🐦 £1.4m Boost For Brighton Roads, West Pier Ruin Collapses Into Sea & Simon Pegg Halloween DJ Set!

Hello Brighton & Hove!

With Halloween night falling this Saturday, the city hasn’t waited for the weekend to get weird. There’s plenty to get stuck into throughout the week, from hip-hop royalty Grandmaster Flash at Concorde 2 to spooky true-crime drag at Komedia and full-blown rock anthems by candlelight. If you’re holding out for the main fright night itself, fear not: our Friday edition will be absolutely rammed with Halloween specials, so keep your eyes peeled.

In the meantime, let us dive into what is kicking off over the next few days.

Here Is What's Squawking This Week

📖 Bestselling author Elif Shafak explores identity at Theatre Royal.
🤠 Inclusive queer line dancing takes over Komedia with country anthems.
🏢 Edward Street wood store makes way for 20 new council flats.
🏫 Adjudicator orders council to rewrite secondary school admissions rules.
🎭 Rotunda Theatre barred from pitching geodesic domes for Brighton Fringe.

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🛣️ Brighton secures £1.4m boost as council defends road condition record

Brighton and Hove City Council has been awarded £1.4 million from the Department for Transport towards its £8.8 million highways maintenance programme. Transport lead Trevor Muten dismissed recent headlines claiming the city has the "worst roads in England", arguing that local figures appear higher because Brighton uses a more thorough inspection methodology than other local authorities.
→ read more on BBC News

🏛️ Brighton MP challenges ministers over Jackdaw gas field approval

Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven MP Chris Ward questioned energy ministers in the House of Commons over the government's decision to approve the Jackdaw North Sea gas project. Ward raised concerns that the move sends the wrong signal regarding Britain's climate commitments and questioned whether it serves as a prelude to approving the Rosebank oil field.
→ read more on Brighton and Hove News

⛺ Council under fire as emergency shelters stay shut during coastal storms

Green councillor Bruno De Oliveira has criticised the council after emergency cold-weather shelters remained closed during Storms Austen and Boelo. Council housing leads explained that the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) requires temperatures feeling like 0°C or an amber warning, meaning the storms' yellow warnings did not trigger activation.
→ read more on Brighton and Hove News

🏫 Schools adjudicator partially upholds objections to secondary admissions rules

The Office of the Schools Adjudicator has ordered Brighton and Hove City Council to amend its secondary admissions criteria for September 2027 following objections from parents. While the expanded sibling link across catchment areas was upheld, the adjudicator ruled that the council's revised free school meals priority and opt-in waiting list rules lacked clarity.
→ read more on Brighton and Hove News

🌊 Section of historic West Pier collapses into sea during Storm Austen

A significant section of Brighton’s derelict West Pier ruin collapsed into the sea as Storm Austen brought gale-force winds to the Sussex coastline. The West Pier Trust confirmed that the Grade I-listed structure remains in an ongoing state of active collapse and warned members of the public to stay well clear of the dangerous remains.
→ read more on Brighton and Hove News

🏢 Council plans five-storey block of flats to replace Edward Street wood store

Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee is set to approve proposals to demolish 1970s Oakley House to make way for 20 council homes. The five-storey development on the corner of Edward Street and Tillstone Street faces 15 objections from neighbours regarding building height, overshadowing, and proximity to the East Cliff Conservation Area.
→ read more on Brighton and Hove News

🏬 Asian grocer Century 18 leaves Open Market amid management row

Century 18 Asian grocers has closed down at Brighton’s Open Market, citing rent hikes, soaring service charges, and a ban on selling hot dim sum. Market operators claimed the long-standing trader was evicted after accumulating rent arrears, marking the second prominent departure from the market this year following The Fruit Bowl.
→ read more on Brighton and Hove News

Also in the news:

💡 Council hands out free bike lights as evenings draw in: Council officers are distributing temporary bicycle lights, reflective stickers, and high-visibility rucksack covers across five city locations this week to promote autumn road safety.
→ read more on The Argus

🏗️ Objections mount over 12-storey flats scheme above scrap metal yard: Developer QED faces opposition to plans for 66 affordable flats at Richardson’s Yard on New England Street over concerns about excessive building height and industrial noise from the metal recycler below.
→ read more on Brighton and Hove News

🎭 Rotunda Theatre excluded from Brighton Fringe after five years: Production company Grist to the Mill has hit out at festival organisers after being barred from setting up its geodesic domes in Regency Square for Brighton Fringe 2027.
→ read more on Brighton and Hove News

🍣 Sushi Co faces hearing over 3am late-night delivery licence: The Sushi Co on Western Road is seeking permission to deliver Japanese food until 3am daily, facing a resident objection over noise disturbance from waiting delivery drivers.
→ read more on Brighton and Hove News

🌊 Brighton RNLI urges sea safety as back-to-back storms batter coast: Volunteer lifeboat crews warned sightseers to keep well back from breaking waves, sea walls, and groynes after Storms Austen and Boelo brought dangerous coastal sea conditions.
→ read more on Brighton and Hove News

🏆 Brighton microbiologist wins prestigious John Snow public health prize: Professor James Ebdon of the University of Brighton has received the 2026 AMI John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize for his research tackling water-borne disease outbreaks worldwide.
→ read more on The Argus

👨‍👧 Brighton dad launches national community to support fathers: Former gym manager Tyler Wilde has launched One Dad To Another, running family coffee mornings and campaigning for improved workplace paternity rights.
→ read more on The Argus

🪩 JoyBop

⏰ Weekly Sessions: Friday Mornings, Monday & Tuesday Evenings
📍 Hove & Shoreham

I first met Tess at a rooftop pop-up put on by the Brighton Wellness Festival earlier this summer, and it was love at first sight. It can take a minute for any of us to get over ourselves and start bopping around in public, but once you let go and start moving, watching the room light up with genuine, unfiltered happiness is pure magic.

Tess is a movement facilitator, medicine path walker, and someone who pours pure heart and warmth into our community. She is openly anti-racist, pro LGBTQ+, and anti-genocide, and believes that joy, community and embodied freedom are deeply connected to justice and humanity. Through JoyBop (which many will remember fondly from its MumRave roots), she has built a space where all bodies are welcomed exactly as they are. Forget counting calories, rigid choreography, or intimidation. Tess pairs big laughs and brilliant, DJ-curated playlists of DnB, house, and world beats to help people reconnect with their bodies in a way that feels safe, playful, and completely alive. Beyond the music and movement, Tess also walks a deeply rooted path with sacred plant medicine, quietly opening subtle, transformative doorways for those feeling called to explore personal healing a little deeper.

Right now, you can catch her regular classes on Friday mornings (little ones welcome, too), along with her evening JoyBop Nights on Mondays and Tuesdays. Beyond her public classes, Tess also works directly with businesses of all sizes, crafting bespoke on-site or off-site movement sessions that serve as the ultimate team-building reset for workplaces in need of an energising, joyful shake-up. Tess is an absolute gem doing work that matters, and I cannot recommend her events enough.

🔗 Explore upcoming classes
🔗 Follow @joybopdance on Instagram

🌊 The Seahorse

I've been planning to visit this place because delicious food paired with stunning views is a no-brainer to me. Sitting on the top floor of the Milkmaid Pavilion with a drink in hand, looking straight out towards the old West Pier, the setting is unbeatable.

As a pescatarian, I find coastal menus can be pretty hit-or-miss, but the kitchen here genuinely knows how to handle fish. I kept things simple with a selection of their seasonal seafood small plates, and every dish delivered on fresh, clean flavours without any fuss. Good food, a cold pint, and that unmatched panoramic view over the water make it well worth dropping by.

Midweek dining is an absolute steal here, thanks to their 50% off food Wednesdays and a brilliant lunch set menu running Wed to Fri (2 courses for £20 or 3 for £25). Wrap up your week with their Bottomless Dinner on Friday nights, or drop in on Sunday from midday for one of the most scenic Sunday roasts in town.

📍 26 Kings Road, The Milkmaid Pavilion, Brighton, BN1 2LN
🕒 11am to 9:30pm (Wed to Thu), 11am to 10pm (Fri to Sat), 11am to 9pm (Sun), Closed (Mon to Tue)
🔗 Check them out

🏠 The Brunswick Terrace Regency Showpiece

Steeped in rich coastal history, this Grade I-listed 5-bedroom Regency townhouse spans 3,816 sq ft and is directly opposite the Hove seafront. Designed in the 1820s by architect Charles Busby as an original show house for the Brunswick Estate, the residence showcases soaring ceiling heights, intricate period plasterwork, and floor-to-ceiling windows framing iconic sea views. Known historically as Angel House, it features grand entertaining rooms, an impressive principal bedroom suite, and a private courtyard garden accessible from two floors. Positioned in the Brunswick Town Conservation Area right by the historic Peace Statue, it offers pure seaside elegance.

📍 Brunswick Terrace, Hove, BN3
💰 Guide Price £2,250,000
🔗 View on Rightmove

Tue

✍️ Why We Write: Brighton, why do you write? | 6pm, Tue @ Friends Meeting House-Bestselling novelist Dorothy Koomson headlines this collaborative writing workshop featuring peer networking, live writing exercises, and attendee readings. More Info

💃 Joybop Nights Patcham | 7:45pm, Tue @ Patcham Memorial Hall
A high-energy, guided dance workout in a welcoming, femme-empowering space featuring easy choreography set to House, RnB, DnB, and pop bangers. More Info

🎧 Grandmaster Flash | 7:30pm, Tue @ Concorde 2
The Bronx hip hop pioneer and turntablism legend takes over the decks for an intimate seafront set. More Info

🤠 Chaps & Straps - Queer Line Dancing | 7pm, Tue @ Komedia
An inclusive social dance night featuring three 30-minute line-dancing lessons and open-floor time, soundtracked by country classics and queer pop anthems. More Info

🌸 Cosy Lates: Solange Vinyl Listening Party | 5pm, Tue @ Bella Union Vinyl Shop-A relaxed evening spinning Solange’s A Seat at the Table and When I Get Home in full on vinyl, with free entry and 15% off featured records. More Info

📖 Elif Shafak: In One Brief Moment All Eternity | 7:30pm, Tue @ Theatre Royal
An evening in conversation with the acclaimed bestselling author exploring migration, identity, feminism, and spiritual storytelling. More Info

Wed

🗣️ Hatch, Match & Dispatch: A Celebrant's Role | 7:30pm, Wed @ Exeter Street Hall-Celebrant Chris Cunningham explores bespoke alternatives to traditional life milestones, covering naming ceremonies, vow renewals, and practical tips for writing your own eulogy. More Info

📚 Lonely Girls Book Club | 7:30pm, Wed @ Shelter Hall
A friendly community meetup to discuss Oyinkan Braithwaite's My Sister, the Serial Killer, featuring icebreaker conversation cards and a relaxed space to make new friends. More Info

🎤 Rotunda Comedy | 8pm, Wed @ Rotunda Cafe Bar
A monthly stand-up showcase featuring TV and international circuit regulars Keith Farnan, Daman Bamrah, Jenny Collier, and Ray Badran, paired with street food and drinks. More Info

👑 Killers, Cults & Queens | 7:30pm, Wed @ Komedia (Studio)
Cheryl Hole (RuPaul’s Drag Race UK) and Nikki Druce (Macabre London) bring their hit true-crime and macabre comedy podcast to the stage for a spooky live show. More Info

🍲 Taste Film: Ratatouille | 7pm, Wed @ Harbour Hotel
An immersive culinary cinema experience serving a synchronised five-course menu timed to iconic moments from the Pixar classic. More Info

✨ Christopher Hall: Pizazz | 8pm, Wed @ Komedia (Basement)
Viral sensation Christopher Hall brings his glamorous, high-energy stand-up show to town, packed with theatrical antics and relatable reflections on leaving his party-boy era behind. More Info

🎶 Soul II Soul | 7:30pm, Wed @ Brighton Centre
The legendary pioneers of UK sound system culture bring their soulful, chart-topping classics to Brighton as part of their UK tour. More Info

Thur

🔥 WildBop at Low Tide ~ Samhain Fire Gathering | 6:45pm, Thur @ Hove Lagoon Beach-An intentional, silent-disco beach gathering featuring ceremonial cacao, barefoot ecstatic dancing by the fire, and a closing meditation to mark Samhain. More Info

👠 Drag Music Bingo: Halloween Edition | 7pm, Thur @ Shelter Hall
A spooky evening of music bingo, wicked prizes, and live drag performances by Amethyst Love and Kandi Krush, set against seven street-food kitchens. More Info

🐍 Steve Backshall | 1pm, Thur @ Brighton Centre
The beloved naturalist and TV adventurer takes to the stage for a live, action-packed wildlife show exploring the world's most fascinating creatures. More Info

🎙️ In Other Words Poetry Night | 7:30pm, Thur @ The Brunswick
An intimate, welcoming poetry night featuring open mic slots, an announced headliner, and a hat-draw wildcard spot for spontaneous performers. More Info

🎩 Alice in FUNderland | 10am, Thur @ Preston Manor & Gardens
A family-friendly day of Victorian parlour games, Lewis Carroll-inspired science experiments, and curious creatures from the Booth Museum collection. More Info

Fri

🎸 The Album Era Performs Black Sabbath's Paranoid | 7:30pm, Fri @ Komedia (Studio)-A Halloween-season concert featuring a live, full-album performance of the 1970 heavy metal classic, from "War Pigs" to "Iron Man." More Info

🪩 Congregational | 8pm, Fri @ Brighton Dome (Corn Exchange)
Vocal powerhouse Fatt Butcher leads a choral service for the nightclub, backed by a queer choir, a DJ, and virtuosic piano, creating an ecstatic blend of house, trance, and gospel. More Info

🎬 FilmPride: Halloween Queer Horror Shorts | 7pm, Fri @ The Actors
A frightfully fun screening of LGBTQIA+ horror shorts spanning dark comedy, supernatural thrills, and body horror, with dressing up welcome but optional. More Info

🕯️ Candlelight: Tribute to Michael Jackson | 9pm, Fri @ Royal Pavilion
A live, multisensory tribute concert featuring reimagined hits under the glow of thousands of candles in the historic palace. More Info

🧘 Yoga with Live Piano by Candlelight and Cacao Circle | 7pm, Fri @ Brighton Unitarian Church-A gentle, restorative candlelit yoga session soundtracked by live piano music, followed by a shared cup of warm cacao to fundraise for community classes. More Info

🎻 The Rock Orchestra | 6:30pm, Fri @ Brighton Centre
A 14-piece classical ensemble breathes dark, symphonic energy into iconic rock and metal anthems across an ethereal 90-minute candlelit set. More Info

🪩 Congregational | 8pm, Fri @ Brighton Dome (Corn Exchange)
Artist and vocalist Fatt Butcher presents a newly composed choral service for the nightclub, transforming the dance floor into a communal space of solidarity, memory, and queer resilience. More Info

🎃 Party Bag: Halloween Edition | 8pm, Fri @ Ironworks Studios
Ophelia Payne and The Madame host a freakishly fun cabaret night featuring devilish drag, burlesque, resident granny Pam, and a late-night karaoke afterparty. More Info

🎃 Halloween With Simon Pegg | 7pm, Fri @ Concorde 2
The beloved actor and comedy icon steps behind the decks for an exclusive headline Halloween DJ set on the seafront. More Info

🚀 Space Olympics | 7pm, Fri @ The British Engineerium
An immersive Halloween party featuring intergalactic team challenges, quirky theatrical performances, and prizes to help you party like it’s 2099. More Info

Last week's Pepper Pot trivia had our voters divided! While 35.14% were tempted by the police holding cell, 28.38% of you knew the true story: the unusual building once housed the printing presses for the short-lived Brighton Daily Mail newspaper. You can discover more about the tower's fascinating timeline on the Pepper Pot Trust History Page.

This week, we are visiting the churchyard of St Andrew’s Church in Hove. This historic cemetery holds a tombstone marking the final resting place of one of the most widely recognised names on Earth. More than 150 years after his death, historians still puzzle over why his family chose this quiet corner of Sussex, though visitors can now scan a QR code right beside the weathered monument to read about his global legacy.