Brighton Fringe is the largest arts festival in England and one of the largest fringe festivals in the world and what makes it exceptional is that it is set in an iconic city with unique cultural heritage. It sets out to stimulate, educate and entertain a wide audience by providing a showcase for diverse art forms.7

It takes place every May and for the first time ever, it is a 4-week festival in 2013 (4 May – 2 June) to include the summer half-term week. Brighton Fringe has grown out of and is inspired by home-grown creativity: more than 50% of events are put on by artistic companies based in Brighton & Hove. In 2012, it had 743 individual events, 171 free events, 3622 performances at 193 venues and 2013 figures are already higher than this and still growing.

It is also a completely open access festival, which means anyone can put on an event and be included in the brochure and website listings on payment of a fee. By definition, Brighton Fringe can include any art form. No artistic judgment or selection criteria are imposed on participants, enabling the development of both new and established work to attract fresh audiences, press and promoters.