The winter solstice Burning The Clocks parade, one of the highlights of the Brighton calendar, is taking a year off this year before returning in 2026, organisers Same Sky have said.
“It was a tough but necessary decision to take a year off from running Burning The Clocks this year in order to focus our resources and allow time to strategically review and secure the long-term future for Same Sky,” interim CEO of Same Sky Jane McMorrow said.
The organisation, like many other small arts charities, has faced “immense funding challenges” in recent years and also lost their long-term artistic director, John Varah, to retirement after 34 years.
The cost of putting on large-scale community events like Burning The Clocks is exorbitant and prices have soared even further in the last few years: costs have jumped 44 percent since 2019 with 2024’s event costing over £50,000.
“We have a tiny core team and each year we’ve only been able to stage the event thanks to every single person associated with organisation, especially our artists and events team, going above and beyond,” said Jane.
Excitingly, however, the effigy for 2026 has already been commissioned under the chosen theme of ‘Magicada’, which appropriately represents a spiritual rest followed by a noisy awakening.
And while there won’t be the normal Burning The Clocks on the winter solstice this year, the new effigy will be displayed publicly at St Peter’s Church on Sunday 21st December from 4pm – 8pm.
You can also see more beautiful Same Sky lantern events later this year, including Wakehurst’s Glow Wild.
Photo credits: Kaleido Shoots
