We are the official Higher Education Partner of Brighton Festival, the city’s annual arts celebration. The 2026 events run from Friday 1 May-Monday 25 May.
About the Festival
Brighton Festival brings together performers, writers and artists from across the world, and this year it is more accessible than ever before, with a diverse series of 112 events: 19 free events and 40 events under £10.
As the Festival’s Higher Education Partner, we are delighted to provide you with unique access to the Festival programme and the chance to attend events co-created by academics and students from the University.
There will also be chances for our student Digital Media Creators to get involved, too.
Ticket offers for students
As Sussex is part of Brighton Festival, students get unique access to the programme. Look out for ticket offers – we’ll be running prize draws to win free tickets and sharing ticket discount codes.
What’s on
View the full Brighton Festival programme.
University of Sussex Festival of Ideas
Festival of Ideas is back with a dynamic programme of events, talks and activities from the Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities. Now in its fifth year as part of Brighton Festival, it connects students, academics and the community through the transformative power of the arts and humanities.
This year’s programme spans everything from magicians to machines – from performances and creative workshops to discussions exploring AI, self-representation and the stories we share.
In 2026, Festival of Ideas includes a week of on-campus student-led activities in March and five Sussex research events in May as part of Brighton Festival.
Festival of Ideas – events in Brighton Festival
Part of the official festival programme, these events showcase research from Sussex academics.
Planting Seeds: A Game to Imagine Our Future Food Production. Can games and storytelling help us imagine better futures for farming, nature and everyday life in Brighton and the South East? Drawing on University of Sussex research, we’ll explore regenerative futures together. All welcome. 10 May | 12.30pm-3.30pm | Dice Saloon | From £10
What We Talk About When We Talk About Magic. Are magicians really doing magic? Sleight-of-hand artist Vincent Gambini shares new work-in-progress from his theatre-and-magic project, followed by a Q&A. 15 May | 6pm-7.30pm | Jane Attenborough Studio, ACCA | From £10
AI and the Arts: What Does this Mean For Our Creative Future? A Long Table dinner party where artists, academics and the public discuss how GenAI is reshaping creative practice, the role of the artist and its costs. 19 May | 5.30pm-7pm | Globe Room, Projects Nile House | From £10
Making Meaning: A Creative Space for Hysterectomy Stories. A creative workshop using craft and conversation to open up rarely discussed hysterectomy experiences. Led by Dr Jill Kirby and Dr Ali Ramsey, it offers a supportive space to share stories and challenge myths.
23 May | 2pm-4pm | The Beach House, Yellowave | From £10
Queering the Archive: Who Gets To Tell Our Stories? Join zine-makers and archivists for a hands-on workshop bringing grassroots creativity into conversation with the archive. Reimagine who gets to record history and why it matters we do it together, in community.
24 May | 2pm-4.30pm | Teaching Room, University of Sussex Library | From £5
Festival of Ideas – events from our students
Student-led Festival of Ideas events start on campus from Tuesday 17 March, with talks, workshops, exhibitions and performances – all free and open to both students and staff.
Postcards from Brighton. This digital photography exhibit created by University of Sussex Media Production student Isha Mudassar highlights Brighton beyond its summer reputation.
17-19 March | 11am-4pm | Jane Attenborough Studio, ACCA | Free
Weaving the neurodivergent brain-body together. Following an artist residency at Fabrica in November 2025, Beth Sutton (she/they) is taking a large-scale installation on the road, exploring neurodivergence and brain-body conditions.
18 March | 12.45pm-2.30pm | Gardner Tower, ACCA | Free
Closing the gap, opening the stage: a student showcase. This event will convene a cross-generational panel of alumni, academics, and Student Union leaders to navigate the complexities of racial justice and belonging to Sussex within the larger landscape of Brighton.
18 March | 5.45pm-8.30pm | Jane Attenborough Studio, ACCA | Free
Different strokes: celebrating neurodiversity through creativity. A one-day creative event celebrating neuro-affirmative ways of working, researching and collaborating.
Workshops and conversation explore zines, lino printing, collage and collective documentation.
19 March | 9.30am-4pm | Gardner Tower, ACCA | Free
Glimpses: the bed as a meeting place. Beds can be places of care and connection – or deep isolation. Step into a nest-like space on campus, with collective beds as the setting. Share and listen to “bed stories” about what it means to spend a lot of time in bed.
20 March | 2pm-5pm | Meeting House Chapel | Free
Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts
Our campus arts hub will also be hosting three more events, including theatrical extravaganza Mr Blackpool (co-presented with Marlborough Productions), Bollywood-inspired epic Second Trimester, and Design for Nature and Community (Will Nash in conversation with Professor Alice Eldridge), exploring the vision behind Sussex’s forthcoming West Slope Public Art Commission.