Brighton (England) – A Short Cultural Guide For Tourists
Brighton has always been popular with the London crowd. It was the Prince Regent who raised the city’s profile for he set up a royal court here second only to London. Thanks to his influence, Brighton is one of Britain’s top cultural destinations.
The architecture in Brighton is stunning. The John Nash designed Royal Pavilion takes centre stage and owes its grandeur to the Prince Regent’s own sense of style. Regency influenced streets and terraces can be found all over the city and the towns of Brunswick and Kemp were modeled on Bath and London. As Queen Victoria took the throne, Brighton changed and Victorian churches and hotels began to spring up and mixed beautifully with the existing Regency buildings.
More than fifty festivals grace the streets of Brighton each year and expose its residents and eager festival goers to art, theatre, music, film and comedy. The biggest and most popular is the Brighton Festival. In 2010 Brian Eno took control of the artistic direction and raised the attendance and the bar for future directors. In 2006 a Fringe Festival split from this main event and invited anyone and everyone to put on a show in what is becoming a rapidly growing festival. Artists get a chance to showcase their work thanks to various festivals in the calendar where Brighton is full of the creative muse.
Art, nature and photography are housed all over Brighton thanks to its many museums. The Booth Museum of Natural History has hundreds of fascinating exhibits, and literature and data spanning three centuries. Brighton Museum and Art Gallery is the biggest and most modern museum and houses 20th century works. Photography is put firmly on the map thanks to the Sydney Street Gallery and North Laine Photography Gallery.
The Brighton Centre on the beach front welcomes the latest bands and the Theatre Royal Brighton is a venue for top class West End productions, sometimes even before they go to London. Brighton Dome plays host to an eclectic mix of acts and productions and it isn’t unusual to see the latest stand-up comedian one night and a Shakespearean tragedy the next.
The Duke of York’s Picturehouse is the oldest working cinema in the country and is a far cry from the modern multiplexes. Film lovers will enjoy the atmosphere and the quirky films shown at this beautiful picture house.
Be it art, film, theatre or architecture, Brighton has enough to satisfy the most ardent culture lover.
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