12 Best things to see & do in Brighton

Brighton is still, first and foremost, a seaside resort, and its famous 524m-long pier – completed in 1899 – is a charming reminder of a tradition dating back to Victorian times.

Today, the pier is home to a collection of amusement arcades, sideshows, food stalls and fairground rides: kids will love the carousel and helter-skelter, while the more adventurous can brave the Turbo Coaster coaster to experience forces of nearly 4G.

It may be kitsch and old-fashioned, but Brighton Pier remains a vital part of British seaside history.

Built by the future King George IV between 1787 and 1823, the Royal Pavilion is an eccentric confection of British Raj-style architecture and oriental kitsch – and an essential part of Brighton’s Regency heritage.

Its exotic minarets are still a striking novelty against the English sky, while the interior, which has been carefully restored in the Far-East-inspired chinoiserie style favoured by its original owner, offers visitors a glimpse of the Prince Regent’s decadent lifestyle.

Visitors can explore the interiors, including a banqueting room, kitchens, and a music room where Rossini performed.

The United Kingdom wasn’t widely known for its wine until the mid-2010s, when a handful of brilliant wineries in the south of England started garnering buzz and winning awards, for excellent sparkling wines among other varieties.

The area lies on the same latitude as France’s Champagne region with the same limestone ridge, creating a similar quality of grape – and as climate change has nudged average temperatures up, the bumper crops have kept coming.

Ridgeview Winery led the way for the region, winning the prestigious Winemaker of the Year prize in 2018’s International Wine and Spirit Competition. Now there are enough established wineries around Sussex’s South Downs to create a wine-tasting itinerary, either as a day out from Brighton or London, or a short break in its own right.

Not as well-known as Edinburgh’s but more alternative in spirit, Brighton’s May festivals encompass food, live music, art and theatre at venues across the city.

If you want to hang with the locals, this criss-cross of streets leading down from the station has vegan eateries, vintage shops and a classic Brighton-boho vibe. The shopping here is better than in the more famous ‘Lanes’.

The tangle of narrow pedestrian lanes unfolding south of North Street is Brighton’s historic heart; old fisherman’s cottages now chock full of independent boutiques, jewellers, cafés and restaurants.

The south coast’s longest and fastest zip wire, Brighton Zip has two wires, meaning you can race a friend at 32m above sea level. Not for the feint hearted!

Set in Brighton’s Royal Pavilion complex, this eclectic collection is a hotchpotch of contemporary paintings, textiles, puppets, masks and eccentric furniture that delves into the history, art, and culture of the region. Some ancient Egyptian artefacts too – definitely not from Brighton.

Stroll around this donut-shaped glass pod as you ascend a 162m viewing mast in the centre of Brighton, offering you 360-degree views of city and coast.

Pick up a BTNbike (register on the website and then pay 3p per minute) and wheel along the seafront from buzzing Brighton beach to the more genteel Hove lawns.

A temple to nostalgic childhood moments, this quaint museum has toy trains and cars, stuffed toys and retrospectives of brands such as Lego. 

The world’s oldest aquarium, Brighton’s Sea Life Centre is best for little kids, with its walk-through aquarium tunnels and touch pools of starfish and anemones.