It’s Easter weeeeekend! Cue excited bunny emojis. Here’s our pick of what’s going on this beautiful long weekend…
Go to an immersive drawing night
Cult Classics are back with another themed night of drawing. This time around it’s all about the Cult of Dionysus – a mystical and mythical celebration of spring, feasting and more. But this isn’t your average drawing class, the models are in full costume, there’s a themed soundtrack and good vibes a-plenty.
Friday, 7.15pm, from £10
Book tickets
Draw on the walls of an art gallery (legally)
Helm Gallery’s super-popular Drawing Room event is back, turning their downstairs space into an interactive canvas for anyone and everyone to unleash their creative side on the gallery’s walls and floors (until Sunday 20th). And no, it’s not just for kids! Friday also sees the inclusive gallery’s Take The Streets event, a fun collision of art, tattoos, performances and excellent cocktails.
helm-gallery.com
Get stuck into an epic foodie collab
Lost Boys Land have teamed up with Between The Sheets Pasta on some seriously exciting dishes. There’s the fried chicken lasagnewhich burger, a beef shin fry’sagne (aka loaded fries), and Szechuan duck ravioli di raggazzone. Get ‘em at The Joker on Easter Sunday from 3pm before they’re gone!
thejokerbrighton.com
Indulge in the best Easter specials
Easter is to Oeuf what Christmas is to the rest of us and, as ever, they’ve gone all out with some brilliant specials, from lamb frumpet stacks to hot cross bun iced lattes. There’s also still a few of their golden eggs to be found between Oeuf and sister bakery Bayon – check out their Insta for clues.
oeuf.cafe
Eat all the Easter eggs
Still need to get (another) one? Eaten them already and need more? We get it. We’re very partial to Audrey’s beautiful traditional ones and Be Chocolat’s praline-filled spring animals. And they both have gorgeous Easter displays.
Go to an another dimension at an exciting cocktail collab
Creative cocktail masters GungHo are back! They may have said goodbye to their neon-fuelled dream of a bar on Preston Street (now home to the brilliant Halisco Margarita bar) but great cocktails never die. So, for their first pop-up, they’ve teamed up with L’Atelier du Vin to bring their sustainably crafted drinks to Atelier’s intimate Hove basement speakeasy (aka Cases Wine Bar). Think Prohibition-style cocktails with a time-warping twist (the Crumble aux Pommes and the Hydrating the Greenhouse have got our names on) and all the disco vibes.
Thursday to Sunday, from 6pm, walk-ins only
gunghobar.com
Head along to the Ikea pop-up
Yep, it’s here. Ahead of the big store opening in Churchill Square this summer, Ikea are opening a pop-up shop this Friday (until July) where you can get a taste of what’s coming, shop 150 items to take home immediately or click and collect what you’ve ordered online.
Friday, from 10am
Catch a cult classic
It’s always a good time to go to White Wall Cinema and this weekend, Brighton’s indie gem is packed with excellent screenings, from 90s classic Empire Records on Friday (8.05pm) to a supernatural horror double-bill on Sunday.
whitewallcinema.co.uk
Race your spaniel (other dog breeds allowed!)
It’s the annual spaniel race at the Lewes Arms, home of the quirky event. Read all about it here!
Sunday, from 1pm
lewesarms.co.uk
Get your fill of natty wine
Head along to The Independent for their Easter beer and natural wine festival. There are 12 natural wines to try by the glass and over 30 beers and ciders, plus DJs and live folk music over the weekend. Obviously with booze you need food and that’s not been neglected either: Starfish and Coffee are serving Pizzaface pizzas in the pub from 3pm on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday and Monday see the return of the cheeseboards.
Friday 18th – Monday 21st April
theindependent.pub
Take on an Easter beer trail
While we’re on the topic of booze, Unbarred have got their annual Easter beer trail this weekend. Visit the 10 boozers on the trail, have a pint, get a stamp and swap them for raffle tickets at the taproom. Strolls, sips and, if you’re lucky, prizes.
Until 21st April
unbarredbrewery.com
Head out of town for some art and escapism
We’d recommend a trip to Newhaven this long weekend. First up, check out the new Bruce Asbestos expo, New Pop Max. His playfully subversive creations – a mixture of huge bold inflatables and paintings – are on show at Marine Workshops from Saturday (from 10am, free). While you’re there, check out the new 1970s-themed escape room from the Pier Pressure gang, now open at Newhaven Fort.
lookagainnewhaven.co.uk
Check out a new festival of folklore, folk culture and horror
Once And Future Fest kicks off on Friday bringing 10 days of myth, music and the macabre across live music to eerie storytelling across two venues.
Various times and dates until 27th April
Book tickets
Get your craft on at a cosy boozer
On Monday, pop along to one of our favourite Kemptown boozers, the Hand in Hand, for Bitter Women Brewery’s macrame can holder workshop and the launch of Shimmy Up, the beer brewed by the Hand Brew Co brewery for their IWD collab brew day in March
Monday, 7pm, £12
bitterwomenbrewery.com
