Hello Brighton & Hove!

With half-term in full swing and Halloween just around the corner, the city is dressed for autumn: crisp sea air, golden leaves in the parks, and plenty of pumpkin carving on the horizon. Whether you are looking to dodge the spooky festivities altogether or dive straight in, we have a cracking mix lined up over the next few days. From high-stakes political satire with Rosie Holt to restorative birdsong installations and guided outdoor film walks through town, there is no shortage of brilliant ways to spend your weekend.

Let us jump straight into it.

Here Is What's Squawking This Week

🎸 Beastie Boys legend Mike D drops in for Mutations.
👻 Snoopers Paradise hides haunted artefacts for a free hunt.
🍺 Seafront Oktoberfest with live oompah and lederhosen.
🎤 James Acaster drops in for a special record signing.
💃 Immersive VR transports audiences into Indian temple dance.

📚 Tilly’s Bookshop

While this one is just down the coast in Worthing, it ticks every single box we love to champion: a female-owned startup, a completely fresh independent business, and a permanent home dedicated to books. Founded by book review and literary champion Tilly (@tillylovesbooksbooks), Tilly’s Bookshop will bring a freshly curated space for stories, author events, and readers to the high street.

To launch the space in style, she is hosting a massive opening celebration with an incredible lineup of visiting authors dropping in throughout the day to sign copies and meet readers. You can expect to spot faces like Daisy Buchanan, Lauren Bravo, Matt Cain, Bobby Palmer, Jennie Godfrey, Samuel Burr, and Nicole Kennedy (appearing as her cosy mystery alter-ego Kit Conway), alongside Ilona Bannister, Hannah Brennan, Jessica Bull, Lily Chen/Crystal Sung, Lisa Fransson, Joanna Glen, Alex Hay, Jo Morey, and Kingsley Pearson.

Turning a lifelong passion for reading into a physical, independent space takes serious hard work, courage, and dedication. Opening day will be packed with fantastic energy, signed books, and great conversations, so head down, join the launch celebration, and give this brilliant new setup a warm welcome.

📍 45 Warwick Street, Worthing, BN11 3DQ
📅 Launch Day: Saturday | 10am-6pm
💰 Independent books, author signings, and community literary events
🔗 Follow On Instagram

I disagree with the sentiment that “it’s the season to slow down.” Don’t get me wrong, I love a rotting-on-the-couch day as much as the next person. But a gorgeous Brighton summer beget a creative Brighton autumn and the resulting projects have me positively buzzing. 

Trenchmore Farm’s autumn market was a feat of organising. I grabbed a Silly Moo cider on the way in, then did a lap around the 20-some vendors fanned out around an open-air cattle shed, sheltering a dozen fluffy cows. My highlights: She Shucks oysters, Spiced Sussex Naga & Fennel hot sauce, Saltío birria tacos and a 3Bros burger (possibly the best of my life). 

Oktoberfest menus have been culinary works of art. Every year, my wife and I have a sit-down strategy session when the list of participating restaurants is published and whittle our list down to four. This year we landed on: etch., The Spice Circuit, Little Fish Market and The Vine House. A welcome excuse to try new restaurants. 

But not everything needs to be a big outing, especially when there are so many little things that bring me joy around town. The young boy in a dinosaur puffer jacket jumping into the middle of a puddle. My cat insisting on sleeping on my blanketed lap while I’m on work calls. Even the mince pies on the Saino’s shelves that would normally put me in a Grinch-y mood. Why get mad about the opportunity to eat more mince pies? 

Up next this weekend: Sam Campbell at the Brighton Dome (no one makes me laugh harder), trying Barbino’s fare at Dots, and Vagabond’s Brighton debut. No rest for the easily excited! 

Marley x

ps. And if you can’t get enough of me, you can always follow me;

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🍺 Robin Hood

Sitting just off Western Road in Norfolk Place, this award-winning city icon is an absolute powerhouse of a neighbourhood pub. Voted Best Pub at the BRAVO awards in both 2019 and 2025 (and taking third place in this year's top 20), it earns every bit of its formidable reputation. Independent to its core, the bar has been warmly looked after for over ten years by Chris and Anna, who have created a genuinely inclusive space where you feel like a local the second you step through the door.

Behind the pumps, they serve up an ever-changing line-up of guest real ales, craft beers, and fine wines. Rather than settling for a sad bag of crisps, the kitchen turns out proper, handmade pizzas supplied by Mustard Cafe around the corner, alongside warm baked cheeses, chilli olives, and legendary award-winning sausage rolls from the Brighton Sausage Co. Dog-friendly and packed with character, it is a true community hub famous for its epic street parties, lively quizzes, live music, and massive board game selection. It is a brilliant, big-hearted classic that reminds you why independent pub culture in Brighton is so special.

📍 1-3 Norfolk Place, Brighton, BN1 2PF
🕒 Mon to Thu 12pm-11pm, Fri to Sat 12pm-1am, Sun 12pm-11pm
🔗 Visit their website

Fri

🐦 Bird Sounds Bath: Soak in the magic of nature’s song | 10am, Fri @ ACCA (Jane Attenborough Studio) A restorative, drop-in sound installation as part of the Dreamy Place festival, inviting visitors to rest and soak in the soothing recordings of Sussex birdsong. More Info

🎙️ Dan Tiernan: Quartz and All | 7:30pm, Fri @ Brighton Dome (Studio Theatre)-The two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee brings a chaotic, fresh hour about magic rocks, raw personal misadventures, and relentless self-deprecation. More Info

🌟 Nova-Studio Vertigo | 11am, Fri–Sun @ Pavilion Square (Old Steine)
A monumental, glowing light-and-sound star installation featuring 56,000 apertures, smoke effects, and NASA-derived ambient soundscapes that transforms the new pedestrianised square. More Info

🎃 Everybody Scream! New Note Orchestra & Wham Jam Choir | 7:30pm, Fri @ The Old Market-A Samhain and Halloween collaboration featuring musicians from the London Philharmonic Orchestra performing atmospheric arrangements of songs by The Cure, Florence and the Machine, and Nick Cave. More Info

📚 An Evening with Katherine Ryan: Firstborn Daughter | 7:30pm, Fri @ Brighton Dome (Corn Exchange)-The comedian discusses her new book in an in-conversation event that explores family dynamics, birth-order expectations, and emotional caretaking. More Info

🎶 Natural Frequency | 11am, Fri–Sun @ Jubilee Square
A site-specific, multi-speaker sound installation featuring works by Asian artists that combine traditional instruments, field recordings, and electronic soundscapes. More Info

🌿 Bones of Our Land – Tsz Wai Pun & Coşkun Güçlü | 12pm, Fri–Sun @ Gallery Lock In-A multimedia exhibition combining film, photography, and soil DNA analysis to explore the deep ecological history and restoration of Hong Kong's Tai Mo Shan hillside. More Info

🧊 Dan Holdsworth: Acceleration Structures | Fri–Sun @ POST
A video installation utilising photogrammetry and high-end software to translate glacial fieldwork into 3D wireframe models, exploring ecological change through data visualisation. More Info

Sat

👻 The Haunting of Hill House | 2:30pm & 7:30pm, Sat @ Theatre Royal
A gripping stage adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s iconic ghost story that blurs the boundaries between psychological suspense and supernatural terror. More Info

⚽ Women's Super League: Brighton and Hove Albion vs West Ham United | 5:15pm, Sat @ AMEX Stadium-Top-flight domestic football returns as the Seagulls host the Hammers in a crucial Women's Super League fixture. More Info

🖐️ Dreamy Place: First-hand | 4pm, Sat @ The Skiff
A tactile digital art showcase curated for Dreamy Place 2026, featuring interactive and visual works that bridge analogue and electronic media. More Info

🎙️ Michael Spicer: Hope All's Well | 8pm, Sat @ The Old Market
A satirical live performance mixing sketches, short films, and character comedy to unpack global political chaos and media spin. More Info

🎙️ Funny Women: Brighton Nights | 8pm, Sat @ Komedia (Studio)
A showcase featuring emerging female stand-up talent from the national awards circuit in support of a local charity. More Info

🎃 Half Term Halloween Trail | 9:30am, Sat & Sun @ One Garden Brighton
A drop-in family adventure featuring haunting garden displays, clue hunting, and seasonal surprises for kids. More Info

🌈 Queer Freedom: Outdoor Film Trail | 8:30pm, Sat @ Prince Albert Street (Meeting Point)-A guided projection walk through central Brighton showcasing five short films that explore LGBTQIA+ identity and self-expression at the intersection of disability. More Info

🌿 Nature – Outdoor Film Trail | 7pm, Sat @ Prince Albert Street (Meeting Point)-A guided projection walk through central Brighton featuring five short films made by or starring learning disabled and autistic artists, exploring wildlife, folklore, and environmental connections. More Info

👾 Monster Mashed | 6pm, Sat @ Brighton Youth Centre
Showcasing hybrid mutant creatures crafted from upcycled toys and animated by local youth. More Info

🛋️ The Brighton Vintage Furniture & Flea Market | 10:30am, Sat @ St Bartholomew's Church-Over 40 UK traders offer mid-century homewares, Ercol and G-Plan furniture, retro textiles, vintage fashion, and collectables. More Info

📚 Brighton Family Bookfest | Sat @ Jubilee Library
A day of free family activities including craft workshops, storytime, a graphic novel workshop, an open mic, and a live draw-off competition. More Info

Sun

🎷 Sunday Jazz Cafe | 10:30am, Sun @ Exeter Street Hall
A relaxed community morning featuring live music from the local quartet Axolotl, fresh pastries, and coffee. More Info

🌿 Dreamy Place: Talking of Nature… | 2pm, Sun @ The Old Market
A panel discussion examining how artist-scientist collaborations and creative technology offer new perspectives on ecological change and the natural world. More Info

🎙️ Laugh out Loud for A Great Cause | 7:30pm, Sun @ Rockwater
An inaugural charity comedy night bringing high-energy physical stand-up, award-winning podcast hosts, and local talent to the seafront. More Info

🎶 P U L S E – Move, Touch, Discover! | 12:30pm, Sun @ The Dance Space
A playful, hands-on installation in which artificial sensory hairs respond to movement and touch, generating sounds through personal headphones. More Info

🥽 MargaM | 10:30am, Sun @ The Dance Space
An immersive virtual reality experience taking audiences inside a South Indian temple to explore the ancient classical tradition of Bharatanatyam through 3D spatial technology and music. More Info

💃 Making Beats & Moving Bodies Workshop with NEON DANCE | 10:30am, Sun @ The Dance Space-A playful, hands-on family session combining electronic music-making and movement, designed for all ages and skill levels. More Info

🛸 Rosie Holt: The Illegal Aliens Have Landed! | 7:30pm, Sun @ Brighton Dome (Corn Exchange)-A satirical stage show featuring the acclaimed MP alter-ego, tackling modern political spin, border policy, and an unexpected extraterrestrial arrival. More Info

🎵 The Wow! Scenario (James Acaster): Q&A + Signing | 6:15pm, Sun @ Resident Music-A special in-store session celebrating a 20-year debut album project, featuring an audience Q&A and record signing. More Info