Huge range of free, community events at this year's Brighton Festival

Lucy Davies, chief executive of Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, said: “From May 3-26, Brighton Festival will host 45 fun events working with local, national and international artists, arts organisations and groups to offer family-friendly participatory art, performances and activities.

“From the highly anticipated and riotous annual Children’s Parade to a whole day of table tennis, Brighton Festival’s free events programme gives thousands of people the opportunity to enjoy free high quality, fun performances, art and activities. Last year, 78,000 Brighton Festival attendances were at free events, more than half of the total number.

“A highlight of this year’s Festival is participatory art project How dark it is before dawn. Following their invitation from this year’s Guest Director, the Grammy-nominated musician, composer and activist Anoushka Shankar, to create the covers for the Brighton Festival 2025 brochure, artists Neil Ghose Balser and Doyel “Joshi (Howareyoufeeling.studio) are now asking everyone to create their own version of this year’s Festival theme, New Dawn, culminating in an art installation over the closing weekend that will celebrate a collective New Dawn.

“To encourage people to think about the theme, the artists will also set up pop up circles of 108 red chairs facing east throughout the Festival, providing a moment to reflect on what New Dawn could mean.

“While not exactly free, if you’re on the top deck of a bus during May you may be lucky enough to see supersized, quirky photos of British seaside life by photographers Martin Parr and JJ Waller displayed on top of many of Brighton & Hove’s bus shelters. Beside the Sea is a World Premiere, a Brighton Festival Exclusive and a completely unique form of gallery for the price of a bus ticket.”

For more details about this year’s Festival visit brightonfestival.org

Lucy added: “Our free events are more important than ever. Free access to shows, events and creative opportunities are a vital part of our offer to Brighton’s community. Some of the Festival’s most ambitious and joyous events are open to all.

“Brighton Festival opens with the unmissable Children’s Parade on Saturday 3 May, in partnership with local arts organisation Same Sky and supported by Brighton Girls, with thousands of students from over 60 schools across the city exploring the theme of Our Voice.

“Across two weekends, newly commissioned shows from outdoor arts experts Without Walls will continue to push the boundaries of performance in public spaces. Taking place at various locations across Brighton and Crawley, these free, family-friendly and accessible events include traditional and contemporary dance, an interactive water installation, trapeze, puppetry and physical theatre and explore themes such as climate change, the natural world and the power of human connection.

“On Sunday 25 May, award-winning percussionist Sarathy Korwar leads Percussion Parade, a 30-piece band of some of the finest young musicians in the South East, assembled by Create Music, on a spectacular parade along Brighton seafront. Playing music specially composed for Brighton Festival, the band will create hypnotic, trance-inducing sounds that draw inspiration from futuristic folk music, marching bands, South Asian temple processions and UK carnivals. Supported by Mayo Wynne Baxter.

“Led by artist Tilly Ingram, The Hide is a live birdwatching experience that also explores her struggles as a woman with a non-visible disability and the incredible story of a disabled white-tailed eagle, from Sun 4 until Wed 7 May in venues around the city.

“Returning to Brighton Festival after huge success last year, on Monday 26 May, is a full day of table tennis for the whole family from Brighton Table Tennis Club. Twenty tables, music and food will be set up inside Brighton Dome Corn Exchange for everyone to play with friends and family - or with Paralympic Team GB medal winners Will Bayley and Bly Twomey.

“Brighton Festival has been awarded £10,000 Big Give match-funding to help with increased costs of free events. Donations by the public made to Brighton Festival via the Big Give in March unlocked this funding and helped raise £20,000 towards the Festival’s high quality, accessible and inclusive free events programme.”