Excellent. Richard and I put 1 Pound into a slot machine and walked out with 42 Pounds! We only…read morespent a total of 2 Pounds in this arcade and so came out really on top. The cashier happily exchanged the multiple Pound coins from the machine into notes for us. We used to criticise British 'Pokie' machines for being tricky and complicated but this was a lovely surprise. There are the usual 10p and 2p push down machines in this arcade but we didn't touch them this time. Staff could have smiled a bit more.

Whilst the main Brighton Festival tends to involve more high brow and mainstream theatre, dance,…read moremusic and literature events, Brighton Festival Fringe offers a platform for aspiring and underground artists and madhatters. As my fellow Yelpers photos show, there's always a fun circus / performance element to the fringe with free events involving stilt walkers, jugglers, flame-throwers and live performers. The real body of the fringe however, involves local and national comedians, performance artists, film-makers, theatre companies, artists and photographers putting on their own shows and exhibitions in venues right across the city. Most of the events are cheap as chips so it's well worth taking a risk and going to see a handful of different events. Pick up a free brochure around the city in the weeks running upto the festival or check the website for further details and teaser trailers. What have you got to lose?

Brighton Festival Fringe has, as the name suggests, grown out of the Brighton Festival. It is an…read moreopen access Arts festival, which brings together all sorts of events, including theatre, visual art, dance and comedy, to create a month long cultural extravaganza of fun! The intent is to entertain but also to educate audiences through varied and exciting art. What's great about Brighton Fringe is that its open to new and emerging talent as well as established performers and companies. This inclusive policy means that all sorts of people stage events and the Fringe festival continues to grow annually. As well as more traditional art forms, the festival also includes innovative new music as well as cinema, performance art and even club nights! The festival takes place in May each year. Every year I vow to myself that I will go to more events and every year I fail miserably. Even if you don't get yourself organised enough to check out specific events, you will feel the festival in the air, for the Fringe exploits Brighton's inherent spirit of fun and frivolity, and creates a happy buzz all over town! The Old Steine is an especially great place to soak up the atmosphere, as there is always a giant beer tent (some times the E4 Udder Belly) set up as well as the Speigeltent, where the Silent Discos are held.

I picked the wrong day to come down to this event, me and a friend came down to watch Jurassic…read moreWorld. Built into the village u.ve got food stalls, drinks and place to buy blankets. The set up is brilliant ibis hotel beds available if you want comfort or sprawl out on the cobbles. Unfortunately it was raining The event has special seating for the weather but puts a dampner on the film if yr sat in high winds and rain. Worth a visit just check the weather forecast

Chocolate truffles Chocolate bars…read moreChocolate churros Chocolate cake Chocolake fudge Chocolate bread Chocolate pastries Chocolate fountain Chocolate cocktails Chocolate pancakes & chocolate making kits With all of the above, it's no wonder the recent Chocolate Festival in Brighton was such a success. Alongside dozens of food stalls selling chocolate related products, there was chocolate demonstrations and masterclasses. My favourite bit however, had to be eating all the free samples and discovering wonderful new chocolatiers like William Curley and Damien Allsop. Keep your eyes peeled to the website to check out when the next festival will be.

The Duke of York's is something of an institution. Now owned by City Screen, this independent-style…read morecinema specialises in cult, indie and foreign-language films, as well as re-runs of the odd classic. Opened in 1910, it's one of the first commercial cinemas to still be in operation, and the interior - complete with balcony - is largely unaltered. The main auditorium is decorated in warm, cosy colours, although it suffered during the late 1970s as a venue for early punk rock concerts. Happily, it has now been restored to its former glory. You can tell it's going to be different from the facade - which has a pair of legs sticking out, Folies-Bergeres style, from the top left of the facade. For a start, the auditorium is licenced, so you can takes alcoholic drinks with you to consume during the film. And the choice of films is definitely not mainstream (venues showing foreign-language films are a dying breed, these days). On Saturday mornings there's a Kids club, with activities and a children's film (though presumably they don't take advantage of the alcohol licence...) and they can organise children's birthday parties too. At the other extreme of the age range, on Tuesdays the over-60s can see an early-afternoon film for just £3.50, and receive complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits! It's a membership venue as well (although it is not a requirement to see a film). Members can attend all sorts of specials events, screenings and receive discounts for their £28 a year (2008 prices). The cinema has a pleasant cafe-bar, open during the day, with a balcony for nice weather (although the din of Preston Circus road junction may not be quite so nice) and wi-fi (free to customers). The cinema has limited accessibility for those with a mobility impairment - full details are on its web-site.

Think of cinemas and your head is filled with thoughts of sticky floors and stale popcorn…read more Unsurprisingly, in Brighton, things are different. Gone are the XXL cups of coke that cost more than Antigua, at the Duke of York's the offerings are homemade carrot cake and Czech lager. Celebrating its centenary year, this cinema cannot be missed if you are either living in, or visiting Brighton. The seats are comfortable, the theatre stunning and the crowds electric. Such was the Duke's importance to Brighton that many celebrities donated money to restore the Cinema.The back of the seats are littered with the names of local and national celebrities who helped keep the cinema alive. You won't find Avatar here, nor will you find the latest Hollywood 'romcom', but instead a very studious set of the world's best independent cinema. Special themed 'Lord of the rings' and 'Eurovision' nights mean you aren't just limited to a 90 minute treat, but a host of good nights out. An absolute must.

This event takes place on the first Saturday of the Brighton Festival each year, and has opened the…read morefestival since 1989! If you're in town you can't help but notice it, even if it's just due to the chaos of road closures and the distant noise of marching bands; the parade runs from the North Laine area, through town and down West Street, making its way down the sea front to the finale at Marine Parade - with over 4000 participants from over 75 schools, not to mention the tens of thousands of spectators (think of all the doting families for each child!), the event is chaotic but pretty spectacular. I had the pleasure of being right in amongst it this Summer when I was in charge of marshalling right through the event. The event was really well organised with the kids' safety a top priority. I dealt with many a shirty driver and stressy parent in the run up, but the parade itself was great - being the product of local schools of course the quality varied considerably, as did the morale of the kids (the ones without crazy dancing teachers and bands lookes a bit miserable sometimes!), but overall it was a visual extravaganza! The best thing I saw this year was dozens of infant school kids dressed as wasps (the theme was the harvest) - they were adorable! Although more an event for the kids and their families, it's well worth catching if you're in town (and you can't miss it if you're shopping in the North Laine that morning). The finale at Marine Parade is worth checking out too as there's music and street entertainers.

It's because of events like the Children's Parade that I love Brighton. Please don't become alarmed…read moreby that sentence, I refer to the quirkiness and underlying community spirit that you don't always see in cities. The majority off the times that i have witnessed the parade has been whilst in the North Laine on the front line as a chef. Thankfully, the *insert* hits the fan afterwards, so we always got to see the amazing costumes that the kids had made. I always take this event as my official start to the Brighton festival and this year I don't have to cook. I had just known it to run through the North Laine and I think that Tasha is on the money to suggest getting down to the seafront. To witness the culmination of the procession and all the mix match of costumes coming together for the finale would really put the event in context. If you don't have kids then it would be easy to dismiss the event, but it really is worth the effort of getting into town for the morning. If you do have kinds in Brighton then it is likely that you are going to be there anyhow, but if not get them involved because this is part of the festival that they will love the most.

I LOVED the Brighton Museum. I was beyond pleasantly surprised…read more The museum is in a lovely building right beside the Royal Pavilion, so there is no reason why you cannot pay it a visit. The collections were rather hodgepodge, and sometimes it was difficult to figure out the connecting theme of what I was looking at, but everything was interesting - from the little alcove about Ancient Egypt to the Main Hall to the exhibits on Clothing as well as Modern Art (and I don't even care for modern art.) This museum also had a quality that escapes most others - it was great for both adults and children. I can easily say that, of all the sights I saw during my day in Brighton, this was definitely my favourite.

I always enjoy a visit to a museum, what's not to love about learning for free?…read moreSet in the heart of Brighton's Royal Pavillion gardens, you can really feel the culture when you visit the area. If you're stuck for ideas on what to do in Brighton when the weather is less than ideal, you could do much worse than making the trip here. Although small, the museum houses some interesting collections. My personal highlights are the Egyptology section and the history of Brighton room. Seeing the old photos of the west pier in all its glory and how the Pavillion looked over the years is fascinating.

A Brighton institution, The Dome is one of the city's leading gig venues platforming everyone from…read moreestablished rock, pop and funk bands to world music artists from Europe, South America and beyond. In complete contrast to the nearby Brighton Centre, it's a picturesque venue with a grand ceiling, a beautifully arched stage, a generous standing area and two tiers of comfy seats. The sound and sight lines are also top notch. I've seen The Drums, The Macabees, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Gossip, Pete Doherty, Bon Iver and Richard Hawley here in the last 18 months and the atmosphere was incredible at every single gig. Pete Doherty poured his drink over a heckler, Beth Ditto flirted with the audience and Bon Iver shocked everyone by doing a heavy rock number. My favourite memory of a show here however, has to be the Halloween party The Go! Team threw a few years back. They adorned the stage with pumpkins, dressed in weird costumes and had spooky films playing behind them. It was a magical evening and I danced so much, my legs ached for hours after-wards.

This Grade-I listed complex is both a highly original performance venue (with 3 performance areas,…read moreactually), and an historic building with a fascinating past. History The Dome was originally built in 1803-05 for the Prince of Wales (later George IV) as a stable block, adjacent to his then rather modest Brighton seaside villa. The architect was William Porden, and it was he who chose the iconic Indian architectural style (technically Indo-Saracenic) and designed the huge dome - originally covered in glass, 24 metres in diameter and 19 metres high, to cover a circulating area for the horses. Once completed, the new buildings so overshadowed the original villa, that the Prince instructed that they should be revamped into the iconic Brighton Pavilion we see today. The complex was sold to Brighton in the 1850s, and the Dome was developed as a concert hall in 1866. A major refurbishment in 1935 saw it modernised and given an Art Deco interior, and the Pavilion Theatre was added on the site of Mrs Fitzherbert's stables. Over the years it developed an enviable reputation as a Concert and entertainment venue for both classical and popular music, despite its notoriously poor acoustics. Famous names who performed here include Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones, and in 1974 it hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, won famously by Abba, singing 'Waterloo'. However, both the interior and exterior were crumbling and a major refurbishment was begun in 1999, costing £22m and taking three years to complete. The revamped complex now houses 3 venues: the 1,850 seat Concert Hall, the 570 seat Corn Exchange (which also hosts non-seated events on its sprung floor) and the 220 seat Pavilion Theatre. The exterior (together with the Museum) provides a suitably exotic backdrop to the Pavilion itself. Events The Dome hosts an astonishing variety of events, from concerts, conferences and performances in the main Concert Hall, to more eclectic drama, comedy and dance in the Pavilion Theatre. I've mostly attended events in the Concert Hall, and I'd agree with others that it's a great place to visit: the seating is comfy and spacious, the acoustics are hugely improved and the unusual shape gives it an intimate feel. Practicalities It's a ten minute walk from Brighton railway station, and just about every Brighton bus route passes close by, either on North Street or the Steine. The venue has level access throughout (and specific spaces for wheelchairs in the auditoria), disabled toilets, hearing loops and printed material is available (on request) in large format. Disabled customers can apply for a complimentary ticket (one per booking) to enable them to bring a companion or access assistant with them free of charge - phone for details. Well worth a visit.

From its origins as a comedy venue, Komedia has expanded both its space and reportoire to become…read moreBrighton's main live entertainment establishment, with over 700 performances a year from an award-winning range of stand-up comedy, music, caberet and theatre, as well as an active children's programme. The Komedia is a little scruffy around the edges, but that's Brighton for you. The building has two performance venues, an independently-run cafe bar and foyer bar (and feels much larger inside than its modest facade implies). They also provide food during some performances with a caberet-style setting. But it's the entertainment you come here for, not the surroundings. The staff seem friendly enough, although not always fantastically efficient - on-line booking isn't always available, for example. Arrive with plenty of time for comedy performances, as the best seating gets taken early on. (You can always have a drink while you wait.) If, like me, you have a large, illuminated, 'pick on me' sign on your head which only the performer can see, you'll need to tuck yourself away somewhere inconspicuous...

Ever wanted to go to a club night where they play nothing but girl groups and girl singers? A night…read morewhere the DJs spin everyone from The Supremes, The Ronettes and The Shangri-Las to Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Amy Winehouse? Sounds great, doesn't it? That night is called Da Doo Ron Ron and it takes place once a month at Brighton's coolest arts centre / gig venue / club - Komedia. There's cute girls in cute dresses, handsome boys in cool threads and it's only £4 -£5 to get in. The doors open at 11pm and you're kicked out at 3am. You can check the website for the next date. I'll save you a space on the dancefloor....

I remember an old friend raving about the Zombie walk he was going to do back when this first…read morestarted and racked it up to his general eccentric style. It wasn't until I was in the city last year supporting a friend who was doing the Time Warp Record that I appreciated how much of an event this is. It really is a zombie invasion and a great way to kick off your Halloween celebrations. People take this really seriously, from some amazingly realistic zombie costumes that would not look out of place in a Hollywood movie, to gimpy walks and mono speech with many groans etc. This really is one of those Brighton 'things' and if you are in the city on the night you really should make the effort to check it out or get dressed up and join the show. I reckon I am going to zombie it up myself this time around.

Once a year on Halloween night, a couple of hundred people wobble down from Brighton Station with…read moretheir guts hanging out, the sea by the old pier their final destination. It's the strangest procession of the undead you're likely to see this side of a Romero flick. Brilliantly quirky, for me it perfectly illustrates the city's sense of fun and drama, like an overgrown kid who still loves raiding the fancy dress chest. And some of the make up jobs are awesome. Last year Pennywise the clown took first prize in my opinion.