Spring is attempting to show up, Brighton’s calendar is doing that thing where suddenly everything’s happening at once, and, frankly, we’re not mad about it. This weekend you can stretch with rescue cats, get stuck into some questionable Irish dancing, flip through vinyl while DJs take over a record shop, catch live music, sip cocktails, or escape Brighton entirely for a blast of colour in the Sussex countryside.
Basically, whether you want wholesome, boozy, cultural or something a little bit different, there’s an event with your name on it.
Here’s what’s worth leaving the house for this weekend.
Fiddler’s Elbow St Patrick’s Weekender
Guinness, bagpipes and a street full of people embracing the craic for the weekend – yep, the Fiddler’s Elbow epic St Patrick’s street party is back. Expect two days of live bands, DJs, Irish dancing, street food and a very busy outdoor bar, plus Six Nations on the screens if you fancy mixing your pints with a bit of rugby drama. Cheerful, slightly rowdy and great fun if you like a busy crowd. Arrive early – it gets packed.
Sat 14th March from 1.30pm and Sun 15th March from 12.30pm; free
Full line-up here
Capsule Records 3rd birthday party
One of Brighton and Hove’s best little record shops is turning three and celebrating the only way that makes sense: DJs all day and a shop full of vinyl aficionados. Selectors will be spinning from late morning and you’ll find the usual Capsule good vibes (and good coffee). Pop in for a browse, stay for the music and leave with a record you almost definitely didn’t plan to buy.
Sat 14th March; from 10.30am ’til 6pm; free
capsulerecords.co.uk
Preston Manor reopens
Brighton’s gloriously creaky Edwardian time capsule is reopening for the season. Preston Manor – the slightly spooky historic house tucked beside Preston Park – lets you snoop through grand family rooms, servants’ quarters and all the little details of early-20th-century life. It’s back open from Saturday (weekends only), with gardens to wander and Café Rust for post-mooch coffee and cake. Opening weekend also lands on Mother’s Day, so mums get in free – which feels like a pretty good excuse for a genteel wander round one of Brighton’s most atmospheric (read: haunted) old houses.
From Sat 14th March; from £10; from £5
brightonmuseums.org.uk
Sylvia’s x Patio pop-up
Brighton’s little blue-fronted wine bar-kitchen (aka Patio) has a new resident for the rest of March and it’s bringing serious deli energy. Sylvia’s Delicatessen – the NY-inspired project from Eleni of Drink The Dressing – is serving colourful small plates and deli-style dishes with a Mediterranean twist. Think oysters dressed with bright pink pickles, cured fish, and plates designed for lingering over in Patio’s vibey, walk-in-only space. PS: We’ve also heard great things about the chicken schnitzel.
Wed – Sat; until 28th March; kitchen ’til 9.30pm
patiobrighton.com
Big International Women’s Day swim
Fancy a bracing dip with several hundred other people (or at least watching them from the relative warmth of the pebbles)? The Big Swim returns to Brighton seafront (Sea Lanes) for a mass splash belatedly celebrating International Women’s Day and fundraising for Surfers Against Sewage. Expect colourful costumes, big community energy and a lot of very brave swimmers heading into the sea together. If it sells out, it’s worth heading over just to watch the colourful madness unfold from the beach.
Sat 14th March; 11.45am
The Big Swim
Holistic Craft Fair
Brighton does love itself a bit of crystals, tarot and beautifully handmade things and it does them very well. The Seaside Siblinghood holistic craft fair at the Unitarian Church is no exception, bringing together around 40 local makers, artists and practitioners for a day of browsing, chatting and, let’s face it, probably buying pretty things you didn’t know you needed. You’ll find jewellery, candles, artwork and crafty bits alongside tarot readers, holistic therapies and general good-vibes energy.
Sat 14th March; 11am – 5pm; free
Seaside Siblinghood
Laura Misch at The Old Market
London saxophonist and producer Laura Misch is bringing her dreamy blend of jazz, ambient and electronic sounds to Hove’s Old Market on Saturday. Known for her atmospheric live shows and beautifully layered saxophone lines, her music sits somewhere between late-night jazz club and cinematic soundscape. Part of TOM’s ‘In The Box’ events featuring 360-degree visuals, it’s a properly immersive way to experience the music.
Sat 14th March; 7.30pm; £31.50
theoldmarket.com
Big Ears club night
Big Ears’ Valentine’s night went down a storm and they’re back with a proper groove-heavy line-up at Manchester Street Arts Club (the ex-home of Latest TV) on Saturday. New York DJ Lovie is headlining with a set spanning soul, jazz, disco and house, joined by London-based saxophonist Allexa Nava performing live. Gorgeous stuff.
Sat 14th March; from 8.30pm; £15
Book tickets
Mr Scruff DJ set
Legendary selector and Ninja Tune regular Mr Scruff returns to Brighton for one of his famously eclectic sets. If you’ve ever seen him play you’ll know the drill: marathon sets, wildly varied selections and a dancefloor that ends up everywhere from funk and jazz to house and leftfield electronica.
Sat 14th March; 3pm – 10pm; £24.20
quartersbrighton.co.uk
Cocktails and plates at Blossoms Brighton
If your weekend plans involve cocktails and grazing rather than full-tilt dancing, then we’d recommend a trip to Asian-inspired spot Blossoms. Their menu pairs colourful, inventive (and expertly made) cocktails with small plates designed for sharing – think Japanese bites like gyozas and punchy firecracker chicken (or cauliflower) – in a beautiful blossom-studded space. (We went earlier this week – look out for our full review.)
blossomsbrighton.co.uk
Cat yoga at Purrfect Space
Yoga is calming. Cats are calming. Put the two together and you’ve got an hour of gentle stretching surrounded by rescue cats doing their own take on downward dog (ie plonking themselves adorably on your yoga mat and refusing to move) at this new co-working and event spot from the people behind Munchies Cat Cafe. The feline residents just chill while you (try) and do your thing, plus you get to hang out with them over tea and coffee at the end. Purr-fection for cat lovers.
Sun 15th March; 10am; £25
purrfectspace.co.uk
HerStories: An Evening of Monologues
Head to Act Brighton’s small-but-perfectly-formed Lantern Theatre in Kemptown for a night of powerful solo performances celebrating women’s stories on Sunday. HerStories brings together a collection of monologues exploring identity, experience and personal history – intimate theatre that puts the spotlight firmly on the voice of the performer.
Sun 15th March; 7.30pm; from £10
Book tickets
Marcel Lucont’s Whine List
Wonderfully miserable Frenchman Marcel Lucont returns to the Forge Comedy Club at Ironworks with Whine List, his brilliantly silly interactive comedy show where the audience’s complaints become the entertainment. You’ll get deadpan wit, improvised grumbling and a healthy amount of audience participation as Lucont builds a “whine list” (geddit?) from people’s past woes and misdemeanours. This is group therapy, but funnier and with significantly more mockery. It’s a solid Sunday night shout if you enjoy comedy that’s playful and unpredictable.
Sun 15th March; 7.30pm; from £11.34
Book tickets
Get outta town – spring colour at Sheffield Park
If Brighton feels a bit grey this weekend, Sheffield Park is your colour reset. The Grade I-listed National Trust gardens are built around four reflective lakes and heaps of woodland, and at this time of year they start bursting into colour with early blossom, daffs and other spring bulbs waking the whole place up after winter. It’s the perfect excuse for a Sussex stroll.
nationaltrust.org.uk
