr Dan Williams

Join a Long Table dinner party-style conversation on AI in the arts, where artists, academics and the public gather around a communal table to digest how GenAI transforms artistic practice, the role of the artist and democratises knowledge and the costs of delivery.

Tue 19 May, 5.30pm | £15, C £10

The Globe Room, The Projects

Making Meaning: A Creative Space for Hysterectomy Stories

Dr Jill Kirby and Dr Ali Ramsey

A creative workshop exploring life after hysterectomy. Through craft and conversation, we’ll share experiences, challenge taboos and connect in a supportive space. Whether you’ve had a hysterectomy or are close to someone who has, this event offers insight, creativity and community.

Sat 23 May, 2pm £15, C £10

The Beach House, Yellowave

Queering the Archive: Who Gets To Tell Our Stories?

Aghh! Zine, Erin James, Danny Millum, Dr Samuel Solomon

Join Aghh! Zine and Erin James for a dynamic workshop exploring grassroots creativity, archives and library collections, supported by the University of Sussex’s Danny Millum and Dr Samuel Solomon. We’ll explore tensions between traditional collecting and DIY storytelling. Participants will work with library materials to create their own zine on a story they’re passionate about sharing.

Sun 24 May, 2pm | £5

Teaching Room, University of Sussex Library

Whatever your age, there are powerful writers and thinkers to encounter across this Festival. A dynamic programme to embrace conversation, collaboration and hope.

Literature & Words

Joelle Taylor: Maryville

Joelle Taylor brings a staged reading of her new poetry collection to Brighton Festival; a searing, poetic excavation of 50 years of lesbian counterculture.

Following on from her T.S. Eliot Prize-winning poetry collection C+nto & Othered Poems, Joelle Taylor’s Maryville charts the lives of four butch lesbians through five decades of underground queer history, tracing the culture, clubs and resistance that shaped their world.

The performance is directed by acclaimed writer and director Neil Bartlett, with visuals from artist and filmmaker Sweatmother. It will be followed by an on-stage Q&A and book signing.

Fri 8 & Sat 9 May, 7.30pm £12.50, U30 £10

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre | Age 16+ BSL on Sat 9 May

Queer Narratives Writing Workshop Brighton Festival & New Writing South’s The Coast is Queer Festival

A workshop focused on exploring queer narratives - based around the processes and ideas behind Joelle Taylor’s new poetry collection, Maryville. You’ll gather ideas for writing your own poetry, take part in writing exercises and start developing your poetic voice. This workshop is for participants who identify as LGBTQIA+ and is for all writing abilities.

Sat 9 May, 12pm–1.30pm | £5

Brighton Dome Founders Room Age 16+

Philippa Perry: Shrink Solves Murder

Hear from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read, Philippa Perry as she delves into the world of crime. Shrink Solves Murder is a warm, witty and wise crime caper from the nation’s favourite therapist.

Philippa Perry talks about her new book and reveals why a psychotherapist makes a perfect detective. After all, they spend their days listening to secrets, fantasies and motives.

Thu 7 May, 7.30pm | £12.50, U30 £10

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre | Age 16+

Café Conversation

Join theatremaker and artistic director of METIS arts projects Zoë Svendsen, who will be interviewing specialists about questions of refuge, migration and the ways people get caught up in (increasingly unaccountable) bureaucratic systems, as part of the creative development of Transit (working title), an environmentally immersive app-based performance. Buy a coffee, listen in and contribute your own questions and stories to this ‘research-in-public’ event that will contribute towards the making of the final performance.

Sun 10 May | FREE | At a cafe near you - to be announced

How to Defeat the Far Right with Nick Lowles and Friends

If you’re shocked and disconcerted by the recent rise of intolerance and hate, you’re not alone. As we find ourselves in May, in the wake of local elections, none of us are sure what the landscape will look like. Will compassion and empathy have triumphed over divisive and damaging rhetoric or will we be painfully assessing the aftermath of an eruption in British politics?

Brighton Festival brings together a group of speakers to respond live to the place we find ourselves in. Headed up by campaigner and founder of HOPE not hate, the UK’s leading anti-fascist organisation, Nick Lowles, whose book, How to Defeat the Far Right: Lessons From Hope Not Hate, addresses the real and present threat of the far right, explaining how its ideas are proliferating, why Britain isn’t immune to its rise, and what we can all do to defeat it. Lowles entwines his inspirational story with hard-won lessons from decades of activism, with topics covered including HOPE not hate’s undercover work and on-the-ground campaigning against the EDL, BNP, UKIP and Andrew Tate.

Mon 11 May, 7pm | £15, U30 £10 | Brighton Dome Corn Exchange

Andi Osho & Dorothy Koomson: At All Costs

We bring together two writers at the top of their game, Dorothy Koomson, (My Best Friend’s Girl, The Ice Cream Girls and The Woman He Loved Before) and Andi Osho (Asking for a Friend, Tough Crowd and the hit TV series Blue Lights) who take us from the world of a prestigious boarding school to the gentrified streets where artisanal coffee shops and microbreweries mean that affordable housing edges further and further out of reach. We mark the release of Andi Osho’s Most Wanted and Dorothy Koomson’s The Quiet Girls, as they speak to radio presenter and host Fee Mak about what happens when characters take matters into their own hands.

Thu 14 May, 7.30pm | £12.50, U30 £10 | Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Write & Shine: Shorelines

An early morning writing workshop, embracing the sea, the light and the horizon. We’ll look at poetry and stories on shorelines, consider the value of closely observed detail in our writing and explore the writing that arises where water and land meet. We’ll celebrate the morning as a ritual space: explore creative practices, ceremonies and the quiet joy of starting anew.

Sat 16 May, 7.30am–9.30am | £30

Brighton Dome Founders Room | Age 16+

Raymond Antrobus:

The Quiet Ear

Award-winning poet Raymond Antrobus was first diagnosed as deaf at the age of six when he discovered he had missing sounds – bird calls, whistles, kettles, alarms. Teachers thought he was slow and disruptive, some didn’t believe he was deaf at all.

Raymond discusses his memoir, The Quiet Ear, setting his story alongside those of other D/deaf cultural figures – from painters to silent film stars, poets to performers – the inspiring models of D/deaf creativity he did not have growing up.

Sat 16 May, 6pm | £12.50, U30 £10

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre | Age 16+

Gemma Seltzer Workshop

New Writers: Rebecca Perry, Manish Chauhan & Jon Doyle

Find out what it’s like to put your first novel into the world. Discover three debut novelists at Brighton Festival as they present their new books with readings and discussion.

Author of numerous poetry collections, Rebecca Perry launches her first novel, May We Feed the King this year. Manish Chauhan has been shortlisted

for numerous short story competitions and now he presents his first novel, Belgrave Road, and Jon Doyle won the Writers & Artists Working-Class Writers’ Prize 2023, and releases his first novel Communion this year.

Sat 16 May, 1pm | £12.50, U30 £10

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Selina Nwulu: Black Climates

Selina Nwulu, former Young People’s Laureate for London, joins us with her book, Black Climates: Notes on Race, Our Environment, and Visions for Equitable Futures, which uses her poetic and skilful voice to directly address Black British readers who have been previously ignored in mainstream environmental conversations.

Hear as Selina talks to writer, stylist and consultant Aja Barber about subjects such as

air pollution, prison ecology, disability justice, migration, food, nature, community care, and radical imagination and providing the tools to envisage more equitable futures.

Sat 16 May, 8.15pm | £12.50, U30 £10

This will be a fully masked event to protect our disabled and immunocompromised audience members

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

STATUS FLO

AFLO. the poet, Joelle Taylor & Yomi Sode

STATUS FLO returns to Brighton Festival bigger than ever, filling Brighton Dome Corn Exchange with an unmissable night of spoken word. Co-programmed by Brighton Dome and our host AFLO. the poet, this edition is headlined by T.S. Eliot Prize winner Joelle Taylor and award-winning writer Yomi Ṣode, alongside exciting local talent to be announced. Expect urgent poetry that speaks to identity, community and hope, delivered by some of the most compelling voices in contemporary spoken word.

Mon 18 May, 8pm | £15, C £12.50, U30/LC £10

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange | Age 14+

Natasha Walter, NS Nuseibeh, Shahed Ezaydi: Feminism for a World on Fire

With the rise of authoritarian states, online misogyny and climate breakdown, we see the multifarious, global threats to women’s lives as their safety is being threatened and their freedoms are under attack.

We bring together three incredible writers, Natasha Walter (Living Dolls: the Return of Sexism, Feminism for a World on Fire), Shahed Ezaydi (The Othered Woman: How White Feminism Harms Muslim Women) and N.S. Nuseibeh (Namesake: Reflections on a Warrior Woman) to discuss the idea of a more thriving, intersectional and connected feminism.

Thu 21 May, 7pm | £12.50, U30 £10

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre | Age 16+

Young

£10, Tickets include meet and greet with authors All children need to be accompanied by an adult All events

Readers

Michael Rosen & MC Grammar: Ridiculous Raps & Rhymes

Get ready to rhyme, rap and ROAR with laughter!

Former Children’s Laureate and poetry icon Michael Rosen has teamed up with award-winning rapping teacher and World Book Day ambassador, MC Grammar, for an action-packed musical showdown. This unmissable family show pits Raps against Rhymes in a high-energy, laugh-filled musical celebration of words.

Sun 3 May, 2pm | £10 | Age 7+ | Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Christopher Edge: Fear Files

Uncover the spooky mysteries of Fear Files: Hide and Seek in an exciting and interactive event based on Edge's new middle-grade horror series. Be challenged with some spine-tingling puzzles and mini-quests to unlock the secrets of the Darkive.

Sat 9 May, 11am

Age 8–11

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Supported by

Patrice Lawrence: The Elemental Detectives

Join award-winning writer Patrice Lawrence to learn about her critically acclaimed series The Elemental Detectives Expect surprises at every turn as Patrice discusses the real-life inspirations behind her work, the pride and vibrancy of mixed heritage, and shares invaluable tips on crafting your own compelling story.

Sat 9 May, 1.30pm | Age 8–12

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Katie Kirby:

Lottie Brooks’s Diary

The fantastically funny, relatable and chart-topping Lottie Brooks diary series are filled with first experiences, friendship fails, embarrassing moments and plenty of laughs. And so is this event! Lottie’s done with embarrassing herself. There can’t possibly be any more ways to do it! Right?

Sun 10 May, 11am | Age 9+

Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Liz Pichon

Join award-winning author and illustrator Liz Pichon as she celebrates 15 years of the multi-million bestselling Tom Gates series and takes you into the world of The Mubbles with drawing, games, storytelling and more. Please bring a pen and paper for live drawing!

Sun 10 May, 2pm | Age 7+

Joshua Seigal: I Tell Myself I’m Awesome

WORKSHOP

Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Happy Hills: Create a Comic Character with Sophy Henn

WORKSHOP

Bring your sketchbooks, pencils and imaginations to help Sophy create a brand-new dynamic, dastardly or even darling comic book duo – it’s up to you! Sophy will share how she created some of her Happy Hills characters and bought them to life on the page, then we will do the same for our brand new duo!

Sat 16 May, 10.30am | Age 7+

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Award-winning poet, and literacy champion Joshua Seigal presents an uplifting event that’s like pick-and-mix for your mental health. With interaction, Joshua performs warm, bouncy, reflective poems from his new collection, encouraging children to use language creatively on the spot and contribute to a new poem.

Sat 16 May, 3.30pm | Age 8+

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Rashmi Sirdeshpande: This is Who I Am

Discover that we are so much more than where we are from with awardwinning author Rashmi Sirdeshpande, as she presents her latest book, This is Who I Am. Join Rashmi as she discusses all the things that make us who we are and how we should be proud of that.

Sun 17 May, 11am | Age 6+

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Kate Pankhurst: Fantastically Great Women

Join Kate Pankhurst for a wildly wonderful anniversary celebration of the amazing women who changed the world we live in. With lots of dressing up, a draw along and TONS of fun facts, this is a perfect event for all the family.

Sun 17 May, 2pm | Age 7–11

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre

Make Mini Zines | Little Green Pig & Young Writers Collective

WORKSHOP

Join the DIY publishing revolution and create your own mini zine to take home or swap with other young people! Zines are folded paper publications (like mini magazines/ books). Collage, cut and paste, doodle and write about whatever you want to. Join Azaria Franco and children’s writing and mentoring charity Little Green Pig at this imaginative workshop. Drop in for a little while, or stay for the whole time.

Sat 16 May, 1–3pm | Age 7–13 | FREE (limited capacity)

Brighton Dome Foyer

VISUAL ART

Shhh...

Isobel Smith and Abigail Norris World Premiere

Shhh… explores silence as a charged force. Abigail Norris and Isobel Smith met weekly, guided by a virtual Louise Bourgeois, letting strangeness and intimacy coexist. Over two years, their dialogue shifted from conversation to paired works, insisting sculptures speak for themselves, resonating tension, pressure and autonomy without merging practices.

A Timeline of Infinite Skies

Sat 2–Sun 31 May, Thu–Sun, 10am–4pm FREE BN9 Studio - Marine Workshops, Newhaven BRIGHTON FESTIVAL EXCLUSIVE

Netherlands

Antonio Jose Guzman and Iva Jankovic

An immersive installation and soundscape by the artist duo Antonio Jose Guzman and Iva Jankovic, featuring their trademark indigo-dyed patterned textiles.

The installation reflects on intertwined histories of wealth and cultural memory by highlighting Brighton & Hove’s largely hidden or forgotten legacies resulting from the forced migration of enslaved people. The work explores the tension between profit and protest, between the wealth generated for residents by the plantation slavery system and the strong strand of abolitionism that rooted and flourished in the city.

Sat 2 May–Sun 28 Jun, Wed–Sun, 12pm–5pm FREE Phoenix Art Space

Duos collaborating is a theme across Brighton Festival’s visual art programme: Heather Peak and Ivan Morison on Hove Seafront, Antonio Jose Guzman and Iva Jankovic at Phoenix Art Space, Isabel Smith and Abigail Norris at the Marine Gallery in Newhaven, plus Brighton Dome Founders Room blossoms with The Adelaide Salon. Objects, textiles, embodied forms - a feast for the eyes and the soul.

The Adelaide Salon

A new exhibition space curated by The Adelaide Salon, set within the Brighton Dome Foyeropen to all Brighton Festival ticketholders and festival-goers, this offers an important addition to Brighton's visual art landscape and a platform for a future programme.

Sat 2–Mon 25 May, Various Times FREE Brighton Dome Founders Room

Of Land, Sea and Sky

Presented in partnership with The Old

Market

BRIGHTON FESTIVAL EXCLUSIVE

We, Generate Founders Room Exhibition Space

The Old Market’s May season, Of Land, Sea and Sky, created in collaboration with Brighton Festival, explores our relationship to land, sea and sky. Through immersive sensory environments, XR encounters, films, music and conversations, the programme surrounds and transports audiences. Rooted in local landscapes while sharing global perspectives, it invites us to consider stewardship, water as lifeblood, indigenous resilience and vanishing species, and to learn from communities and charities working to protect the environments they call home. These experiences encourage reflection, dialogue and collective responsibility for caring for place, climate and culture, now and for future generations across land sea sky.

Wed 6–Sat 23 May | The Old Market Various Times and Prices

Lighthouse’s Future Creative Leaders

We, Generate is a youth-led exhibition and live arts programme by Lighthouse’s Future Creative Leaders, combining art, music and workshops. It explores how young people actively shape culture, inviting audiences to imagine a fairer, bolder world. Featuring exhibitions, live events, conversations, and a youth takeover, it’s a space for experimentation and community. Visit brightonfestival.org for more info

COMEDY

The Adam Buxton Band

Join Adam Buxton and his live band for an intimate evening celebrating the release of his debut album, Buckle Up. The beloved podcaster enlisted Metronomy’s Joe Mount as producer and band leader saying ‘I hoped it would be a Metronomy record with my voice’, also hoping the outcome might sound like 'Berlin-period Bowie and Eno going for lunch with Radiohead and Nina Simone at Brian Wilson’s beach brasserie.’ Instead came fifteen songs that inhabit the space between heartfelt and silly, where Buxton has comfortably set up shop.

Tue 12 May, 8pm | £35 Brighton Dome Corn Exchange

Nick Mohammed is Mr. Swallow: Show Pony

Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed returns as his critically acclaimed alter-ego Mr. Swallow in the ‘deliriously enjoyable’ (The Guardian) Show Pony. Show Pony covers everything from Mr Swallow not having his own sitcom to not having his own sitcom… and everything in between (critical race theory). As per - expect magic, music and a whole load of brand new mistakes.

Wed 13 May, 7.30pm | £31.50 | Returns Only

Supported by

show about making a queer family on your own terms. This critically-acclaimed show 10 Best Shows at Edinburgh Fringe 2025) blends

and hand-drawn animation into a heartfelt, hilarious hour about what it takes to start a family when the odds (and the system) are

Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival in Our Community

A programme of work whose ethos was originally inspired by former Brighton Festival Guest Director, Kae Tempest, this year Our Place celebrates ten years of Brighton & Hove communities and artists creating work with lasting impact. Join us this Spring for various Artist in Residence projects, and community celebration events at Brighton Festival in May.

East Brighton - Whitehawk

Land artist, LEO, will collaborate with residents to create land art and sculptures which will form part of an art trail around Whitehawk, finishing with a local community celebration on Sun 10 May

Moulsecoomb Place | Sat 16 May

Puppeteer Darren East will lead workshops to create a live and interactive performance using giant puppets, masks, and music

For more free performances at Moulsecoomb Place, see Without walls (p.56-57)

Arts & Crafts Workshops | Sun 3 May

Brighton Dome

Previous artists in residence host workshops for all the family to enjoy

Our Place Family Fun Day | Mon 4 May

Brighton Dome

Free drop-in activities for all ages

Find out more brightonfestival.org

Supported by

Brighton Table Tennis Club

Record Breaking Table Tennis

Brighton Table Tennis Club are back with an afternoon packed full of table tennis fun for everyone. There will be open access tables, young DJs, refreshments and great music to bring Brighton Festival to a close.

The team from Guinness World Records will be with us as we attempt to break some table tennis world records! Can you help us smash them and make world record history?

Mon 25 May, 2pm–7pm FREE Brighton Dome Corn Exchange

Brighton Festival Extra

Breakin’ Convention

Prepare to be blown away by highenergy, world-class performances from celebrated poppers, lockers, b-boys and b-girls. This year’s line-up includes Femme Fatale, a mesmerising female trio; the trailblazing ILL-Abilities; TRAPLORD, the Olivier Award-winning creation from Ivan Michael Blackstock; all curated by the legend that is Jonzi D. Wed 27 May, 2.30pm & 7.30pm £15, £20, U26 & LC £12.50 Brighton Dome Concert Hall

ALONGSIDE

Liz

Crone Alone

A new solo from Liz Aggiss, grand dame of anarchic dance and ‘enfant terrible’ of the bus pass generation. Driving herself dizzy with questions of value and worth, she slams down a ‘mindfield’ of unexploded ordinance, angst and deviation. As she zigzags towards the finish line, Aggiss peels back the bollocks of performance palaver, blazing out her inner crone.

Tue 5 & Thu 7 May, 6.30pm | £15, C £12

Wed 6 May, 2pm | The Dance Space

In Between Time

We Are Warriors

An immersive sound and light installation led by over 100 women, girls and non-binary voices. Each visitor is invited to create and place a light in tribute to someone who has been lost or silenced, transforming dark spaces into sanctuaries. Join this global chorus and push the dark away.

Thu 7–Sun 17 May, 11am–7pm

Suggested donation £4 | Venue TBA

Betwixt explores the strange, vivid terrain of being in-between; when the usual distractions fall away and we are neither here nor there. Three Score Dance Company celebrates the beauty of the older body and the expression and artistry that our dancers bring to the stage.

Fri 15 May, 3pm & 7.30pm | £15, C £12

The Dance Space

Design for Nature and Community: In Conversation with Will Nash

Will Nash discusses sculpture, ecology, and design and his vision for a forthcoming public art commission at University of Sussex.

Tue 19 May, 6pm | £7, C £5

Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts

Aggiss

Three Score Dance Company Betwixt

Make Art Your Legacy

A gift in your will can help ensure that Brighton Festival thrives for generations to come. For information about leaving a lasting legacy please email development@brightondome.org

‘Enriching, entertaining, stimulating, surprising - Brighton Dome and Festival have given me some of the best times of my life’

David Harrison, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival Patron and Legacy Pledger

Image: David McHugh

Spotlight on Our Sponsors

Mayo Wynne Baxter is thrilled to continue our support of the Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival that enriches lives and strengthens our community. As a firm dedicated to making a positive impact, we are proud to contribute to the vibrant and diverse programming and the Create Music education service. We are not just lawyers; we are passionate supporters of our community.

Dean Orgill, Chief Executive Partner, Mayo Wynne Baxter

Brighton Girls is proud to sponsor the Children’s Parade as it celebrates 40 years. Located in the heart of the city, we are deeply connected to the creative, diverse community. Our school values, Kind, Bold, and Resilient, guide everything we do. We combine innovative teaching with a nurturing environment for students aged 3–16.

Mel Shead, Head of Brighton Girls

Going to school in Moulsecoomb, I learned early how much access depends on where you’re from and who you’re with. That perspective has stayed with me. At Pembroke, we work to widen access to financial education and advice, through formal planning and community outreach. Like Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, we’re rooted in the communities we serve, which is why supporting Our Place and its work to widen access to the arts feels deeply personal.

Mark Rockcliffe, CEO, Pembroke

At Jumpin Fun, we’re proud to sponsor the Children’s Parade as it champions active, healthy fun for young people. Our inflatable parks promote full-body movement and fitness, often more physically demanding than traditional trampolining. We’re also proud to provide many young people with their first job, helping them build confidence and take their first steps into work.

Karen Conley, Director

If you are interested in sponsoring Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, please contact kata.gyongyosi@brightondome.org

Venues

The Dance Space

2 Market Square, Circus Street, Brighton BN2 9AS

The Globe Room, The Projects

Nile House

Nile Street, Brighton BN1 1HW

Marine Workshops

Newhaven, BN9 0ER

The Old Market

Upper Market Street, Hove BN3 1AS

Brighton Unitarian Church

New Road, Brighton BN1 1UF

Brighton Dome

Concert Hall

Founders Room Foyer

Church Street, Brighton BN1 1UE

Brighton Dome

Corn Exchange

Studio Theatre

Anita’s Room

New Road, Brighton BN1 1UG

Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts

University of Sussex, Falmer BN1 9RA

Glyndebourne

New Road, Lewes BN8 5UU

University of Sussex Library

Library Rd, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RE

Programming Partners

Black Rock

Madeira Drive, Brighton BN2 1FY

The Dice Saloon

88 London Rd, Brighton BN1 4JF

Hove Promenade

Kingsway, Brighton BN3 2FR

Royal Pavilion Music Room

4/5 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton BN1 1EE

Theatre Royal Brighton New Road, Brighton BN1 1SD

All Saints Church

The Drive, Hove BN3 3QE

The Beach House, Yellowave

299 Madeira Dr, Brighton BN2 1EN

Phoenix Art Space

10-14 Waterloo Place, Brighton BN2 9NB

The Avenue

Brighton BN2 4GF

Market Square

Circus Street, Brighton BN2 9AS

Moulsecoomb Place

Lewes Rd, Brighton BN2 4GA

WundaBarn

SpiegelGardens, Brighton, BN1 1WN

Assisted Performances & Events

BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETED

Our Place Family Fun Day Mon 4 May (p73)

How to Defeat the Far Right with Nick Lowles and Friends Mon 11 May (p64)

The Torch Sun 17 May (p57)

Joelle Taylor: Maryville Sat 9 May (p63)

Raymond Antrobus: The Quiet Ear Sat 16 May (p65)

AUDIO DESCRIBED PERFORMANCES

Garbh

Sun 17 May (p57)

Thikra: Night of Remembering Sun 24 May (p21)

RP CP

RELAXED / CHILLED PERFORMANCES

All Young Readers events

Sun 3–Sun 17 May (p68 & 69)

Time Keeps the Drummer Fri 8–Sun 10 May (p14)

STATUS FLO

Mon 18 May (p67)

Record Breaking Table Tennis Mon 25 May (p74)

CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES

Mr Blackpool

Thu 7– Sat 9 May (p22)

GET IN TOUCH

HIGHLY VISUAL PERFORMANCES

Children’s Parade Sat 2 May (p52)

Soft Machines Sat 2–Sun 24 May (P55)

Shhh... Sat 2–Sun 31 May (p70)

A Timeline of Infinite Skies Sat 2 May –Sun 28 Jun (p70)

Founders Room Exhibition Space Sat 2–Mon 25 May (p71)

Of Land, Sea and Sky Wed 6–Sat 23 May (p71)

We, Generate Dates TBC (p71)

Tender Exchange Sat 16 & Sun 17 May (p57)

ElevateHer

Sat 16 & Sun 17 May (p57)

Thikra: Night of Remembering Sat 23 & Sun 24 May (p21)

carnation

Sat 2–Mon 25 May (p26)

TOUCH TOURS

carnation

Sat 2–Mon 25 May (p26)

Garbh Sun 17 May (p57)

HOLY DIRT

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May (p59)

Stick and Stone Sat 23 & Sun 24 May (p59)

Thikra: Night of Remembering Sun 24 May, 6pm (p21)

Email access@brightondome.org to book

To book tickets for these events, including PA tickets, please contact our Ticket Office 01273 709709 | tickets@brightondome.org

If you have a specific access enquiry, get in touch access@brightondome.org | 01273 261541

For more information visit brightonfestival.org/access

Around the City

Make the most of your time in Brighton this May

Brighton Fringe

brightonfringe.org

Celebrate individuality, creativity and chaos with Brighton Fringe 2026! Enjoy comedy, theatre, workshops, family events and much more. How will you #MakeItYours?

Artist Open Houses

aoh.org.uk

Throughout weekends of May, artists will open their doors to show work from around 1,000 artists exhibiting over 150 venues across the city.

The Great Escape

greatescapefestival.com

The festival for new music, showcasing a diverse mix of the most exciting emerging, and yet-to be discovered talent from around the world to music fans in Brighton.

Did you know we’re a charity?

Every ticket sold, Membership purchased, and donation made helps make Brighton Festival happen. Thank you for your support.

Brighton has some great food, drink and hotel options. Here are some of our favourites for you to check out in May

ABYSS Brewing A local, inclusive, forward-thinking craft Brewery + Tap known for modern beers with BIG personalities. abyssbrewing.co.uk

Brighton Gin The Spirit of Brighton! Every award-winning drop made with love in Brighton by our friends and family team for free thinkers and good time folks everywhere. brightongin.com

Cafe Rust Five sites, serving lunch, brunches, coffee, cakes, pastries. 10% off food in May. caferust.com

Dishoom Permit Room A tribute to the way that Bombay cuts loose. Drop in for round-the-clock deliciousness: breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails! And enjoy a cocktail or teetotal on them with every breakfast dish ordered 9.30am-11.30am. permitroom.co.uk

Maldron Hotel Located on the city’s stunning seafront, just a 10-minute walk from Brighton Pier and 15 minutes from the train station. It’s the perfect base to explore Brighton’s vibrant attractions. maldronhotels.com

Moshimo Award-winning, sustainable and ethical, Brighton’s best-loved Japanese restaurant Moshimo is the perfect place to enjoy a pre or post show meal out. moshimo.co.uk

Redroaster Enjoy 15% off food at Redroaster (Mon to Fri), located within Brighton Dome. Celebrating 26 years of being a Brighton independent this year, Redroaster is now also one of the UK’s most sustainable restaurants and coffee roasters. redroaster.co.uk

Ridgeview Award-winning English sparkling wine from the Heart of Sussex. Enjoyed with food, shared with friends or at life’s celebratory moments, Ridgeview captures the best of English wine. ridgeview.co.uk

Terre à Terre An exceptional independent restaurant specialising in vegetarian and vegan food, delivering outstanding service, imaginative dishes and a distinctive drinks offering. terreaterre.co.uk

Scan

for more details, including special offers from our partners

THROUGHOUT

KlangHaus: Darkroom

Sat 2–Sat 23 May, 12–3pm

Brighton Dome Anita's Room (p13)

KlangHaus: Last Haus on Earth

Sat 2–Sat 23 May, 5–9pm

Brighton Dome Anita's Room (p12)

Soft Machines

Sat 2–Sun 24 May | FREE

Hove Promenade (p54)

carnation | Sat 2–Mon 25 May

Black Rock (p26)

Founders Room Exhibition Space

Sat 2–Mon 25 May

Brighton Dome Founders Room (p71)

Shhh... | Sat 2–Sun 31 May (Thu–Sun)

BN9 Studio (p70) | FREE

A Timeline of Infinite Skies

Sat 2 May–Sun 28 Jun | FREE

Phoenix Art Space (p70)

Of Land, Sea and Sky

Wed 6–Sat 23 May

The Old Market (p71)

OPENING WEEKEND

Kohlhaas

Fri 1–Tue 5 May

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange (p10)

One World Orchestra | Fri 1 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p30)

Beverly Glenn-Copeland Fri 1 May, 7.30pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p31)

Children's Parade

Sat 2 May, 10.30am | FREE Jubilee Street to Madeira Drive (p52)

Revealing St James Street

Sat 2, Sun 3, Sat 9 & Sun 10 May New Road (p60)

KNEEBODY: Reach + New Generation Jazz Futures Sat 2 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p3O)

The Age of Consent Sat 2 May, 8.15pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p32)

Our Place Arts & Craft Workshops

3 May, 10.30am, 2.15pm | FREE Brighton Dome (p73)

Michael Rosen & MC Grammar: Ridiculous Raps & Rhymes

Sun 3 May, 2pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p68)

Glyndebourne Recital: Chiaroscuro & Consone Quartet

Sun 3 May, 3pm

Glyndebourne (p34)

AK/DK x Danalogue

Sun 3 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p3O)

WEEK ONE

Our Place Family Fun Day

4 May 10.30am | FREE Brighton Dome (p73)

St John Passion | Mon 4 May, 7.30pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p35)

Novo Quartet | Tue 5 May, 1pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p48)

Laurie Anderson: The Republic of Love

Wed 6 May, 7.15pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p33)

Mr Blackpool | Thu 7–Sat 9 May, 8pm

Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (p22)

Minerva Baroque | Thu 7 May, 1pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p48)

Asian Dub Foundation: La Haine Thu 7 May, 7pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p36)

Philippa Perry: Shrink Solves Murder Thu 7 May, 7.30pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p64)

London Symphony Orchestra Fri 8 May, 7.30pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p39)

Joelle Taylor: Maryville Fri 8 & Sat 9 May, 7.30pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p63)

Time Keeps The Drummer Fri 8–Sun 10 May, various

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange (p14)

Christopher Edge | Sat 9 May, 11am

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p68)

Queer Narratives Writing Workshop Sat 9 May, 12–1.30pm

Brighton Dome Founders Room (p63)

Patrice Lawrence: The Elemental Detectives | Sat 9 May, 1.30pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p68)

Zamrock Allstars: Sampa The Great & WITCH

Sat 9 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p37)

Café Conversation | Sun 10 May Cafe's to be announced (p64) | FREE

Katie Kirby: Lottie Brooks’s Diary Sun 10 May, 11am

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p69)

Planting Seeds

Sun 10 May, 12.30pm, 1.15pm & 2pm

The Dice Saloon (p61)

Liz Pichon | Sun 10 May, 2pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p69)

Gen X Gen Z | Sun 10 May, 4pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p24)

Tomorrowisnowtodayisyesterday

Sun 10 May, 7.30pm

The Dance Space (p24)

Shakespeare's Sisters

Sun 10 May, 7.30pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p38)

WEEK TWO

Rebel Resistors Radio Club

Mon 11 May, 1.30–4.30pm | FREE

Brighton Unitarian Church (p24)

How to Defeat the Far Right with Nick Lowles and Friends

Mon 11 May, 7pm

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange (p64)

Second Trimester

Mon 11 May, 7.15pm

Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (p24)

Brighton & East Sussex Youth Orchestra

Mon 11 May, 7.30pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p38)

Philosophy of the World

Mon 11 May, 9.15pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p25)

Trouble, Struggle, Bubble & Squeak

Tue 12 May, 2pm

WundaBarn (p25)

OUT

Tue 12 May, 4pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p25)

TONIGHT

Tue 12 May, 7.30pm

The Dance Space (p25)

Patti Smith Quartet

Tue 12 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p42)

The Adam Buxton Band

Tue 12 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange (p72)

Astatine Trio

Wed 13 May, 1pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p49)

Nick Mohammed is Mr. Swallow: Show Pony

Wed 13 May, 7.30pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p72)

Patti Smith: An Evening of Words and Music

Wed 13 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange (p43)

Sherri Lun

Thu 14 May, 1pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p49)

Kingfishr

Thu 14 May, 7pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p46)

Andi Osho & Dorothy Koomson: At All Costs

Thu 14 May, 7.30pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p65)

Mithras Trio

Fri 15 May, 1pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p49)

What We Talk About

When We Talk About Magic

Fri 15 May, 6pm

Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (p61)

Peaches

Fri 15 May, 7pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p46)

Write & Shine: Shorelines

Sat 16 May, 7.30–9.30am

Brighton Dome Founders Room (p65)

Happy Hills: Create a Comic Character with Sophy Henn

Sat 16 May, 10.30am

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p69)

Make Mini Zines

Sat 16 May, 1–3pm | FREE Brighton Dome Foyer (p69)

New Writers: Rebecca Perry, Manish Chauhan & Jon Doyle

Sat 16 May, 1pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p66)

Joshua Seigal: I Tell Myself I’m

Awesome

Sat 16 May, 3.30pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p69)

Raymond Antrobus: The Quiet Ear

Sat 16 May, 6pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p65)

Angélique Kidjo

Sat 16 May, 7.30pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p40)

Selina Nwulu: Black Climates

Sat 16 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p66)

The Black Saint & the Sinner Lady

Sat 16 & Sun 17 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange (p16)

Tender Exchange

Sat 16 & Sun 17 May | FREE Moulsecoomb Place (p57)

ElevateHer

Sat 16 & Sun 17 May | FREE The Avenue (p57)

Garbh

Sun 17 May | FREE The Avenue (p57)

The Torch

Sun 17 May | FREE Moulsecoomb Place (p57)

Rashmi Sirdeshpande: This is Who I Am

Sun 17 May, 11am

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p69)

Kate Pankhurst:

Fantastically Great Women

Sun 17 May, 2pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p69)

Oh To Believe in Another World

Sun 17 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p41)

WEEK THREE

Jerwood Glyndebourne Young Singers with Pianist Matthew Fletcher

Mon 18 May, 1pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p49)

STATUS FLO

Mon 18 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange (p67)

Rafael Kyrychenko

Tue 19 May, 1pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p49)

AI and the Arts: What Does this Mean For Our Creative Future?

Tue 19 May, 5.30pm

The Globe Room, The Projects (p61)

Malory Towers

Tue 19–Sat 23 May, various Theatre Royal Brighton (p23)

Delphine Trio

Wed 20 May, 1pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p49)

Iestyn Davies & Oliver Wass

Wed 20 May, 8pm

Royal Pavilion Music Room (p44)

Jazz Connections: Ivo Neame Trio

Wed 20 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p44)

Natasha Walter, NS Nuseibeh, Shahed Ezaydi: Feminism for a World on Fire

Thu 21 May, 7pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p67)

Dark Noon

Thu 21–Sun 24 May, various

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange (p18)

Leila Navabi: Relay

Fri 22 May, 7.30pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p72)

Making Meaning: A Creative Space for Hysterectomy Stories

Sat 23 May, 2pm

The Beach House, Yellowave (p61)

Mehfils: A Studio Theatre Takeover Shift Octatonic

Sat 23 May, 6–8pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p45)

Mehfils: A Studio Theatre Takeover

Shift Marwa Time

Sat 23 May, 9–11pm

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p45)

Tenebrae: A Celestial Gift

Sat 23 May, 7.30pm

All Saints Hove (p45)

Thikra Night of Remembering

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May, 8pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p20)

HOLY DIRT

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May | FREE Black Rock (p59)

Fragments of Us

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May | FREE Black Rock (p59)

Stick and Stone

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May | FREE Black Rock (p59)

Kismat Walla

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May | FREE Black Rock (p59)

CHAIR!

Sat 23 & Sun 24 May | FREE Market Square (p59)

Queering the Archive: Who Gets To Tell Our Stories?

Sun 24 May, 2pm

University of Sussex Library (p61)

Sounds Like Us

Sun 24 May, TIME

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p47)

Aldous Harding

Mon 25 May, 7pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p46)

We, Generate

Mon 25 May

Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (p47)

Record Breaking Table Tennis

Mon 25 May, 2–7pm | FREE

Brighton Dome Corn Exchange (p74)

Breakin’ Convention

Wed 27 May, 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Brighton Dome Concert Hall (p74)