Brighton believes it will be the first UK city to launch a major outdoor and online multi-arts festival since lockdown. The Brighton Festival will host more 94 events starting on May 1, just beating Coventry 2021, with the UK City of Culture year kicking off on May 15.
All outdoor events will be equipped for social distancing, including reduced capacity seating and bookings in household bubbles.
The Guest Director is Lemn Sissay The 2021 and the programme's theme is 'care'.
"As we walk gently out of lockdown into our ‘new normal’, care has got to be what we take, for ourselves and for the other people that we meet. When we go out to events, or when we engage with online events, it’s important that we care for ourselves and tread carefully, but with joy," Sissay said.
"That’s what I want to happen at the Festival. Care is the word that we want to see in every event that we do. That could just mean ‘go and enjoy yourselves, you deserve it."