Ibiza Proms Among 50 Events Scheduled For Brighton Next Year

A 15,000-capacity “Ibiza Proms” concert is among dozens of outdoor events planned for the coming year in Brighton and Hove.

The concert promoter promises a selection of popular clubbing anthems performed by a 50-strong full symphony orchestra.

The promoter, New Vision Events, is in talks with Brighton and Hove City Council about exactly when and where to stage the concert.

New Vision, based in Staffordshire, is looking at a Saturday in late June next year.

The company would like to use Black Rock but the site may not be able to host the event so it may end up being held in Hove Park.

Work is under way at Black Rock to create an events space there as part of the regeneration of the eastern seafront.

Details of the proposed event are included in a report to the council’s Culture, Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Economic Development Committee which is due to meet next week.

The report lists about 50 outdoor events in parks and open spaces including the seafront as well as those requiring road closures.

The organisers need “landlord consent” from the council and official work with councillors on what fees to charge and what support to provide.

The list includes the Brighton Festival and Brighton Fringe, the Brighton Marathon and Mini Mile, charity fundraisers, funfairs and various gigs and music festivals.

The report said that consultations were taking place on an events programme for the new Black Rock site but it had not yet been finalised.

One of the new events in the 2024 diary is called the Urban Moves Festival – a mix of music and dance in Hove Park next June.

The organisers described it as a celebration of emerging local talent from the funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop and RnB music scenes, with a small funfair, drag acts and children’s area.

Another new event is the Brighton Big Top Concert Series in Preston Park over three days in October next year, with an audience of up to 8,000 people a day.

The report to councillors said that the event would “extend the visitor window” during a period that is traditionally a quieter time of year for hotels and other hospitality businesses.

The Funk and Soul Fest is expected to return after a four-year break – at the Great Escape beach site at the end of next May.

And after the success of the On the Beach festival this year, Concorde 2 is seeking a three-year agreement to run the event until 2026 in Madeira Drive.

The report to councillors said:

“All events involving the use of amplified music will be required to provide the council with a noise management plan which will be shared with colleagues in environmental protection for comment.

“Event organisers will need to adhere to specific restrictions on levels of noise at their event as well as provide the council will evidence of mitigation measures in place to reduce the impact on nearby businesses and residents.

“Outdoor events support the reputation of the city as a leisure destination and contribute significantly to the economic impact of tourism.

“The Visitor Economy Strategy 2018-23 highlights the economic contribution of tourism to the city’s economy at £886 million a year which supports 21,000 jobs.

“The economic impact of events staged in the city is largely through associated hotel, leisure and retail spend.”

The report also said:

“The financial impacts of the cost of living crisis have continued to have a significant effect on the outdoor events industry throughout 2023, with a number of events failing to open their gates despite receiving landlord’s consent.

“Attendance at events and the resulting ‘on the day’ spend from customers is estimated to be down from ticket sales by between 10 and 15 per cent across the board with mass participation and sporting events seeing the most significant downward pressure.

“Outdoor events made a return to a full programmed schedule in Brighton and Hove in the summer of 2023.

“The enduring supply chain difficulties, massive increases in logistical costs and the now growing cost of living crisis have all added significant increases in event costs and produced tangible downward pressure on sales and per head spend across the year.”

The report is due to be received by the council’s Culture, Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Economic Development Committee at a meeting at Hove Town Hall starting at 4pm next Thursday (14 September). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.