BRIGHTON

Caravanserai Comes To Brighton Fringe

Brighton Fringe has announced its newest outdoor venue: Caravanserai. This pop-up outdoor festival is coming to the green space just north of Brighton’s St Peter’s Church, just a short walk from the station.

Originally established at Camp Bestival, Caravanserai draws its name draws form the roadside stations and inns along the 7th century trading routes. These welcomed travellers and supported the flow of commerce and information across Asia, Africa and Europe, providing a place to rest and socialise after a long journey.

During May, Caravanserai’s immersive world will be constructed from repurposed caravans, alongside vintage fairground waltzers, where hoopla stalls and shoot-out galleries become bars. The site will be free-to-enter, with food trucks to enjoy, a dedicated family area for children, secret bars to discover, and two stages packed with entertainment.

The site’s theatre venues consist of a 220-seater big top, showcasing theatre, circus and cabaret, along with a late-night music programme supported by Continental Drifts, and a 50-seater bandstand venue offering intimate comedy, spoken word and theatre events. There’ll also be interactive walkabout performances and a busking stage for Brighton Fringe acts from across the festival. Caravanserai will also play host to a community programme of workshops and talks in collaboration with Brighton Fringe’s charity partners Together Co., BARCO, Martlets and more.

“We can’t wait to come to Brighton this May and host many of the incredible acts and producers involved in Brighton Fringe,” said Artist-founder, Pete Bateman. “We’ve wanted to get Caravanserai out on the road for a few years now, and when the opportunity to bring it all to Brighton cropped up, we knew we had to do it. We are looking forward to sharing our world with a new audience and watching some great shows.”

Programme highlights include “Must See Show” of Edinburgh Fringe 2022, Mythos: Ragnarok, and the three-man, multi-awardwinning and globally acclaimed comedy group, Police Cops. There’s a weekend music takeover on Thurs 11 – Sun 14 May, including Carnival Collective, a Rockinghorse Charity

Rave and a selection of amazing bands.

Camp Bestival founder Rob Da Bank said: “Everyone at Camp Bestival is incredibly excited to see Caravanserai up sticks and land by the sea in Brighton. Having been there from the start of the story in 2013 at Camp Bestival, it’s a joy to see a work created with love and passion for festivals on tour. There’s no cooler venue in global festival land, so roll up and make sure you get in the queue for the amazing programme at Brighton Fringe very soon. See you by the waltzers!”

Caravanserai comes to St Peter’s Church, Brighton, on Fri 5 May - Sun 4 June, as part of Brighton Fringe 2023. Find out more at: www.brightonfringe.org

Brighton Tattoo Convention

Encompassing every style of beautiful body art, Brighton Tattoo Convention is back for its 14th edition. This annual show comes to the Brighton Centre on Sat 25 – Sun 26 Feb, this huge weekend event brigs together tattoo fans, vendors and artists from across the country.

This year sees over 500 artists and traders gather in the Brighton’s Centre’s four extensive floors. Things have shifted up a gear, and the event welcomes four unique bar areas each with their own DJs, and there’s special evening shows at The Hope & Ruin and The Prince Albert with some amazing bands - all included in your ticket price.

Starting back in 2007, Brighton Tattoo Convention has grown year on year into a major event on the world tattoo calendar. Now taking place in the largest exhibition centre in the south, this unmissable event hosts world class tattooists, exciting parties, collaborations and presentations. There will also be loads of live entertainment, shopping stalls and bar service throughout the day.

Visitors will have the rare opportunity to view the works of world-renowned tattoo artists, some of whom have flown out from overseas exclusively for the occasion.

There’s also a chance to get some advice or even a tattoo at the convention. Some artists will be doing tattoos first come, first served, while others will only take direct appointments. If you are interested in getting a tattoo at this event, it has been advised to contact the artists directly to see if they are taking bookings. Almost every conceivable style will be on show, from neo-traditional patterns to eye-scorching colourful realism.

Weekend Ticket: 2 Day Pass – £50* (Students £30*)

Any Day Ticket: valid for single use on either Saturday or Sunday – £30* (Students £20*)

Under 16’s go free with an adult (Tickets must be reserved in advance by calling 01273 292695 or visiting the Brighton Centre Box Office in person)

Disabled Personal Assistant/Carer Passes –Free (Tickets must be reserved in advance by calling 01273 292695 or visiting the Brighton Centre Box Office)

Advance Tickets are available right now, or from The Brighton Centre Box Office on the day. For more details, visit: www.brightontattoo.com