Brighton’s Royal Pavilion has opened a brand-new exhibition that celebrates the magic and meaning of colour through immersive displays, art installations, and sensory experiences.
COLOUR opened recently and runs until 19 October 2025, celebrating the vibrant hues of the Royal Pavilion. This exhibition explores how colour shaped the palace’s extravagant design, inviting visitors to experience the bold and dramatic style that makes it one of Britain’s most unique landmarks.
The exhibition features stunning photo opportunities, including a hand-painted “rainbow road” by artist Lois O’Hara, guiding visitors through the gardens to the Pavilion’s grand entrance. Paint supplied by YesColours – an award-winning sustainable paint brand with supporting design services.
Brighton artist Lois O’Hara has transformed the walkway through the Pavilion Gardens into a swirling, multi-coloured rainbow road in collaboration with YesColours.
Lois’ unique style, with bold colours and flowing shapes, is designed to spark movement and emotion, creating a visual story full of energy and creativity.
Lois says, “I wanted to create an artwork that feels full of life and something that lifts people’s spirits and draws them into a sense of movement and energy.
Pathways of Joy is all about stepping into that flow and feeling the colours and shapes come to life around you.
Nature is always changing. Its colours shift and blend, and I wanted to capture that same feeling using colour to bring joy and make the space feel truly alive.”
Inside the Pavilion, the already vibrant Regency rooms have been brought to life with lighting, sound, and colour-themed objects. Highlights include the Banqueting Room, which has been transformed into a dazzling Feast of Colour, complete with multi-coloured fantasy food and jars of vivid pigment.
Visitors can also see exclusive artist collaborations, such as a bespoke hat designed by legendary British milliner Stephen Jones, a paper flower display that turns a floral carpet into 3D by Karen Hsu, and an exquisite Bird of Paradise created by Zack Mclaughlin.
Emma Bestley. Creative Director and Co-Founder of YesColours says: “‘Pathways of Joy’ is a vibrant celebration of the movement and energy of colour, perfectly complementing the bold, expressive spirit of the Royal Pavilion. We’ve helped bring this vibrant vision to life with our sustainable paints – proving colour isn’t just seen but felt. We hope this artwork sparks joy, creativity, and a deeper connection to the beauty around us”.
For the first time ever, the Great Kitchen will become an interactive area of colourful play for children. Visitors will be visually stimulated by rarely seen costumes and objects and invited to hear colour with a special immersive soundtrack in the Music Room. Cami the Chameleon will take children on a colourful journey of the Pavilion, while adults can discover the historical significance of every magnificent room.
Alexandra Loske, Curator of the Royal Pavilion, says: “Brighton’s Royal Pavilion is one of the most unusual and pioneering historic buildings of its time. It’s always been a masterpiece of colour. This exhibition lets visitors experience it in a new way – immersing themselves in the shades and textures that made it a sensation in the 1820s and continue to today. The palace interior is as much a work of art as the building itself. Each room is devoted to a specific colour and emotion, featuring carefully curated artistic interventions demonstrating how colour was used to evoke feelings and create enchanting and sensual interiors in the 1820s.”
Alongside the exhibition, Brighton & Hove Museums has lined up a packed programme of events, including paint and sip workshops, conversations in colour talks, a Pride Family Picnic, and even a Silent Disco.
Designed by architect John Nash for King George IV in the early 19th century, Brighton’s Royal Pavilion is one of the UK’s most extraordinary historic sites. Its blend of Indian and Chinese-inspired architecture with lavish, unconventional interiors reflects George IV’s flair for opulence and innovation.
A true Brighton landmark, its striking design fascinates visitors worldwide, making it a must-see destination for those drawn to its rich history, artistic grandeur, and unique cultural significance.
Brighton & Hove Museums is a charitable trust responsible for the management of the Royal Pavilion & Museum Trust service in Brighton & Hove.
Experience Brighton’s most dazzling exhibition, which runs until 19 October 2025 – book tickets at brightonmuseums.org.uk
For more information on events that will be run in conjunction with COLOUR, visit: https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/colour-at-the-royal-pavilion/colour-events/
Going round the Pavilion at the weekend was quite a tacky experience with this commercial enterprise, which really has nothing to do with history. Just a big pro mo. Also neon signs with bizarre messages obscuring some of the rooms.
This is a very timely exhibition. It’s generally forgotten that colour itself was unknown until Nash designed the original pavilion, and even now many people are not properly aware of its (colour’s) existence, so anything that can properly promote the safe and sustainable use of colour is to be welcomed.