Brighton Centre

Brighton Centre
The Brighton Centre in April 2013
Address Kings Rd, Brighton. BN1 2GR
Location Brighton, East Sussex, England
Coordinates 50°49′16″N 0°08′46″W / 50.82111°N 0.14611°W / 50.82111; -0.14611Coordinates: 50°49′16″N 0°08′46″W / 50.82111°N 0.14611°W / 50.82111; -0.14611
Public transit Southern Trains
(Brighton Railway Station)
National Express Coaches
Megabus (coach company)
(Pool Valley Coach Station)
Brighton & Hove Buses
The Big Lemon (bus company)
Owner Brighton & Hove City Council[1]
Operator Brighton & Hove City Council[1]
Capacity Concerts: 4,500
Conferences: 5,000
Construction
Opened 19 September 1977
Renovated January 2012
Architect Russell Diplock & Associates

Brighton Centre is a conference and exhibition centre located in Brighton, England. It is the largest of its kind in southern England,[2] and is regularly used for conferences of the British political parties and other bodies of national importance. The venue has the capacity to accommodate up to 5,000 delegates,[2] although rooms in the building can be used for weddings and banquets.[3]

It has also been used as a live music venue since it was opened by James Callaghan on 19 September 1977.[4] It was designed in a Brutalist style by architects Russell Diplock & Associates, who made extensive use of textured concrete.[5] The venue is situated in the centre of Brighton on the sea front and is within 200 metres of major hotels. In 2004, it was estimated that the centre generates £50 million in revenue for Brighton.[6]

Renovation

The second phase of redevelopment was completed in January 2012; a refurbishment of its main entrance resulted in a transformation of its outside facade. In addition to this, the venue’s restaurant, which is regularly used as a relaxation space for larger conferences, now features floor-to-ceiling windows with uninterrupted views of the seafront and new interiors.

As part of Brighton's "City Plan", it has been proposed that the building be knocked down to make way to an extension to the Churchill Square shopping centre.[7]

Notable events

Bing Crosby's final performance was at the Brighton Centre on 10 October 1977. He died of a heart attack four days later, while at a golf tournament in Spain.

On 11 December 1982, The Jam played their last gig in the Conference Room at the Brighton Centre.

On 28 April 1990, New Kids On The Block performed at the venue on their first UK tour.

On 16 December 1997, Louise Redknapp performed at the venue on her sell-out Soft and Gentle Tour [8], in support of her platinum selling album Woman in Me.

On 12 and 13 March 2001, Kylie Minogue performed at the venue on her her On a Night Like This Tour.

In 2003 and 2004, it hosted the 2003 and 2004 British Open snooker, from November 8 to 16.

On 13-14 June 2004, Irish vocal pop band Westlife held a concert for their Turnaround Tour supporting their album Turnaround.

In 2007, it was host to the Premier League Darts.

In 2017, it played host to Emeli Sande, one of the UK's most successful selling artists, during her tour of her second album Long Live the Angels.

In 2018 It will hold Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds smallest capacity concert to date that has gone on general sale, as well as playing host for the smallest venue on Paloma Faith's tour for her album The Architect.

References

  1. 1 2 "Our Commitment", Brighton Centre
  2. 1 2 "Facelift for Brighton Centre". The Argus. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  3. ↑ "The Brighton Centre", theatresonline.com
  4. ↑ "Seafront venue marks anniversary", BBC News, 30 July 2007
  5. ↑ Antram, Nicholas; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2013). Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove. The Buildings of England. London: Yale University Press. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-300-18473-0.
  6. ↑ "A new future for the Brighton Centre", Brighton & Hove City Council
  7. ↑ "REPORT ON THE EXAMINATION INTO THE BRIGHTON and HOVE CITY PLAN PART ONE" (PDF). Brighton & Hove City Council. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "Louise Redknapp Setlists". setlists.fm. Retrieved 1 May 2018.

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