Celebrate Brighton Dome’s Creative History at this year’s Heritage Open Day
Join us on Sun 10 September as we open our doors for a free all-day event as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days. A series of tours, performances and crafts will explore the theme of creativity unwrapped as we take a look back at moments in our venue’s history and some of the famous performances we’ve welcomed.
On a walking tour of the Royal Pavilion Estate and surrounding areas, author and historian Louise Peskett will introduce you to intriguing, adventurous and scandalously little-known women from the city’s past. Elsewhere, you can follow in the footsteps of musical legends including Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Wonder and peek behind Brighton Dome’s curtain in a Backstage Tour.
Staged readings of local writer Dulani Kulasinghe’s poem Letters Home tell the story of the First World War from the perspective of two young soldiers from St Lucia in the Concert Hall. In the Founders Room, exciting immersive experiences will allow you to explore the history of the Corn Exchange. Using the latest digital technology, they’ve been created as part of FutureScope Heritage XR, an initiative from Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival and Digital Catapult, supported by Wired Sussex.
Local jazz legends Lawrence Jones and Terry Seabrook will play throughout the day in the Foyer, with music inspired by the Southern Syncopated Orchestra, who were one of the first jazz bands to perform in the UK and had a four-week residency with us here at Brighton Dome in 1921. There are also drop-in craft activities, including a Toy Theatre Workshop for ages 5 and up and all the family can dress up as their favourite Brighton Dome idol and strike a pose in GladRags Costume Hire’s photobooth!
A memorabilia display celebrates the 50th anniversary of David Bowie’s legendary Ziggy Stardust performance and the release of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, which was performed for the first time at Brighton Dome in 1972. Brighton residents with memories of ABBA’s historic 1974 Eurovision can also come and share their story with us and find out how to be involved with our celebration of the 50th anniversary next year.
Heritage Open Day runs from 10am to 4pm on Sunday 10 September. Please drop in at any time to enjoy the Foyer activities and memorabilia. Tickets for the tours and Concert Hall performances can be booked online or via our Ticket Office. Click here for more information about the event.
To explore more of our autumn 2023 events programme, take a look at our brochure
