Festival Information
South East
Overview
Brighton Fringe is England's largest open-access arts festival, presenting events across Brighton and Hove. Its programme spans theatre, comedy, cabaret, circus, dance, music, spoken word, visual art, workshops, family events and experimental performance.
Open access means artists and producers register their own events and work with participating venues rather than being selected for a centrally curated programme. This creates a broad programme featuring emerging performers, established artists and independent companies in both conventional and unusual spaces.
Brighton Fringe operates independently from Brighton Festival, although the two festivals overlap in the city's cultural calendar.
Line-up
View the official programme to browse events by date, genre, venue, price and accessibility.
Festival Attendance: ≈ 80,000 ticketed attendances
This is an approximate cumulative figure across the festival's multi-venue programme rather than a single-site capacity. Recent official reporting recorded more than 80,000 ticketed attendances for one edition, while the following festival sold 77,726 tickets. Free and unticketed activity is additional, and overall attendance varies with the programme.
First held: 20062027 edition: 22nd
Location
Brighton Fringe takes place across multiple venues in central Brighton & Hove, with a focal point at Brighton Fringe Box Office & Artist Hub, Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Brighton BN1 1SD.
Travel Info
Most Brighton Fringe venues are clustered in the city centre within walking distance of Brighton railway station, the seafront and the Lanes, so it’s easy to move between shows on foot or by local bus.
For up-to-date details on trains, coaches, buses and cycling, see the official Brighton Fringe Travel page.
Festival Venues
Brighton Fringe is an open-access festival, so performances pop up in pubs, theatres, pop-up spaces, gardens and outdoor sites spread across the city rather than on a single contained site.
You’ll find programme and venue details for each show on the Fringe What's On page. You can also browse their Venues page which includes a useful map view of registered Fringe venues.
Tickets
Basic Price Range: Free - £40
This approximate range covers free events and paid performances across the programme. Prices are set by individual event organisers and booking fees may apply. Always check the official event listing for current prices.
Brighton Fringe tickets are sold per individual event. Browse the official programme and book via the What’s On page.
Ticket Options
- Individual event tickets
- Pay What You Want tickets
- Concession and Friends offers for selected events
- Free events
Some free events require advance booking because space is limited, while others are unticketed. Events may be sold through the Brighton Fringe box office or an authorised venue or producer; follow the booking link in the official event listing.
Useful links
Important Ticket Information
Use the official Brighton Fringe event listings and their authorised booking links. Check the event, venue, performance time, age guidance, accessibility information and any booking fees before purchasing.
Accommodation
Visitors staying overnight can choose from hotels, guest houses, hostels, apartments and other accommodation across Brighton and Hove. Central accommodation can be convenient for many venues, but Brighton Fringe is spread throughout the city, so check the locations of planned events before booking.
For accommodation options, visit the Visit Brighton website.
Packing Checklist:
Ensure you are fully prepared for your festival adventure with Festival Calendar UK's Packing Checklist.
Accessibility
Brighton Fringe promotes accessible performances across its registered venues. Accessibility icons on each event listing indicate features such as step-free access, hearing loops, relaxed performances and content guidance.
You can filter events by accessibility needs via the official What’s On page.
Personal Assistant Tickets
Personal Assistants are entitled to a free ticket when attending with someone they support. To arrange this, contact the Brighton Fringe Box Office at boxoffice@brightonfringe.org.
Additional Support
- The Compass Card is accepted for eligible under 25s in Brighton and Hove, offering concessionary rates and free personal assistant tickets.
- Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyards are recognised across the festival.
- Printed and digital programme formats are available to support digital inclusion.
For full and up-to-date accessibility guidance, including venue and performance access information, visit the official Accessibility page.
