It might already be Friday night, but there’s still plenty of weekend left to play with. Celebrity Traitors might be over, but Brighton’s serving plot twists of its own: secret pop-ups, designer-filled preloved rails, big-flavour kitchen takeovers, cosy autumn escapes, creative cocktails, club nights and martini missions – there’s a lot to squeeze in.
You can also read about the time we threw ourselves into a Traitors-style dining experience, because apparently we don’t have enough trust issues already. If you fancy seeing how easily we turn on strangers, keep reading.
So whether you want beautiful plates at Patio, a day rave that turns into a night one, art under a hundred quid, autumn leaves that look photoshopped or a DJ in a pub the size of your hallway, this weekend has options. Lots of them.
Come on in.
BOTI’S BEST BITS
Mutations Festival is back and Brighton’s getting LOUD. This year’s multi-venue blowout pulls together another glorious line-up: Lambrini Girls tearing up their hometown, Mary in the Junkyard doing what they do best (melting everyone), plus Dry Cleaning, Pigs x 7, Big Special, The Bug Club and a whole swarm of noise-rockers, alt-pop oddballs, jazz-experimenters and future cult favourites. And just announced: queer industrial pop icon Lynks performing at Revenge on Saturday. Basically: the perfect weekend to disappear into sweaty venues and come out with new obsessions – or take them to the after-parties. Fri & Sat; from £50.63
After a six-year hibernation, Brighton Illustration Fair is returning in full technicolour. This year’s edition spans two venues and over 140 artists, including big-hitters like Gemma Correll (queen of deadpan dogs and cats), Tara Booth (gloriously candid comics), Blast Skates (skate-art heroes), Owen Davey, Murugiah, Hannah-Michelle Bayley, Tat Vision and more illustrators than your tote bag can realistically carry. Expect stalls, talks, workshops, doodle sessions, zines, prints, portfolio reviews and more creative goodness than your brain can possibly process in a single weekend. Sat & Sun; from £7
Barbino by CinCin has landed at excellent boozer The Windmill – and we’re excited. Expect Mediterranean-leaning bar snacks and small plates on Fridays and Saturdays (think fried olives, venison sausage rolls with roasted pear, tempura squash, and herby fries), plus proper Sunday roasts starring 28-day aged Sussex beef, porchetta with apple sauce and a squash-and-chard veg pie. And yes: extra Yorkies, sticky toffee pud and caramelised bread-and-butter pudding are all on the cards. We got a taste of Barbino at their first pop-up (have a look) and can confidently say we’re all in for a treat. From Fri.
Plant-based supper club supremos Salads for Garage Girls are popping up at Vine Street Tap this Sunday with their first-ever collab – and it’s a gorgeous autumnal menu celebrating fresh local produce. Think winter squash and apricot tagine with tahini-parsley drizzle, jewelled couscous, pickled chillis, charred flatbreads, with dessert from the always-excellent Bee May Bakery.
Go early – this one’s going to disappear faster than you can say za’atar. Sun; from 1pm ’til sell-out.
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SCREEN QUEENS AND DRAMA FIENDS
Medium rare
The Lantern Theatre continues its run of intimate, slightly surreal gems with Medium, a new show exploring the weird, warm and wonky corners of the human psyche. Expect clever writing, a few emotional sucker punches and that classic Lantern closeness where you can practically hear the actors thinking. Fri, Sat & Sun; from £10.
Reel good
Popcorn at the ready as the CineCity film festival is still going strong, featuring a whole host of must-see movies, from edgy indies to special premieres with something for everyone from hardcore cinephiles to those just looking for something a bit different. On our radar this weekend is Game, a trippy rave-scene survival drama with brilliantly unhinged turns from Marc Bessant and Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson (Fri); If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, where Rose Byrne delivers a career-best performance as a mum unravelling in darkly funny chaos (Sat); and Peter Hujar’s Day, a stylish two-hander with Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall capturing a single, art-soaked day in 1970s New York (Sun). You can’t really go wrong, though: too many good films, too little time. Various times and prices.
Soiree you serious?
The Sassy Cabaret Club is back at Komedia this Saturday with another “strange and unusual soiree” (their words). Expect devilishly deranged delights, curiously chaotic performances and an up-close, quirky cabaret experience that refuses to do anything by halves. Sat; from 7pm; from £7.
READ ALSO: WE TRIED A TRAITORS-STYLE DINING EXPERIENCE AND SURVIVED (MOSTLY)
EXCELLENT EATS (AND DRINKS)
Thai and mighty
Shelter Hall got a brand-new kitchen on Thursday: ThaiAngle, a Brighton-born project from local chef Nic Eadie. Expect fresh, fiery, properly authentic Thai plates – the kind of dishes that make you wonder why you ever settled for sad supermarket noodles. Serving now.
The final pour
It’s the final weekend of Brighton Cocktail Week, so if you haven’t hit the citywide cocktail trail yet, now’s the moment. Bars across Brighton are still shaking, stirring and showing off with special £9.50 cocktails. No tickets, no wristbands, no faff – just turn up and drink something excellent. It all wraps up this Sunday, so go forth and sip with purpose. Until Sun.
Plate date
We’ve talked (a lot) about new wine bar kid on the block Patio before, and with good reason: they’re nailing the food, the drinks and the vibe. Fresh off their banging debut guest chef residency with Alberta’s Ali Munro, Codillos (aka Jake Barwood and Celia d’Ortiz) are taking over the stoves for November with a menu full of bold, seasonal, seriously cheffy plates. Think burnt aubergine tostadas, venison tartare with lime leaf and pasilla chilli, winter tomatoes with chintextle smoked chilli paste, Iron Cap squash with pumpkin seed salsa, fried pheasant with jalapeño, plus fig-leaf ice cream to finish you off. There’s still tables for Saturday and, happily, they accept walk-ins, too. Go hungry.
Love at first bite
Talking of Alberta’s, chef Ali hasn’t gone far – he’s back this Saturday for a collab with Love’s Pizza at the latter’s new home at Bison Beer on Church Road in Hove. Prepare yourself for a one-off binge-fest of crispy pizzas, epic fried chicken and whatever gloriousness happens in between. The all-day affair kicks off at 2pm, going on till 9.30pm – so you can go for lunch, stay for dinner or just slowly descend into a delicious, sauce-covered state of being.
NIGHT MOVES
Alphabet soup (of tunes)
The Ye Ye Fever DJs are back at vibey hi-fi pub/club Alphabet for round two of their tropical disco takeover – the summer session sold out so fast they’re doing it all again. Expect laid-back cocktail-sipping grooves downstairs and full sweaty dance-floor heat upstairs, complete with bespoke visuals and a frankly dangerous amount of feel-good energy. Sat; 10pm – 2am; from £7.
Patterns pulls a double shift
It’s double trouble at Patterns this weekend: first up is a full-blown Escape Club Reunion day party (4pm – 10pm; £12), fronted by house legend Lisa Loud. Expect proper old-school energy, hands-in-the-air classics and a crowd who actually came to dance. Once the daytime fun wraps, Patterns flips straight into DXNBY – a deep, rolling, bassy night session with that signature underground pulse he does so well (from 11pm; £18). If you like your house hypnotic and your dancefloors sweaty, this is the one.
Get funked
One of Brighton’s most Brighton pubs (and one of our faves) is turning it up to eleven: Funkin’ell lands at Kemptown’s Hand in Hand with a vinyl-only mix of funk, jazz, electronic, fusion and reggae. It’s the second-Saturday special, so squeeze in, grab a pint and let the grooves do their thing. It’s tiny, so get there early if you want a pew to admire the eclectic decor. Sat; from 8pm; free.
Drop it like it’s hot
Brighton’s newest super-club Quarters is handing the reins to D.O.D on Saturday for a late-night hit of big-room house, electro punch and his trademark monster drops. Fresh off festival stages and global chart climbs, he’s joined by Kideko, Chris Spencer and Woulfe for a full-throttle rinse-out by the sea. Sat; 11pm – 5am; from £12.70
Darken your (Green) Door (Store)
Brace yourselves: this Sunday, The Green Door Store is hosting a triple-threat metal night featuring US torchers Portrayal of Guilt, UK grinders Casing, plus Smouldering Tomb. Take a trip to the dark side. Sun; from 7pm; from £15
THE SPEND IS NIGH
Thrill of the thrift
Secret Store Pop-Up is taking over Gallery 40 this weekend with rails of seriously good preloved fashion – think Ganni, Isabel Marant, APC, Whistles, Toast and other wardrobe heroes without the painful price tags. Alongside the clothing haul (also featuring pieces from Circle Boutique), you’ll find jewellery from Emma Stanton and Katrina Alexander, ceramics from Rarebit Design, prints from Betikat and plenty of indie treasures to more than justify “just popping in.” Fri, Sat & Sun; 11am – 5pm; free.
Mini(so) madness
Kawaii lovers, assemble: Miniso is opening a brand-new Brighton store (think plushies, blind boxes, the works) on North Street this Saturday and they’re going big. The first customers will get a free £25 goody bag (with a £5 spend), there’ll be live violin music, cuteness overload and plenty of opening-day surprises. From midday Sat at 13 North Street.
Fayre playIf you’re after a wholesome Sunday activity, look no further: combine a stroll around Preston Park (and a visit to the weekly food market) with a trip to St Peter’s Church‘s annual Autumn Fayre. Think homemade cakes, preserves, crafts, second-hand books, a children’s raffle and even a go on the bell ropes if you’re feeling brave. It’s a lovely chance to nose around one of Brighton’s hidden-gem churches (and one of its oldest – built in 1250!) and support its restoration work. Sun; 11am – 3pm; free.
Affordable art attackGet a first look at Two Kats and a Cow‘s exciting new collection at a special private view on Saturday: the seafront gallery’s artists have created works of art where everything is £100 or less. Think handmade ceramics, wirework, prints, tiny oil paintings and gorgeous one-offs you definitely won’t find in a chain store. And you can meet the artists who created them. It’s basically the perfect Christmas-shopping hack: buy something original, support Brighton’s artists and sip wine while you browse. Sat; 4pm – 6pm.
Glow and behold
Charlotte Tilbury (the shop, not the woman) is serving up a very extra Sunday: a Brunch & Beauty session with mimosas, make-up tips and a goody bag to sweeten the deal. You’ll get a one-hour demo on how to nail that signature Tilbury glow, plus your £35 ticket is fully redeemable on products – which is basically permission to shop. Sun (& 12, 16, 23, 30/11 and 14/12); 10am – 11.30am; £35.
GET OUTTA TOWN
Sheffield Park and Garden is peak autumn energy – blazing reds, molten golds, mirror-still lakes and woodland that looks like it’s been dialled up to saturation-max. It’s one of the best places in Sussex for full crunchy-leaf immersion, it’s got an excellent cafe, shop and restaurant, plus it’s an easy escape from Brighton: about 35 to 40 minutes by car or a fairly straightforward bus/train combo. It’s perfect for anyone craving big colours, big skies and a proper out-of-town reset (from £18.) Looking for something closer to home? Check out these scenic walks.
