The long weekend has landed and Brighton’s busy loading up your diary. We’re talking secret-ish film screenings, a pub that’s transformed into a four-day drinks festival, egg-rolling with commitment, free beer, and enough Kemptown wandering to justify multiple food stop-offs. Whether you’re in it for culture, chilling or just a very well-earned pint in the sun (here’s hoping), this is what’s actually worth your time this Easter weekend.
Pour your own at a new wine bar
Self-service wine has landed at new spot Tipsy Mares on Church Road (the old Plotting Parlour site), meaning you can now pour your own tasters from a wall of wines using a top-up card system – taste, sip, commit (or move on). It’s the perfect way to try loads without ordering loads, and learning what you actually like. But it’s not just wine: there’s also locally sourced craft ales, spirits, cheese, charcuterie and good vibes galore. With the recent additions of On Air and Stem nearby, this corner of Hove is definitely the place to be right now.
Fri; from 6pm
Tipsy Mares
Check out a secret cinema
Bearly Awake’s secret cinema is screening The Birdcage on Sunday – which, yes, is technically not a secret (not least because we’ve told you now) but also somehow still feels like one because we don’t think everyone knows the cute North Laine cafe’s doing films yet. Head there on Sunday for a proper communal watch of the cult 90s comedy (Robin Williams and Nathan Lane are utter joy) in their cosy downstairs space. You even get a hot drink and a house-baked goodie of your choice included in the price.
Sun; 6.30pm; £9
bearlyawakeinbrighton.com
Hunt for treasure in Kemptown
This weekend in Kemptown is all about Easter with a proper neighbourhood takeover. Head to the Easter makers’ market (art, Easter bakes, locally made gifts, you know the drill) at Brighton College on Saturday (10am – 3pm; free) and then come back on Sunday for Kemptown Klub’s epic annual treasure hunt around local businesses in the village (12pm – late). You’ll need to sign up pronto, though, as there are limited spots available (call 01273 640140 to book on, it’s £3/person and you can have up to six in your team). There’s a family funday at St George’s Church on the Saturday, but the treasure hunt is reserved for the big kids – you’ve got to be 18 and over to take part.
Sat & Sun; various times; from free
Get stuck in at a four-day beer and wine festival
The Independent by Queen’s Park is back with another one of the boozy festivals it does so well. This bank hol, they’re diving into a full-blown beer and wine festival with 30+ taps from the UK and beyond, 10+ wines by the glass, plus DJs and live jazz across the weekend. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re partial to a hazy pint or a slightly leftfield natty wines. Get ready to settle in for the duration.
Fri – Mon; free
theindependent.pub
Go egg rolling in the country
For some fresh(air) Easter plans with a side of competition, head to Devil’s Dyke for their old-school egg rolling session. The rules are simple: bring an egg you’ve decorated yourself, send it down the hill, and hope for the best. Even if your egg meets a sticky end, you’re guaranteed unbeatable views at least. Prepare to get seriously invested in the fate of your egg as there’s prizes for the one that rolls furthest and the best decorated. Let the games begin!
Sun; 11am – midday; £1, no need to book
nationaltrust.org.uk
Check out a new exhibition
If you’re after something more cultural, then you might like Resonance, the new group exhibition at Fabrica, the city-centre art space that used to be a church. It’s the perfect home for this collection of works across photography, installation and mixed media, each a response to the theme of ‘resonance’, “exploring how ideas, materials and experiences echo across time, place and community”. One for when you want something immersive enough to actually hold your attention.
From Sat 11am; free
fabrica.org.uk
Fill your belly with Easter treats and free beer
You can get a load of the Med boys again this week – they’re in residence at Patio, the vibey blue bar by the station, until 25th April. Over in Hove, Easter is Oeuf’s Christmas and they go properly out out with the good stuff – lamb ragu hot cross bun stack, chocolate ganache-stuffed doughnuts with creme eggs, carrot cake iced lattes. And their little sister bakery Bayon is also bursting with a whole load of super-creative specials. Take this weekend, for example. They’ve got a sticky date toffee pudding croissant the size of a small child for sale. Over at Lost Boys at The Joker, an Easter hot cross bun with crispy chicken, miso butter, hot honey and bread and butter could be yours until Monday. Or if you’re after some free beer, check out The Inn On The Square’s reopening party with live music all afternoon. Just be one of the first 50 people through the door at 2pm to secure yourself a free pint of Project Peachy lager.
Get your (day) party on
There’s double the day club fun at Patterns this weekend with DJ Fat Tony (The Wag Club, Limelight) on the decks on Saturday and DJ’s DJ jazz-dance and soul afficionado Patrick Forge (Dingwalls, Kiss FM) lighting up the dance floor on Sunday with Brighton Sundae. Good music, friendly vibes, and a dancefloor that gets going even though it’s still daylight outside.
Sat; 5pm; £22.01
Sun; 2pm; £10
patternsbrighton.com
See a cult double bill at the movies
Indie faves White Wall Cinema are doing a bank holiday double bill with The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai and Big Trouble in Little China – aka sci-fi action, humour and lots of nonsensical fun. Perfect bank holiday fodder in other words. Even if you’ve never heard of the movies, in White Wall we trust, their film curation is second to none. In short: it’s the perfect excuse you didn’t need to disappear into the cinema for a good few hours.
Sat 7pm and 9pm; from £9.50
whitewallcinema.co.uk
Check out a drag show
What do we know about Henry VIII? Well, he didn’t actually write ‘Greenselves’, he had six wives that he didn’t exactly treat terribly well and there’s a very popular musical about them. In Eight: The One Wo-Man Drag King Musical Parody, Henry’s not terribly happy about how he’s remembered, so he’s back from the dead to clear his name in Bristol drag king Hannah Clift’s fun musical take on the regent’s lesser known side. Fast, silly and sharp, it’s a great night out.
Sat & Sun; 8pm; from £12 (get tickets for Sunday’s show for just £8.88 with code ‘HENRY’)
Book tickets
Have a knees up at a folk festival
If folk’s your thing, you’ll want to head to The Brunswick in Hove this weekend for their two-day festival. It’s basically a full pub takeover with live sets from day to night across a super eclectic line-up – traditional folk, boot-stomping ceilidh, ballads, electronic folk, Morris dancing, a folky craft fair, and, yes, even some dungeon synth and goblin sound. Folk-ing fantastic.
Sun & Mon; 1pm – 11pm; from £10
brunswickpub.co.uk
GET OUTTA TOWN
Travel back in time (and straight into tulip season)
Slightly further afield, but very worth it: Arundel Castle’s Medieval Festival is back, bringing full chainmail energy to West Sussex. Expect combat and archery demos, roaming knights, medieval food (thankfully improved since the 12th century), and plenty of historical theatre to make you forget that it’s actually the 21st century. It also happens to be peak tulip season, with the castle gardens in full bloom – so you’re getting battles and blankets of colour in one go.
Fri – Mon; various prices and times
arundelcastle.org
Hunt for eggs (then stay for the wine)
If you’ve not made it to Kinsbrook Vineyard yet, this is your sign. First of all, it’s set in a ridiculously pretty pocket of West Sussex near Chichester that’s studded with great vineyards (nearby Nutbourne is gloriously rustic). Next, it’s got the full day-trip set-up: vines to explore, a well-stocked farm shop (cheese, baked goods, Easter treats), a light-filled upstairs eatery overlooking the vines, and eminently drinkable wines (their chilled red Chough au Vin is the one for us). And over the long weekend, they’re also running Easter egg hunts on the Sunday and Monday – which is as good an excuse as any to settle in with a glass afterwards.
Sun & Mon (egg hunts); various times
kinsbrookvineyard.com
