What's On in Brighton This Weekend

Van Morrison In Concert — One of rock and soul's most enduring voices takes the stage at the Brighton Dome at 6:45pm, and if you know Van Morrison, you know this is not an evening to take lightly. Expect a masterclass in musicianship — from the smoky lilt of Moondance to the hypnotic sprawl of his later work — delivered by an artist who has been doing this for over six decades and still commands a room like no one else. Check the website for tickets, because nights like this have a habit of selling out before you've had time to think about it.

The Rock Orchestra: Arena of Fire — Imagine your favourite arena rock anthems reimagined for a full orchestra, wrapped in dramatic lighting and unleashed inside The Brighton Centre at 6:30pm — that is exactly the spectacle the Rock Orchestra promises with Arena of Fire. It is the kind of show that converts sceptics on the spot, hitting that sweet spot between classical grandeur and sheer rock-and-roll adrenaline. Check the website for tickets and prepare to be genuinely, unexpectedly moved.

Max Cooper: 3D/AV Live — Max Cooper is one of electronic music's most visually and sonically ambitious artists, and his 3D audiovisual live show at The Old Market from 6:45pm is nothing short of a full sensory event. Intricate, immersive, and utterly unlike a standard club night, this is the kind of experience that reminds you why live electronic performance is its own art form. At just £7, it is an almost absurdly good deal for what promises to be a transportive Friday evening.

Congregational — Over at the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange, Congregational arrives at 8:00pm with the kind of theatrical intrigue that demands your attention — a performance set inside one of Brighton's most architecturally stunning spaces, where the building itself becomes part of the drama. At £20, this sits squarely in the accessible end of the theatre spectrum and promises something that lingers long after the final curtain. If you love performance that feels genuinely site-specific and alive, do not sleep on this one.

Cabarave: Scary Tales -Eva lazarus, Dj cant Say no, Pete Bennett — The Volks Nightclub — Brighton's iconic seafront institution — throws open its doors at 10:15pm for a Halloween cabaret-rave hybrid that sounds like exactly the chaotic, joyful night out this city does better than anywhere. Eva Lazarus brings serious vocal firepower, Pete Bennett adds a dose of loveable unpredictability, and DJ Can't Say No keeps the floor moving between it all. Tickets are £10–£16, the costumes will be spectacular, and the memories will be the kind you piece back together over brunch on Saturday.

Born on Road | Brighton — If drum and bass is your religion, Born on Road at Concorde 2 from 11:30pm is your Friday night sermon, and this touring brand has built a fierce reputation for bringing the very best of the genre to dancefloors across the country. The Concorde 2 is a venue with proper sound and proper energy, the crowd will know every drop, and the bass will be felt in your chest long before you reach the door. Tickets are £13–£18 — lace up, dress up, and get there.

Tim Burton's Universe by Mystery Ensemble — Imagine the gothic, swooping grandeur of Danny Elfman's scores for Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and The Nightmare Before Christmas performed live inside the atmospheric stone walls of St George's Church, Brighton — on Halloween night, no less. Mystery Ensemble have a gift for making classical music feel genuinely cinematic and thrilling, and this setting turns the whole thing into an immersive experience that is eerie in the very best way. Doors from 7:00pm, tickets from £19–£27, and frankly one of the most perfectly matched events and dates you will ever find.

Drum and Bass Classics Brighton | Halloween All Dayer — Starting at 2:00pm, this Halloween all-dayer at the legendary Concorde 2 is the kind of event that reminds you why Brighton's club culture is so fiercely loved — deep rolling basslines, jungle-tinged classics, and a crowd that knows every drop. Getting going in the afternoon means you can ease into it, let the energy build, and still be absolutely flying by the time darkness falls over the seafront outside. Tickets are £16–£21, and dressing up is, one imagines, enthusiastically encouraged.

Van Morrison In Concert — A living legend takes the stage at Brighton Dome on Halloween evening, and there is something quietly magical about hearing Van Morrison perform in this grand, ornate venue as the city fizzes with costumed revellers outside. From the soulful ache of Moondance to the transcendent sweep of Into the Mystic, a Morrison concert is an experience that settles into you rather than hitting you over the head — and all the better for it. Check the website for ticket availability; doors at 6:45pm.

Ministry of Sound Classical — One of the most joyful, unexpected live music concepts of recent years rolls into The Brighton Centre at 6:30pm: a full live orchestra reimagining the euphoric anthems from Ministry of Sound's iconic compilations. This is the event that bridges every generation in the room — the person who danced to these tracks in 1997 and the person discovering them now will both be on their feet by the second number. Check the website for tickets, and prepare for the particular bliss of hearing a string section tackle a proper banger.

HALLOWEEN Seafront BLOCK PARTY 31.10.26 / 3 Venues / 1 Ticket — For sheer scale and value, this is hard to beat: one ticket grants you entry across three seafront venues from 10:00pm, making it the ultimate choose-your-own Halloween adventure with the sound of the sea as your backdrop. Roam between rooms, genres, and crowds as the night deepens — it is the sort of event where you lose your friends and find them again an hour later having had completely different but equally brilliant evenings. Tickets from £3–£20, which makes it one of the most accessible nights on the seafront this Halloween.

RNLI - Shoreham Fundraiser - Live show - Halloween Special — If you want Halloween with heart, this early-evening live show at The Volks Nightclub from 2:00pm raises money for the RNLI's Shoreham station — crews who genuinely put themselves out there for people in trouble at sea. At just £10, it is brilliant value for a live music afternoon with a cause behind it, and The Volks has the kind of lived-in, unpretentious atmosphere that makes everything feel warmer and more real. A great way to start the day before the city tips fully into the night.

Sea Life Brighton - Standard Admission — Start the day somewhere genuinely otherworldly — Sea Life Brighton is a stone's throw from the seafront and remains one of the most transportive experiences the city offers, whether you are five or fifty-five. Walk beneath sharks, come face to face with rays, and lose yourself in the hypnotic drift of jellyfish while the November wind howls outside. Doors open at 10:00am, making it the perfect anchor for a family morning; check the website for up-to-date pricing before you go.

Brighton Sundae w/ Marcia Carr — Patterns on the seafront has built a fierce reputation for championing forward-thinking electronic music, and Brighton Sundae is its beloved Sunday ritual — a warm, inclusive afternoon rave that refuses to let the weekend end quietly. This week Marcia Carr takes the helm, bringing her characteristically deep and soulful sound to a room that always feels like it is in on a glorious secret. Kicking off at 1:30pm and priced at a very generous £2–£12, this is the kind of afternoon that turns into a memory.

Dexy's Midnight Runners — Come on Eileen is one of those songs that needs no introduction, but Dexy's Midnight Runners have always been so much more than a single — a band of restless, romantic ambition who poured everything into their music. Catching them at Brighton Dome at 7:00pm is a proper Sunday evening event, one of those gigs where the audience sings every word back with the kind of collective joy that makes the hairs on your arms stand up. Check the website for ticket availability and pricing, and do not leave it too long.