Brighton Centre

Brighton Centre is a conference and exhibition centre located in Brighton, England. It is the largest of its kind in southern England,[3] 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,[3] although rooms in the building can be used for weddings and banquets.[4]

This article is about the arena in England. For the town centre in Massachusetts, see Brighton Center Historic District. For the school district, see Brighton Central School District.
Brighton Centre
The Brighton Centre in April 2013
AddressKings Rd, Brighton. BN1 2GR
LocationBrighton, East Sussex, England
Coordinates50°49′16″N 0°08′46″W
OwnerBrighton & Hove City Council[1]
OperatorBrighton & Hove City Council[1]
Capacity4,450[2]
Construction
Opened19 September 1977
RenovatedJanuary 2012
ArchitectRussell Diplock & Associates

It has also been used as a live music venue since it was opened by James Callaghan on 19 September 1977.[5] It was designed in a Brutalist style by architects Russell Diplock & Associates, who made extensive use of textured concrete.[6] 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.[7]

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.[8]

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.

Between 1978 and 1995 it was the venue for the Brighton International tennis tournament, an annual event on the WTA Tour. Champions of the event included Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf.

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

From 29–30 November 1983, pop duo Wham! performed their final dates on their debut UK tour, titled Club Fantastic Tour.

From 9–15 September 1989, the Liberal Democrats held their first Liberal Democrat Federal Conference, after the party's formation in the previous year.[9]

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

References
  1. "Our Commitment", Brighton Centre
  2. Centre, Brighton. "Brighton Centre". Brighton Centre. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  3. "Facelift for Brighton Centre". The Argus. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  4. "The Brighton Centre", theatresonline.com
  5. "Seafront venue marks anniversary", BBC News, 30 July 2007
  6. 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.
  7. "A new future for the Brighton Centre", Brighton & Hove City Council
  8. "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.
  9. Roger Mortimore and Andrew Blick, Butler's British Political Facts, Palgrave Macmillan 2018, p. 274 & 275.

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