Brighton (UK) : Tourist Information
September 24th, 2010 by Mark Walters, under Vacation Destinations. No Comments
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.
Brighton is proud to host over fifty festivals every year. The biggest is the Brighton Festival which takes place in May. It has an illustrious 44 year history and is the biggest festival of its kind in England. This arts festival has international dance, music, literature and theatre on its programme, making sure there’s something for everyone. The Brighton Festival Fringe is a fast growing open access arts festival, meaning anyone can put on an event.
With far more museums than should be possible for its size, there is a collection in Brighton for everyone. Photography lovers are delighted by the North Laine Photography Gallery and nature lovers flock to The Booth Museum of Natural History. Various art galleries are dotted around the city, with the biggest being the state-of-the-art Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. There is a Toy and Model Museum and even a Fishing Museum.
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.
Brighton has an illustrious reputation both behind and in front of the camera. Pioneering photographers and film makers set up studios in the city and Brighton has featured in cinema’s most popular films, including Brighton Rock and The End of the Affair. Film lovers can treat themselves to a showing at the Duke of York’s Picturehouse, the oldest working cinema in the country and the annual Cine-City film festival is a must for film buffs.
Cultural and creative, Brighton has put itself on the map.
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