The Brighton Festival programme was unveiled last night with the arrival of award-winning screenwriter and novelist Frank Cottrell-Boyce for the official launch event at the Dome. This year’s Brighton Festival 📍will take place from Saturday 4 May to Sunday 26 May.
Cottrell-Boyce, this year’s guest director, said:
What a thrill and what a challenge to be asked to help put together Brighton Festival 2024. In the 70s Keith Waterhouse famously said, “Without putting your finger on it, you always get the feeling that Brighton is up to something.”
In 2024 I’m hoping that Brighton is up FOR something – for everything.
Brighton’s a special place – with its love of liberty, style and the salty sea. Unlike nearly everywhere else in Britain, Brighton seems to look to the future.
That spring in Brighton’s elegant step is hope. If we can celebrate that for a few days then maybe we can spread a little seaside illumination over the rest of the land.”
The Brighton Festival is now the largest annual curated multi-arts festival in England. The Festival is a celebration of music, theatre, dance, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and community events taking place across Brighton, Hove and East Sussex throughout May.
As well as adapting his hit novel Millions for the big screen, Cottrell-Boyce has been responsible for writing an impressive number of much-loved on-screen moments.
From the BAFTA-winning skit featuring Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear to co-devising the 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony with Danny Boyle, Cottrell-Boyce has also written hit films including 24 Hour Party People, The Railway Man and Goodbye Christopher Robin.
Cottrell-Boyce has also written for the long-running hit TV show Doctor Who and his ITV series Stephen was based on the 1993 murder of black British teenager Stephen Lawrence.
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert referred to him as “the most original and versatile screenwriter in the land”.
Speaking at the launch of this year’s new Brighton Festival programme launch last night which included his own guest director events, Cottrell-Boyce said:
This Festival is a chance for Brighton to share its fun, gags, bright ideas and beauty with the rest of the world. To give us all a bit of that Brighton Bounce. To give us hope.
Dates for the diary
Cottrell-Boyce is Brighton Festival’s 15th guest director, following in the footsteps of Anish Kapoor, Brian Eno, Laurie Anderson, Kae Tempest, Lemn Sissay and, in 2023, musician, DJ and broadcaster Nabihah Iqbal.
He is collaborating with the Brighton Festival programming team to develop a diverse and inclusive programme of events for 2024.
This will include some great events such as performances by celebrated soprano Danielle de Niese on Monday 20 May, longstanding space rock outfit Spiritualized, an outdoor performance supper club at Brighton’s Earthship – Ground, plus silent performance comedy from award winning French troupe Les Fils du Grand Réseau with Fishbowl, and all kicked off with the annual Children’s Parade on Saturday 4 May, created and supported by Brighton’s own community arts stalwarts Same Sky.
