If you’re on a budget there’s no need to despair. Brighton can provide you with plenty of fun free things to do. From nights out to day trips, here is our guide to Free Things To Do In Brighton.
Club Nights & Live Music
Green Door Store:
The Green Door Store is a late night bar, live music venue and nightclub located directly underneath Brighton Railway Station. It is on of Brighton’s beloved live music hubs. The bar is always free entry and the whole venue becomes free entry after 11pm daily. It hosts up to 14 events per week, and is one of the best venues for alternative and heavier music. It’s impressive variety means the Green Door Store can guarantee even that friend with niche music taste will be enticed.
The Bee’s Mouth:
Small but packing a punch with specialty beers from Belgium and around the world, this pokey bar has the appeal of an Amsterdam coffee shop. Dark. Mysterious. Yet buzzing with activity. The Bees Mouth is by no means your average bar. Hosting a wide range of special interest events held every week, from life drawing to open mic nights, jazz forums, cinema and DJs . With most events held here being free entry.
Markets & Craft Fairs
Brighton Craft Alliance:
The Brighton Craft Alliance hold curated art, craft and vintage fairs showcasing the brightest local talents in contemporary art, craft, design and vintage purveyors. Events are held monthly in and around Brighton, with stalls offering a wide range of goods including jewellery, fashion, ceramics, home accessories, furniture, bath and beauty products, screen printed art and paper goods to name a few.
The Fairy Tale Fair:
The Fairy Tale Fair is a well-established and well-loved craft fair in Brighton with a loyal following of stall holders and customers at up to three venues. The fairs are a perfect opportunity to peruse a multitude of unique hand made crafts. Whether you’re there to buy or not, just walking around is a sight to behold and reason enough to check it out. Should you be convinced into a purchase you’ll also be supporting talented designers and makers, many of whom are local. Please note however, not all the fairs have free entry, check the website for details.
https://www.thefairytalefair.co.uk/
The Open Market:
The historic Open Market underwent a major redevelopment in 2014 and is now home to over 50 of Brighton’s most talented and knowledgeable local producers and creators. With a strong focus on fresh nutritious foods and ethical products, the market has a range of traditional market stalls. You can find : butchers, fishmongers, eggs, Greengrocers. But also offers plenty beyond food, such as: art, crafts, fashions, antiques, haberdashery, tools, garden goods and more.
Theatre & Comedy
Brighton Fringe Festival:
Brighton Fringe is the largest arts festival in England and one of the largest fringe festivals in the world. It takes place for four weeks every May, with over 700 individual events, almost a quarter of which are free. It is a completely open-access festival which means anyone can put on an event. Expect the unexpected! featuring everything from music to dance to theatre and comedy.
I once saw a Dutch man tell the story of Franz Reichelt, a man who died jumping off of the Eiffel Tower testing his parachute.It was strangely enthralling helped by the intimacy of the performance, with it taking place in what was essentially a shipping container. As a free show it was certainly worth it, I watched this performance as a teenager almost ten years ago, and even now it firmly sticks in my mind. That’s the great thing about the Brighton Fringe, you can soak up the atmosphere of the festival and enjoy some of the unique inventive shows without spending a penny!
Free Comedy:
Brighton is full of fantastic comedy gigs year round but sometimes seeing so many shows can get expensive! Thankfully, there are a few venues around the city that put on free comedy evenings on a regular basis with everything from panel shows to stand-up. A couple of these venues are The Victory Inn and The Quadrant, see their individual websites for details.
Museums & Exhibitions
Royal Pavilion:
Have a wander around this extraordinary and extravagant pleasure palace which was built for the Prince Regent and later King George IV, between 1787 and 1823. The beautiful palace inspired by the Taj Mahal is packed with stunning art and décor, inspired by Chinese myth and legend.
It costs money to explore the inside, but the grounds are free to peruse, and makes the perfect spot for a picnic. The Pavilion gardens are beautiful all the way round, with wonderfully well-kept flower beds and shady trees. The gardens provide a great vantage point for taking in the Pavilion in all its’ glory. The Brighton Museum is also situated in these grounds and has a small entrance fee.
Hove Museum & Art Gallery:
Step into a world of toys, cinema, local history, and fine art. Hove Museum & Art Gallery also boasts one of the finest craft collections in the country, and is an oasis of learning and enjoyment for everyone. Entrance is free.
Booth Museum of Natural History:
Founded by Edward Booth in 1874 the Booth Museum is all about birds, butterflies, fossils, bones and skeletons. A particular highlight is the fossil and bone collections which date back to when dinosaurs and woolly rhinos roamed Sussex. Entrance is free.
Galleries:
There’s a huge range of art galleries across the City who regularly put on free shows throughout the year displaying work from local and national artists. Some of our favourites include Ink-d, Fabrica and ONCA.
Sightseeing
Devils Dyke:
The legendary Devils Dyke is a beauty spot and National Trust site on the South Downs. At nearly a mile long, the Dyke valley is the longest, deepest and widest ‘dry valley’ in the UK. It provides a spectacular view across Sussex. Find the Iron Age hill fort and the curious Victorian funfair or take a walk into the valley to discover the many wild flowers and insects. It’s easy to get to by car, footpath or public transport so it is a perfect country getaway from the centre.
The Piers
Brighton Pier:
Of course, no trip to Brighton would be complete without a stroll along Brighton pier! Perfect for getting great views or photos of the whole Brighton and Hove seafront. Stare out at the inescapable horizon and take in that fresh yet salty seaside air. Should you have money to spend there are food kiosks, an arcade, a Restaurant and even a large selection of rides and parlour games. It is arguably one of Brighton’s biggest attractions and can be enjoyed without spending a penny!
West Pier:
Although there may not actually be a pier there anymore, the West Pier still remains a huge attraction, and is among the most photographed sights in Brighton. The Pier is best enjoyed at sunset, Starlings often flock to settle atop the piers eerie remains as the night draws in. Sadly, these birds are in decline as a species, but thousands still flock to Brighton’s seafront. Making for an unforgettable sight .
Brighton Beach:
Perhaps an obvious one, but access to the whole of Brighton and Hove beach is totally free! Take a picnic, your swimming costume, or a book and relax to the sounds of the ocean. The promenade benches are ideal for people watching, and there is always something happening. Be it a dance class on the bandstand, a basketball match, or the locals walking their dogs. Plus if you do want to spend some money, there is quite the choice of wonderful bars, cafes and restaurants to choose from.
Parks
Kings Road Playground:
Situated right next to the beach on the west side of the West Pier. It is fully enclosed, with a paddling pool and lots of great playground equipment. Cafe’s and toilets are nearby. Naturally, it’s a firm favourite with Brighton locals and is always busy during the summer.
The Level:
Re-opened in summer 2013 with fantastic new facilities a lovely playground. It also boasts one of the best Skate parks in the South of England. It’s busy no matter what time of day filled with skaters, bikers and everything in between. The playground is fenced has a drinking fountain, bins and picnic benches. Perfect for an after-school visit or a weekend day out!
St Ann’s Wells:
A short walk from Hove seafront. It is a treat for tree-lovers and will appeal to young and old alike. Nature conservation is particularly important to the park. The park contains a scented garden that will take you on a sensory journey and a bustling pond complete with a biological filter system.
Queens Park:
Occupies a beautiful green valley facing south east towards the Channel. It has a large pond, a café, a well equipped playground and 22 acres of rolling lawns. It sits on a steep slope, in walking distance of the sea and has one and a half miles of footpaths that meander around and through the grounds.
Hove Park:
Lastly, Hove Park is an enormous 40 acres. Featuring a mix of large areas of open grass, tree clusters, flower beds and recreational facilities. The ‘Fingermaze’ sits at the eastern edge of the Park. Its a public sculpture carved into the park, lined with stone and lime mortar. Hove Park’s great claim to fame, the Goldstone, weighing about 20 tons, is commonly believed to have been used by the Druids for worship. The shape of a human face is clearly visible in the stone. Gaze upon the face and unlock the secrets of Druidism, should you be worthy.
