Sep/100
Day Trips : A Cultural Look At Brighton (England)
Brighton may be one of Britain's most popular seaside towns, but it certainly isn't lacking when it comes to culture. The council has invested heavily in the cultural sector and has capitalized on its popularity with London's jet-set. Brighton's reputation for cultural cool is growing.
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.
More than fifty festivals take place each year in Brighton, including May's Brighton Festival which is the largest arts festival in England. For 44 years, Brighton has led the way with amazing line-ups and productions. 2010 saw Brian Eno at the helm as Guest Artistic Director and his 77 Million Paintings exhibition broke all previous attendance records. Also in May is the Brighton Festival Fringe with art, cabaret, music, comedy and film events. Artists' work is showcased in The Great Escape and Artist's Open Houses.
For its size Brighton has an enormous amount of museums. From the state-of-the-art Brighton Museum and Art Gallery with its 20th century art and displays to Preston Manor in all its Edwardian splendour on the outskirts of the city, there is a museum for all tastes.
Entertainment is never hard to come by in Brighton and there are three major venues to choose from. Top bands play regularly at the Brighton Centre. The Theatre Royal Brighton invites stellar casts from top West End productions and produces its own shows too. Lastly, for everything from Shakespeare to one-man shows, visitors should look no further than Brighton Dome.
Film buffs visiting Brighton shouldn't miss a chance to see an independent film at the Duke of York's Picturehouse, the oldest working cinema in the country. The Cine-City festival is held in Brighton annually and bears testament to the city's long association with film making. Brighton Rock and Quadrophenia both filmed segments here and film makers once set up studios in the city.
Be it art, film, theatre or architecture, Brighton has enough to satisfy the most ardent culture lover.
Continue : Brighton Hotels