Brighton pub screening Love Island on big screens

As England’s hopes of a second major football trophy came to an end on Sunday night, many thought that would signal the conclusion of big screening viewing in Brighton pubs this summer.

But The Dover Castle in Southover Street, Hanover, has decided to make use of their outside viewing area and broadcast ITV2’s Love Island.

• READ MORE: Love Island star has decision to make after going on date with three boys

Bar worker Anna Kiff said they hope to entice a younger customer pool by showing the reality TV show.

“We were showing the Euro’s and at the start there was something on the TVs throughout the whole week,” she said.

“Because Love Island is such a big thing in this country in terms of popular culture and young people, we thought it’d be a good thing to bring into the pub.”

The Dover Castle is showing Love Island on its big screens

Anna said while some students frequent the pub, broadcasting the popular TV show may bring in more.

“We thought it’d bring in young people and on the quieter nights, it can just go on in the background for people to watch if they want,” she said.

“It’s just something fun and a bit different – especially for Hanover standards anyway.”

The British reality dating show sees contestants enter a villa in Sant Llorenc des Cardassar, Mallorca, in a quest to find love.

Far away from the sun-kissed beaches of the Balearic Islands, Anna said the Hanover pub has never taken the plunge to show anything other than sport, until now.

“We used to have live music at the pub before the pandemic, but nothing else on the TV,” she said.

“If it goes well, then it goes well. If it doesn’t and not a lot of people come in, then we won’t do it again. It’s more of an experiment for us.”

The bar worker said a number of people have already been in to the pub to ask about whether they will be able to watch Love Island in the coming weeks.

“There is certainly some interest in it,” she said.

“The first couple of weeks of the show are always a bit slow, so once the series gets a bit more interesting and we promote it, we’ll get more people in I’m sure.”

The Dover Castle is showing Love Island on its big screens in the beer garden

This series of Love Island also has a Brighton connection, with star Lucinda Strafford having dated Albion footballer Aaron Connolly.

The 21-year-old from Brighton, who was in a relationship with the footballer for two years, says she applied for the reality show because she is ready to find love.

Love Island is on six nights of the week from Sunday to Friday, and is due to run until August 20, where the winning couple will walk away with £50,000.