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Brighton Festival is back. The city’s annual celebration of the arts returns from 3–26 May 2025, and once again, the University of Sussex is at the heart of the festival as its official Higher Education Partner.

Brighton Festival is the largest annual curated multi-arts festival in England, bringing a vibrant mix of music, theatre, dance, circus, art, film, literature and debate to communities and venues across the city.

Look out for the Festival of Ideas: a dynamic programme of talks, events, and activities led by the School of Media, Arts and Humanities at the University of Sussex. Now in its fourth year as part of the official Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival programme, it continues to bring academic expertise to the festival line-up. By harnessing the transformative power of the arts and humanities it aims to fashion new ways of thinking about the past, present, and future.

This year’s Festival of Ideas offers a thought-provoking series of events, from the hidden textures of nature to the power of music and protest. Experience the world through sound with Nature Unseen, an exhibition showcasing work by sight-impaired artists, or dive into Britain’s underground music scene with the Post-Rave Britain Archive Roadshow, an interactive journey through 30 years of rave culture.

Join us for this year’s Festival of Ideas, featuring:

Dawn Chorus Day: Following the success of Prof Alice Eldridge’s Birdbath (2024) we invite you to experience the magic of an early morning soundwalk through Stanmer Park followed by a community Ecosocial breakfast, 4 May, (£10/£8).

Nature Unseen: Experience nature through touch and sound in this immersive exhibition led by Dr Karis Petty. Discover the world of sight-impaired artists and their connection to Wakehurst’s botanic garden. Join a Q&A with the artists at Fabrica, 8 May, FREE.

Post-Rave Britain Archive Roadshow: Join Prof Ben Burbridge, Prof Lucy Robinson and Dr Chris Warne to celebrate Britain’s rave history with the Museum of Youth Culture. Green Door Store, Thu 8 May (object sharing 6.30pm, event 7.30pm) £10/£8, Ages 18+.

Discover Musical Live Coding: Dr. Chris Kiefer and PhD students Steve Symons and Dimitris Kyriakoudis will share their research and help you try live coding music and audiovisuals. Explore how live coding shapes electronic music and Algorave culture. Volks, 18 May, 11am–5pm, FREE, ages 5+.

Music of the Pan-African Revolution: Join Nzinga Soundz, Prof Martin Evans, Karina H-Maynard, and PhD student Lynda Rosenior-Patten for a journey through the music of resistance, from Soweto to New York. Ironworks Studio, 19 May, 7:30pm, £12.

Whose Streets? Mapping Places, Mapping Protests: Prof Pollyanna Ruiz explores Brighton & Hove’s response to far-right threats in 2024, crowdsourcing protest memories to map a powerful visual of resistance. Museum Lab, Brighton Museum, 20–25 May, FREE, 16+.

An Unidentified Syncretism: Stuart Hall Fellow Bleue Liverpool and musician Ibukun Sunday present an audio-visual exploration of Sussex’s port culture, inspired by Sussex alumnus Paul Gilroy’s work. Sussex Meeting House Chaplaincy, 23 May, 7:30pm | £5

Prof Robin Banerjee, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global & Civic Engagement), said: 

“We’re delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival as its official Higher Education Partner for Brighton Festival 2025.

From the activities on campus at our vibrant arts hub – the Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts – to our fantastic Festival of Ideas programme, we’re working together to expand access for everyone in our local community.

We’ve also recently deepened our collaboration with Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival with a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), strengthening our work across education, research, and community activities throughout the year. The agreement will support student experiences and further embed Sussex in Brighton’s vibrant cultural life.”

As Sussex is part of Brighton Festival, staff and students get unique access to the programme! Look out for ticket offers —we’ll be running prize draws to win free tickets and sharing ticket discount codes.

Brighton Festival takes place from 3-26 May 2025. 

Tickets are on sale from 10am, Thu 20 Feb.

Book Festival of Ideas events