Sussex Theatres Festivals Art Cinema Chichester Brighton Rye Festival Glyndebourne

Brighton Theatres, Festivals & Cinema

Brighton essentially offers one of the best theatre and cinema city breaks in England. With a host of outstanding award winning entertainment venues including the historic Brighton Theatre Royal and one of the world's first picturehouse cinemas - the Duke of York's, the city is renowned for its choice of cultural festivals hosted by a huge choice of venues, many of which are centrally clustered around the Cultural Quarter.

For the best comedy nights in the South look to the informal and friendly Komedia or for big names in pop and rock book a concert at the Brighton Centre. As well as the Brighton big venues - the Brighton Dome, Brighton Centre and the Theare Royal, Brighton is renowned for its Fringe performances and offers a choice of more intimate venues serving up the very best in cutting edge drama including the Nightingale Theatre with patron Steven Berkoff and the University of Brighton's Sallis Benney Theatre.

If Edinburgh is the north's premier festival city, then Brighton is where it's at festival wise in the south. Boasting a full year programme of festivals hosted in the city's huge choice of Entertainment venues including the Brighton Dome and numerous clubs, Brighton covers all the festival themes from Pride to Music to Food and Comedy. Look out for the new White Night End of Summer Festival to be held annually at the end of October.

The big Brighton International Festival and Festival Fringe runs across May annually and now ranks as one of the UK's top festival events. Brighton also offers not one but two spectacular Pride events, the Summer July/August Gay Festival and Winter Pride Festival in February. Highlights include one of the best and most colourful Pride Parades you're likely to see towards the end of Brighton's Summer Pride. The parade culminates in the big festival event at Preston Park. Brighton's festival choice is endless from kite festivals to the big Great Escape Music Festival featuring the best of new talent. Brighton resident Fatboyslim hits Brighton Beach for the annual Beach Boutique event and the Brighton & Hove Food Festival runs annually through September with feature events including Fish on the front and food markets on Hove Green and at Brighton Racecourse. Book early is the general advice for Brighton Festivals as all are popular events in the south.

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Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester Festivities Festival & Arts

Chichester is one of the best cities in the UK for theatre breaks. The striking and unique hexagonal Chichester Festival Theatre has played host to outstanding stellar performances since its inception in the early 1960s, launching first with Sir Laurence Olivier as artistic director. The roots of the National Theatre Company can be traced here to the Chichester Festival Theatre under Olivier's directorship between 1962-65. Chichester Festival Theatre alongside the adjacent smaller studio theatre the Minerva offers an exciting programme of classic and new cutting edge drama including frequent Shakespeare performances.

Chichester also boasts one of Britain's best galleries for British 20th century art - the Pallant House Art Gallery and the Oxmarket Arts Centre contains six exhibition spaces displaying both local and international art. Chichester is a city of festivals with the Chichester Festivities taking place annually in July across various Chichester venues plus other festivals and events running throughout the year including the Jazz in the City Weekend, the Festival of Flowers at Chichester Cathedral and a host of festivals and events in the Chichester area including the July Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Selsey Festival in August.

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Worthing Theatres & The Dome Cinema

The largest of the West Sussex Coast seaside towns, Worthing retains much of its elegant seaside heritage architecture including the spectacular seafront Baroque Edwardian Worthing Pavilion and the old Edwardian Kursaal leisure centre now the magnificent Worthing Dome Cinema. Oscar Wilde visited the town in the late 1800s and whilst here wrote 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. Worthing theatres include the art deco fronted Connaught Theatre, the seafront Worthing Pavilion with its unique ornate stage and the excellent sound quality at the Assembly Hall where you'll often find the Worthing Symphony Orchestra performing.

The striking Worthing Pavilion Theatre sits at the end of the pier on Worthing seafront. A stunning Edwardian baroque style building, Worthing's Pavilion dates from 1926 and serves as Worthing's number one entertainment venue.

Worthing's seafront jewel is the Dome Cinema, first opened as an Edwardian Kursaal in 1911 with dance hall, roller-skating, a tearoom and billiards. From 1921 the Dome was a cinema and stands today as one of the great cinema survival stories.

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Eastbourne Theatres & The New Art Gallery

Eastbourne is the Sussex East Coast's premier location for theatre breaks. Four outstanding theatres are in the town including the spectacular Victorian theatres Devonshire Park, Winter Garden and the Royal Hippodrome Theatre as well as the modern purpose built Congress Theatre and Conference Venue. Two of Eastbourne's three heritage theatres are Grade II Listed.

The Grade II Listed Devonshire Park Theatre is the work of architect Henry Currey who was responsible for the design of many of the heritage buildings around the Devonshire area of Eastbourne. The hand of the great theatre designer Frank Matcham is also here. Matcham was responsible for improvements to the Devonshire Park in 1903. This is one of the great small Victorian theatres in Britain and today's programme is a fine mix of drama, comedy and children's theatre as well as the annual celebrated Christmas pantomime. The nearby modern large Congress Theatre plays host to Evening Talks, comedy, big musicals, concerts, ballet and big glamour shows.

Also Grade II Listed and designed by Henry Currey is Eastbourne's Winter Garden dating from 1875. The Floral Hall inside started life as a skating rink reverting to a concert hall in summer. Refurbished throughout in the mid 1990s, Winter Garden hosts a mix of children's theatre, comedy clubs, tea dances, musical proms and popular wrestling spectaculars! Finally the stunning Victorian Royal Hippodrome Theatre, which first opened in 1883 then called the New Theatre Royal & Opera House, is Eastbourne's music hall home. All the greats of music hall have performed here including Gracie Fields and Max Miller. You are touching theatre heritage indeed in Eastbourne which stands with the best, Brighton and Blackpool, for spectacular heritage Victorian theatres.

Together with the cluster of heritage theatres in this area west of Eastbourne Pier the soon to open New Art Gallery (expected Spring 2009) will be one of the best of the South East's new Art Galleries. The New Art Gallery will house Eastbourne's own outstanding Towner Art Collection which consists of over 4000 artworks covering a broad range of oils, watercolours, prints, sculpture and more. Artists featuring in the collection include Sickert, Picasso, Henry Moore, Victor Pasmore and Eastbourne's famous son Eric Ravilious who taught at Eastbourne School of Art.

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Hastings Theatre, Cinema & New Stade Art Gallery

Two outstanding theatres and an independent digital cinema are in Hastings. Just opposite Hastings Pier sits the White Rock Theatre, a top spot in Hastings for big shows including musicals and concerts. The main auditorium here is huge accommodating over 1000 people. An art gallery, cafe and bar are all on-site and the Sussex Hall within is a popular venue for functions, events and smaller shows accommodating up to 300 seated.

The Stables Theatre and Arts Centre sits on the eastern side of the town in the Old Town area. Nine changing art exhibitions are held here through the year alongside an exciting programme of drama and youth theatre. The Stables sits within a character 18th century building and first opened its doors as a theatre in Hastings in 1959.

Also in Hastings Old Town sits the Electric Palace Cinema. A wide choice of films are on show here in this independent digital cinema inclusive of mainstream, classic and world cinema. The cinema often holds special events including ones featuring archive film footage on Hastings and the town's Fishing Heritage.

Exciting plans are underway for the development of a New Art Gallery on the historic Hastings Stade seafront. The Jerwood Foundation holds an extensive collection of 20th and 21st century British art which as yet has never been on display to the public. In conjunction with Hastings Borough Council and East Sussex County Council the Jerwood Foundation plans to build a cutting edge art gallery to be sited in the area where the coach and lorry park is currently located on the Stade. Great news for Hastings, the New Gallery is expected to open in 2011. Together with the New Art Gallery in Eastbourne (opening Spring 2009) and cutting edge contemporary art at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, the East Sussex Coast is set to be a major art hub in the south in the years to come. Find out more about the New Hastings Stade Art Gallery and the Jerwood Foundation via the weblinks right.

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Arundel Festival & Concerts

Ten full days of the best of theatre, music, art and comedy feature in the annual late August Arundel Festival centred around Arundel Castle. Recent artists appearing in the Arundel Festival have included the Brighton band The Levellers, the Yorkshire born soprano Lesley Garrett and the ever popular Shakespeare performances including recently A Midsummer Nights Dream.

Early booking is always recommended as the Arundel Festival, with firework finales and picnic open style concerts is incredibly popular. The castle also plays host to frequent opera performances and alongside the Arundel Festival runs the Arundel Gallery Trail displaying artwork from established artists and new talent around Arundel venues.

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Charleston Farmhouse & the Bloomsbury Group South Downs

Charleston Farmhouse, country retreat of the Bloomsbury artists, sits just off the A27 near Firle Beacon. This stunning 17th century house set within the South Downs was the home of artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant from 1916 who, influenced by Post-Impressionists such as Picasso and Cezanne, transformed Charleston into the glorious place you see today. The house is essentially a work of art with painted doors, walls, exquisite furniture and textiles. Equally stunning is the surrounding walled garden crammed with colourful flowers, mosaics, ponds and sculptures.

Charleston served as a country retreat and meeting place for the Bloomsbury group of writers, artists and intellectuals who included Virginia and Leonard Woolf, E.M.Forster, Roger Fry, Clive Bell and John Maynard Keynes. The decorative art by Bell and Grant here at Charleston is particularly special as this is the only domestic decorative art of theirs which survives.

A huge selection of events and exhibitions take place at Charleston through the year including the Charleston Festival in late May annually.

The Charleston Trust, Charleston Firle, Lewes East Sussex BN8 6LL. Visitor Information Tel. 01323 811265. For opening times and details on exhibits and events see Charleston's comprehensive webguide.

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Glyndebourne Opera House South Downs

The legendary famous opera house in the South Downs, Glyndebourne has a history stretching back over 70 years.

The award winning opera house at Glyndebourne was rebuilt in the 1990s followed by the additional Jerwood Studio in 2001. Acclaimed for its opera worldwide, Glyndebourne is one of the most famous opera houses in Britain and commands the most beautiful setting here within the South Downs. See the forthcoming programme and details of Glyndebourne's touring dates and annual summer festival via the Glyndebourne webguide.

Glyndebourne, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 5UU. Switchboard Tel. 01273 812321. Box Office Tel.01273 815000.

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Glynde Place & Festivals South Downs

Spectacular Glynde Place, home to Viscount and Viscountess Hampden, sits south of Lewes within the South Downs with views across to the Weald. The Glynde Manor House is Elizabethan, dating from 1589 with extensive renovations carried out in the 18th century. Other historic buildings on the Glynde estate include a stable block, church and the famous wyverns on the pillars situated at the end of Glynde's drive. Treasures await inside Glynde Place including numerous portraits, china and embroidery collections, historic furniture and silver collected over the centuries by the three families that have lived here.

The surrounding gardens are equally spetacular and include a sculpture garden and wooded copse with South Downs backdrop. The renowned Glynde Place Food & Drink Festival takes place annually over a weekend in September and Glynde Place holds various events through the year. For forthcoming events and details on the history of the Manor House and Gardens see the Glynde Place webguide.

Glynde Place, Glynde, East Sussex BN8 6SX. Tel.01273 858 224.

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