BRIGHTON Festival kicks off tomorrow with several outdoor events and installations as the month-long celebration of the arts returns.
The opening bank holiday weekend will feature socially distanced events outside, including a mesmerising sound and light installation at Shoreham Port, interactive art in the Royal Pavilion Gardens, mobile poetry and self-guided performance street tours.
The city's multi-arts festival is the first to take place anywhere in the UK since lockdown.
On Saturday evening, a spectacular series of mechanical sculptures will light up the night-time backdrop of Shoreham Port with the world premiere of sound artist Ray Lee’s Points of Departure.
Small groups can witness digital performers climbing and dancing around the real streets and buildings of Brighton in the augmented reality performance trail, Up My Street, while cyclists can go on the Rider Spoke guided tour using a smartphone app, with narrators leading them to search for secret hiding places.
There will also be interactive art in the Royal Pavilion Gardens, a mobile installation of neon poems across the city and a free city-wide audio tour in HERstory, which uncovers the real stories of Brighton women and their experiences of living through the coronavirus pandemic.
Andrew Comben, chief executive of Brighton Festival said: “After such a difficult year, it’s really hard to believe this moment has arrived.
"The logistics of bringing these events together has taken an enormous amount of planning but it will all be worth it when we welcome audiences back, both outdoors and online for the opening weekend.
"We are enormously proud to be the first UK city to offer a multi-artform festival since lockdown began and our thanks go to Brighton and Hove City Council for their continued support and advice throughout this process.
"We hope visitors will enjoy the festival experience and we encourage them to continue to follow safety guidance so art and culture can continue to thrive in our city across the summer.”
Across the whole festival there will be 94 events, performances and installations, both as specially commissioned online projects, livestreams and across multiple outdoor and indoor locations extending from Brighton to Worthing.
The festival’s guest director this year is the British and Ethiopian poet, playwright and broadcaster, Lemn Sissay MBE.
All ticketed events must be booked in advance, with some free outdoor installations viewed as timed entry or accessible for 24 hours, to ensure the public’s safety.
For full event details and tickets, visit www.brightonfestival.org.
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