Brighton Pride: Event build starts in Preston Park

The grass in Preston Park has been covered in multicoloured dotted lines and scribblings, forming a number of shapes, symbols and words.

Much of the park also has freshly-cut grass, creating clear routes across the main green on its north west side.

Brighton Pride's Fabuloso In The Park event is being held next weekend - with the Black Eyed Peas and Steps to headline the festival.

Fabuloso will take over the park with a huge stage, bars and space for thousands of revellers as they celebrate one of the most popular Pride events.

Markings to show where the wheelchair platform will be (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

But making this event take place is no easy feat. It will take hundreds of workers to prepare the site, construct the stages and run the bars.

The build stage of the festival starts tonight, with sections of Preston Park being shut off while scaffold, truss and cabling is lifted into place.

A previous wall at Brighton Pride (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

This will be closely followed by a huge perimeter wall on Sunday, sectioning off the park and making it impossible to look in.

So that festival construction workers know where to install the stage, walls and other tents, markings have been sprayed across the park to highlight where the structures should go.

A spray paint marking for 'steps' (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

There is even a marker for where Sunday's headline act should stand... or for a structure of the same name.

Backstage areas, bars, and even portaloos have all been marked out to reflect how the festival will look ahead of the big event next weekend.

Markings for the press tent (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

A spokesman for Brighton Pride said: "Pride takes safety very seriously and has worked with the council and our safety team to agree safe areas for park users and safe working areas for our build crew.

"We’re also providing fencing, security and lighting for customers exiting the park along Preston Road at the end of both Pride events in the park."

Organisers will test lighting at both 9pm on Thursday, August 3 and Friday, August 4. Soundchecks will run between 10am and 7pm on Friday, August 4.

"Pride recognises the inconvenience to residents over the weekend and we endeavour each year to have good communication and hope that residents will take the opportunity to visit our residents page so we can keep everyone informed of any new developments."

Information signs have been installed around the park (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Counter-terrorism police have been employed to keep the event safe, installing further security gates at the north and south end of Preston Road.

The counter-terror security co-ordinator for Sussex Police said: "It is my role to advise on proportionate recommendations in order to deliver a safe and secure event for all.

"We look at a range of options and this will include physical barriers and protective measures.

"As you may have seen on previous events, both in Brighton and nationwide, one of the most obvious measures is the vehicle barriers that we deploy around the event footprint.

"This is intended to provide a safe and secure area around the events for Pride 2023. We use the minimum number of barriers possible to achieve this whilst seeking to cause the minimal amount of disruption to the city and residents, all the while providing an appropriate level of security for the event and local community.

“I hope that the deployment of these barriers assures you of the importance of the security that both Pride and Sussex Police place on this event and that your safety is our priority."