Every May, Brighton welcomes opera, comedy, readings, screenings and theatre to its myriad performance venues for the three-week-long Brighton Festival. This year's guest director is Aung San Suu Kyi, whose motto for the event is 'use your liberty to promote ours'.
Every year, venues across Brighton play host to the annual arts festival and its accompanying fringe. The fringe festival continues to expand, taking in everything from cabaret to comedy, classical concerts and club nights, theatre and exhibitions.
Brighton Fashion Week brings cutting-edge local designers, press and fashionistas to Hilton Brighton Metropole and Brighton Corn Exchange for catwalk shows and a free fashion emporium. The annual event celebrates the diversity of Brighton fashion.
Over 700 naked, body-painted and scantily-clad cyclists turn out for the annual World Naked Bike Ride in Brighton, protesting against climate change and the tyranny of the automobile. Motorists stuck in traffic jams may get more than they bargained for...
For two weekends in June and July, 70 beautiful private gardens and 16 trails are open to the public, for Brighton's Garden Gadabout scheme. The event raises money for The Sussex Beacon, a clinical care centre for HIV sufferers.
A flurry of exotic costumes, soca sounds and samba moves take over Brighton this July for the one-day carnival that sees approximately 15,000 people take to the streets to party. The parade goes from Middle Street to Madeira Drive.
More than 25 family, music and literary events make up the Clifton Montpelier Powis Festival in Brighton. Run by the community, the literary talks, choir, orchestra and theatrical performances take place at St Nicholas and Saint Michael's and All Angels churches.
Brighton Pride takes over the town for a week in summer, culminating in a flamboyant parade from the seafront to Preston Park and street parties on St James's St. It is now the biggest free Pride festival in the UK.
Since 1905, cars and bikes of all shapes and sizes have filled every inch of Madeira Drive, near Brighton Pier for the National Speed Trials. Various prizes are awarded, with races taking place throughout the day and into the evening.
Flex those fingertips and dig deep into the wardrobe to find your spandex pants. The UK Air Guitar Championships at Concorde 2 is not only a club night and annual event: it's a musical movement that has conquered the world.
Disciples of chrome and leather descend on Brighton's seafront from the original Ace Café (a haven for motorcyclists throughout the 1950s and 1960s) on London's North Circular. Around 40,000 sparkling motorcycles get involved.
For those who like it hot, Brighton's Fiery Food UK festival returns to the city's Victoria Gardens. Expect a huge variety of chilli-related products and foods on stalls, as well as live music, comedy and the all-important chilli-eating contest.
An adrenaline-filled week of extreme entertainment greets visitors to Brighton's Madeira Drive during the White Air Festival. Formerly held on the Isle of Wight, the extreme sports festival features an impressive display of talent competing on water, land and air.
The Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival celebrates the best of food and drink in Sussex. Local delicacies are the star of the show, with special events taking place across Brighton and Hove including markets, demonstrations and competitions.
Fresh on the heels of Edinburgh Fringe is the annual Brighton Comedy Festival, Brighton's own homage to all things funny. All three venues of the Brighton Dome join the fun - the Corn Exchange, Concert Hall and Pavilion Theatre.
Where there's a festival there's a fringe. Brighton Comedy Fringe runs alongside the Brighton Comedy Festival but is perhaps even more outlandish. In the intimate Upstairs at Three and Ten see Edinburgh highlights, checked out by the organisers. It'll be a gas!
The annual Brighton Early Music Festival takes place in various venues across Brighton and Hove and as far afield as Lewes and Kempton. Lasting 17 days, it leaves plenty of time to mull over this year's theme - ritual.
The Brighton Photo Fringe runs in parallel with the Brighton Photo Biennial, using the increased awareness of photography in the media and public to create opportunities for photographers in the area. Exhibitions take place all over Brighton, Hove and Shoreham.
The Brooks Brighton 10K is one of England's fastest 10km routes as it is all off-road or on traffic-free roads. Two thousand people take part, with both elite runners and joggers enjoying the seafront route that starts and finishes on Madeira Drive.
Scores of crystal, mineral, fossil and gemstone experts gather at Brighton Racecourse for the Rock 'n' Gem Show, devoted to some of Earth's more interesting offerings. Pick up tips on what crystals can do for your mind, body and soul.
Brighton Dome's Corn Exchange is again a hive of creativity with Made, Brighton's Design and Craft Fair. One hundred contemporary designers and craftsmen showcase their handiwork and sell their wares directly to the public. Textiles, jewellery, ceramics and more are on show.
Hove hosts a film festival with a difference. The 3-day Oska Bright Film Festival, at The Old Market, features screenings and film-making workshops, solely dedicated to people with learning difficulties who wish to enter the wonderful world of film-making.
Celebrating the winter solstice's longest night of the year, Brighton's annual Burning The Clocks includes a lantern parade that illuminates the darkness of winter. Many of the paper lanterns are burnt too, on the beach next to Madeira Drive.
Celebrate Christmas at The Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Fairytale characters welcome visitors, who can wind their way through the palace's surreal splendor before meeting the big man himself. Father Christmas has a gift for every child that visits him. Advance booking is recommended.
Forget the catwalk - it's the sort of models you make and operate that are on show at Modelworld at the Brighton Centre. Roaming robots, miniature railways and radio-controlled cars are to be found alongside demonstrations and a huge modelling workshop.
The Brighton Science Festival brings a range of shows to quirky venues, from libraries to pubs, right across the city. From demonstrations and talks to hands-on family days out, it promises to be a celebratory fortnight of science.
One of the most anticipated mountain festivals, The Banff Mountain Film Festival sets off on a world tour, visiting 30 different countries. Catch it at the Komedia Club, Brighton for some jaw-dropping and thought-provoking features.
A new addition to Brighton's bustling calendar of annual events, the Brighton Marathon is the first English marathon to be held outside the capital. Benefitting from a beautiful seaside setting, it's already attracted interest from sports fans internationally.
More than 300 bands perform at The Great Escape Festival this year. Taking place over three days at 30 venues across Brighton, the music festival is an annual highlight in the city's cultural calendar.
Ranging from textile arts to beading, the Creative Stitches and Hobbycrafts Show at the Brighton Centre displays a huge array of new and established crafts. Enthusiasts can also take advantage of informative workshops and talks.