As Brighton Fringe celebrated its twentieth anniversary launch at the Ironworks, the headline amongst the speeches and show tasters was the return of a physical brochure for 2025. Promised to be available to pick up at venues, stations and pubs around the city of Brighton & Hove from the second week of April, this was a very welcome announcement, met with cheers and applause from the assembled members of the press, performers, venue managers, and more. It heralds a feast of 700 shows and performances set to take place for the Brighton Fringe, which runs from May 2 and to June 1.
The main box office for the Fringe will be positioned at the Theatre Royal in the centre of town, selling tickets to over 4000 performances in 140 venues. These include the new Rebel Park Circus, which will be positioned on The Level, and a new venue called the Speigelgardens – the regular Spiegeltent position at the front of the Palace Pier being unavailable this year. A map to both of these, as well as every other venue, will be found in the brochure too.
This year more than 20 bursaries were awarded to a variety of shows from comedy, theatre, cabaret and more in the Brighton Fringe. Winners of some of these prizes showcased extracts of their shows in the main body of the fringe launch, loudly demonstrating the versatility of styles to be expected in the month of fringe, from the quiet rural Americana contemplation of ‘Cow Pokes In A Bunkhouse’ (winner of the Pebble Trust Young People’s Bursary) to the broad absurd comedy served up by ‘Spuds! Tatties On Tour’ (recipient of the Encore Ensure Bursary), via the musical drag-influenced talent and affectionate vitriol of duo Pearl and Dean.
