Regularly hailed as the LGBTQ+ capital of Britain, Brighton and Hove is gearing up for this year’s Pride event on the 2nd and 3rd August. Every year, the country’s biggest and arguably best Pride celebration pulls in up to half a million revellers who travel cross-country and cross-border for a jam-packed line-up of thrilling events. Music, joy, unity – it’s all there as the LGBTQ+ community gathers to fly the Rainbow Flag amid concerts, street parties and a parade. Food-loving visitors may want to slot in visits to some of the city's best restaurants amid the celebrations, so we've put together a weekend-long itinerary with top Inspector-approved recommendations along the way.
Friday 1st August
On the Friday evening, check into Hotel du Vin Brighton, just a stone’s throw from the seafront, which offers 49 wonderfully unique rooms scattered among a collection of gothic and mock-Tudor buildings. The eccentric décor is mirrored in the slightly haphazard layout which oozes an authentic charm befitting of the location. Rooms are not short on luxuries either, with handsprung mattresses, fine Egyptian linen, powerful drench showers and coffee machines to keep guests comfy and well-fuelled.Or you might opt instead for Artist Residence Brighton. This One-MICHELIN-Key seaside hotel has an unpretentious, bohemian vibe with rooms individually decorated by local artists in exchange for lodging. The result is unusually creative and authentic with guests able to choose from ‘Tiny Sea View’ and ‘Cosy Double’ rooms, right the way through to the ‘Bigger Balcony Sea View’ option for a truly memorable experience. All offer comforts and little luxuries for a real home from home feel. Downstairs, this seaside hangout features a Clubhouse – a hybrid-working and entertaining space that’s open all day.
Once you’ve checked in, it’s time for an early dinner at one of our Inspector-approved spots. Tucked away in The Lanes, Embers cooks small plates and centrepiece dishes in a medieval-style fire cage in the middle of the room, infusing its concoctions with a rich smoky flavour. Designed for sharing, the menu has an eclectic base, with plenty to satisfy both vegan and carnivorous guests – think bonfire potatoes, grilled skate wing and BBQ pork shoulder. Innovative cocktails complete the offering, making this the perfect starting point for your weekend extravaganza.
After dinner, good-timers won’t want to miss Party Bag, the official pre-Pride party at the Ironworks Studios Brighton which forms part of its season of events celebrating LGBTQ+ culture and diversity. Hosted by Dick Day & Ophelia Payne, this warm-up event starts at 8pm with performances by Scaredy Kat, Rainne and Yshee Black, plus other special guests. Following the show, dance into the early hours at the after-party.
Saturday 2nd August
It’s the big day so make an early start at The Ginger Pig, a comfortable seafront inn which opens at 8am. Here, the menu proposes a host of breakfast favourites from classics like a full English breakfast or a bacon sandwich, to avocado and poached egg or bowls filled with yoghurt, fruit and granola. Fuelled for the day ahead, it's time for the main events.It all kicks off with the Brighton and Hove Pride LGBTQ+ Community Parade 2025. This colourful spectacle draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city streets to witness, in the words of the organisers, an “all-singing, all-dancing carnival of colour”. The theme of this year's Pride is 'Ravishing Rage: Fury Never Felt So Fierce', showcasing the community's ability to show relentless spirit and energy in the face of adversity, through a combination of protest and celebration. Nothing epitomises this like the exhilarating parade featuring charities, community groups and local LGBTQ+ businesses. Beginning at Hove Lawns at 11am, the parade will culminate in Preston Park – the location of the Pride on the Park festival.
This is where the party side of Pride hits its stride, with a thumping concert fundraiser that is the country’s most popular Pride celebration. Starting at 1pm on the Saturday, the Main Stage hosts headliner Mariah Carey, following other confirmed acts including Ashnikko and Sister Sledge. With a host of other stages, including dance stages and the Legends Cabaret Tent, visitors will be spoilt for choice when it comes to riotous entertainment.
If you're heading towards the city centre, then make a beeline for Tutto, which serves up flavourful Italian cuisine and warm Italian hospitality in equal measure. Housed in a former bank, it combines contemporary décor with elegant flourishes and an outdoor terrace perfect for balmy August evenings.
Energetic Pride-goers may forego the city’s culinary gems to continue the revelry at the Pride Street Party in Kemptown, which runs from 2pm to 11pm on Saturday and 2pm to 9pm on Sunday. Separate to Pride on the Park, it unfurls along Marine Parade, giving visitors a secondary option when planning their Pride itinerary. Here, businesses unite for the occasion, offering a multitude of different areas to party, eat or relax while fundraising for the Pride Community Foundation and Pride Social Impact Fund. With entertainment, live performances, cabaret, DJs and drag shows, it’s a fizzing, bubbling alternative to the main event at the heart of the city’s gay district.
Sunday 3rd August
Whether you called it a night at 11pm or danced till late in Legends, Affinity Bar or Revenge, you’ll want to blow the cobwebs off the previous days’ indulgences. After breakfast at your hotel, enjoy a leisurely morning exploring Brighton. Take in the Regency grandeur of the Royal Pavilion with its spectacular domes and spires or meander through The Lanes, a labyrinthine area packed full of charming little shops, narrow alleys and hidden squares. Finish with a bracing walk around the iconic Brighton Palace Pier before heading back to The Lanes for lunch at The Flint House.This stylish spot offers great value for money and is bang on-trend with its menu of globally inspired sharing plates. The chefs show skill and care in abundance to ensure each dish bursts with colour and flavour, be it grilled prawns with 'nduja crumb or teriyaki-glazed aubergine. If you're not nursing a hangover from the night before, the wine list is well worth exploring, with some brilliantly affordable options by the glass.
Burnt Orange is another excellent option. Like The Flint House, it holds a Bib Gourmand for its brilliant value and comes with a terrific atmosphere. A relaxed vibe fills the room as the charming team serve Middle Eastern plates that are bright, fresh and filled with an abundance of well-balanced flavours. You might just linger here all afternoon if you didn’t have places to be.
Speaking of which, it's time to get back to Pride. Once again you have a choice. You can head to the Pride Street Party or back to Preston Park for Sunday’s star-studded line-up. Sugababes are topping the bill this year, with Will Young and Natalie Imbruglia joining them on the main stage. The other stages will see QueerTown return from the day before, while this year False Idols – known for their queer club nights in London – are curating the dance tent. EDM legend Fatboy Slim is the Sunday headliner, while the day before you should look out for The XX's Romy and Drag Race star Bimini.
If you can bear to tear yourself away between acts, don’t miss The Cleveland Arms, a traditional family-run pub just a short walk from Preston Park. A member of the Pride City Angels scheme, this friendly watering hole is a great place to enjoy a refreshing tipple.
And if you’re feeling peckish, steal away to Furna, a stylish city centre restaurant headed up by Dave Mothersill, who has graced the Brighton food scene for over two decades. At Furna, his chefs work with British produce in an open kitchen, crafting seasonal dishes that carry the odd creative twist. The décor is equal parts luxurious and relaxed with terrace seating, weather permitting.
As Pride 2025 draws to a close, we have just the recommendation to end on a high. Running from 3pm to 3am, the Sunday Sundae Pride Reunion is Brighton Pride’s most legendary party, hosted at the Patterns nightclub beneath the glittering disco ball. Sure to be a night to remember, this scintillating event brings together a world-class line-up of DJs delivering a soundtrack of classic house and disco in a beautiful venue on Brighton’s famous seafront. As euphoric clubbers descend to close out their weekend, the vibe is joyful and life-affirming. So, grab a drink and dance the night away – you’re among friends here.
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Hero Image: Brighton Pier decked out with rainbow flags to mark the Pride celebrations. © marktucan/iStock
