Brighton & Hove seafront, from the British Airways i360 Viewing Tower to the Palace Pier and beyond, will light up in red from 6.30pm tonight in solidarity with #WeMakeEvents, an international movement to highlight that the live events sector urgently needs support from local governments to survive the Covid-19 crisis.
After the latest coronavirus restrictions, Brighton Music Conference will support the campaign, with DJs Darius Syrossian and Alan Fitzpatrick performing in one of the i360’s pods from 6.30-9.30pm with their sets being recorded and available for everyone to watch on Thursday as part of their event line up.
Each year Brighton hosts over 14 major events including Brighton & Hove Pride which contributes £20.5 million to the local economy and hosts 450,000 people over the weekend.
Paul Kemp, Managing Director of Brighton & Hove Pride, said: “In the UK alone the Cultural Sector’s value exceeds £84 billion and was the fastest growing sector in 2017 and 2018. There has been little or no government support for the highly skilled people, manufacturers or the huge supply chain of businesses that enable the events sector to operate.
“Brighton & Hove is an events city and all our events will be an essential part of our city’s economic recovery. #WeMakeEvents is now calling on government to extend significant financial support for the people and companies in the events sector supply chain until they can viably return to work.”
A destination city for politicians, entertainment and music lovers, the Brighton Centre alone hosts 90 live events throughout the year for 250,000 people and 30 conferences and exhibitions for 50,000. The city also hosts a range of festivals from the Brighton Fringe and Brighton Festival, to food and new music with the Great Escape Festival plus Paddle Around the Pier and sporting events, including half and full marathons, all of which have been cancelled this year.
Event professionals can get involved from home by signing up to to receive information and ideas in support of the campaign.
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