Your guide to Brighton

What can we say? For many of us here at 1^ST CENTRAL, Brighton is pretty much our second home, if not, our first! Its chilled out vibes and endless things to do make Brighton, in our opinion, one of the best cities in Great Britain, which is why it features on our top 10 places to road trip to.

We might be biased, but Brighton really does sparkle in the sunshine, and being a city by the sea, it’s no wonder that thousands of visitors flock to the coast throughout the year.

So, whether your summer road trip down to Brighton is about family fun, frolicking on Great Britain’s most famous beach, or having a ball at festivals and events, here’s our guide to Brighton…

When to visit Brighton

Brighton is great whatever the weather, but during the summer months it really comes alive. There’s loads of big events that take place over summer, so if you’re heading down to Brighton there’ll no doubt be something big going on when you’re in town.

That being said, there are three real stand-out events that happen each year and are really a staple to this beautiful coastal city…

• Brighton Pride – first weekend in August. You can’t beat Brighton during pride weekend. The colours, the music, the people – it’s truly a magical place to be.
• Brighton Fringe Festival – throughout May. This is the largest open-access festival in England and is a month filled with hundreds of events covering every form of art you can think of!
• The Great Escape – usually third weekend in May. A three-night festival based in the city with 30+ venues hosting some great musical talents. This year’s headliner was only Lewis Capaldi. Enough said, right?!?

Where to stay

Where to lay your head completely depends on what type of trip you’re expecting. If you want to experience the hustle and bustle of Brighton and see the nightlife at its best, a central location is key. But if you fancy a bit more of a chilled vibe, look to Hove.

Still well and truly part of Brighton, it’s just a 20 or so minute walk along the beach, but has a much more relaxed and sophisticated vibe, with lots of quaint little coffee shops and great eateries. However, there’s still lots of great options for drinks, just without it raging on until the am.

Brighton and Hove have their fair share of lovely hotels, but if there’s more than a couple of you, it could get expensive. So we’d recommend having a look on Airbnb. Some of the local places on there are beautiful and truly represent Brighton living at its finest.

What to do in the day

There’s so much to do in Brighton, so naming just a few will be an injustice of sorts. But we’ll give it a go:

• Take a stroll to the beach and get involved in one of the many activities going on
• Check out the views of Sussex on the BA i360 on the seafront
• Head to the Lanes and North Laines to shop in Brighton’s famous boutiques
• Visit the Brighton Pavilion. Often confused as the Taj Mahal, you’ll see why when you get there…
• Sip on some of the finest coffee brewed in the UK at one of the many independent coffee houses Brighton has to offer

What to do at night

When the sun drops, Brighton is truly a brilliant place to be – from the bars and nightclubs to the assortment of tasty eateries.  Check out some of the top things to do at night:

• Laugh your socks off at a Krater comedy show at the famous Komedia
• Catch a show at one of Brighton’s many theatres and music venues
• Head down to the seafront and check out some live music at some of Brighton’s best bars
• Get your drink on and head to some of the many clubs dotted around the city
• For a bit of late-night vintage charm, check out Proud Cabaret. It’s a cocktail bar and restaurant lounge, which puts on burlesque shows and variety acts

Where to eat in Brighton

One thing is for certain…when you head to Brighton, you won’t go hungry. We’ve pulled together a list of our five favourite eateries:

• Burger Brothers – whilst they’re not open on Sundays and only serve takeaway burgers, they really know how to make an amazing burger
• Riddle and Fins – more upmarket but fresh from the ocean fish and a candlelight setting make this restaurant hard to beat
• Salt Rooms – right on the seafront with tonnes of character, this place embodies Brighton, and its sharer dessert shows just that
• Food for Friends – Brighton is known for being green, which is why it comes as no surprise that there’s an abundance of vegetarian and vegan restaurants. Food for Friends, in our opinion, is the best
• VIP – this is relatively new to Brighton. But in its short time in the city it has well and truly made a splash with its truly authentic Italian pizza house

So, there you have it, our guide to a weekend away in Brighton. We hope you’ll have a fun-filled stay whilst you’re visiting. Enjoy!