Sidekick’s Top 10 Things to do in Brighton
Brighton has become one of the most exciting places in the U.K for living and for tourists. The beachside destination is named ‘London by the sea’ as it offers a lot of exciting attractions and things to do, or maybe because it has equally extortionate house prices but with a sea.
More and more visitors flock to Brighton like seagulls as Brighton & Hove albion football club have their new premiership stadium there after moving from Withdean.
So, why is Brighton so popular?
To put shortly, it has something for everyone. Brighton has a long beach with many attractions and places to eat and drink. It has a lot of historic places if you want to learn more about Brightons history. Also, if you enjoy shopping it has a first class shopping centre and unique shops through the lanes.
But, like with any holiday or seaside resort we want it to be sunny and hot, so visiting in summer will be the best time to appreciate it all.
Brighton: The Home of Sidekick Boxing
Brighton is the home of Sidekick Boxing. Our family grew up here for many generations, so we thought we would give our guide on the best parts of the city and its history. Brighton has also had many kickboxing and boxing champions living here such as Chris Eubank Jr and Sr who you would regularly see drive around in his truck trying to be as discrete as possible. We also witnessed him ride his electric scooter straight into the Thistle hotel. Brighton has had many kickboxing fight shows over the years held at the Corn exchange and the Hove town hall.
Read our full article ‘Kickboxer from Brighton celebrates 10 years in business’ here.
The History of Brighton
The history of Brighton is that of an ancient fishing village that emerged as a health resort in the 18th century and grew into one of the largest towns in England by the 20th century.
Local Histories suggests that:
‘Brighton began as a small Saxon village. The Saxons landed in Sussex in the 5th century AD and they founded the kingdom of Sussex including the village of Brighton. It was once called Beorthelm’s tun (Beorthelm’s farm or village).
Centuries later it grew into the city of Brighton. Fishermen lived in Brighton as well as the farmers.’
Brighton Beach & Eateries
We would love to say a beautiful sandy beach but it is more like a profusion of pebbles so do make sure to bring some sandals when you visit!
Apart from that, it has lots of ice cream parlors, crazy golf, and great bars to soak up the sunshine. If you like your seafood there are also many fish bars selling all types of seafood such as:
- Riddle & Finns The Lanes
- English’s of Brighton
- Regency Restaurant
- & so many more!
What is Brighton Beach Famous For?
Brighton beach is the nearest South Coast to London so it’s a very popular destination for tourists.
The most famous attraction at Brighton Beach is the pier and it is officially the biggest tourist attraction outside of the city of London.
Brighton Palace Pier
You can’t visit Brighton and not visit the famous Palace pier. This place is perfect for everyone, especially families as it has many rides, arcades, and attractions. If you love Roller Coasters then the Turbo is for you.
The pier is huge too, it is ‘1,722 feet (525 m) long and contains 85 miles (137 km) of planking. Because of the pier’s length, repainting it takes three months every year. At night, it is illuminated by 67,000 bulbs’
I360
The i360 is a British Airways must-see tourist excursion as it looks over the whole of Brighton. It is built directly in front of the west pier and it stands where an old-style Brighton sweet shop once was. The ground-breaking attraction is 162 metres tall, with the fully enclosed glass pod soaring to 138 metres (450 feet). Up to 200 visitors at a time enjoy unfolding 360-degree views of the UK’s most popular seaside town, as long as you don’t get stuck up there.
Metropole Hotel in Brighton
This is a fantastic hotel dating back for many years with its beautiful sea views and of the remains of the West Pier. This is a very luxurious hotel perfect for special events and weddings, so special the Sidekick director and his wife got married there.
You may need to come in here with deep pockets because at over £5 a pint and £8 for a glass of wine, it is not going to be a cheap visit. The Metropole hold many family events and It also was the last location for the fight promotion Victory Fights, run by Kenny and Lily-May.
Brighton Pavilion
The Pavilion dates back hundreds of years. A former royal residence for George, Prince of Wales, who became the Prince Regent in 1811, and King George IV in 1820, the pavilion had to be built in three separate stages.
With influences from 19th century India, the pavilion is built in the Indo-Saracenic style and was sold to the city of Brighton in 1850.
Blaker Street
This will be your quickest visit to an iconic location in Brighton but it is surely worth a visit as it becomes a very quirky part of Brighton.
Driving up Blaker Street and you will see every terraced house in a different pastel colour. It’s a very beautiful sight to see, and definitely not one to miss in this historic place!
Knight Kickboxing
We had to be a little biased and put Knight Kickboxing in our top 10 things to do in Brighton.
Owned by the founder of Sidekick Boxing, Daniel graded his black belt in Kickboxing in the heart of Brighton. Knight Kickboxing offers fun fast exciting kickboxing classes for all ages.
The Lanes
If you like to shop for unusual or different items then The Lanes in Brighton is for you. Brighton Jewelry is very popular in the lanes.
there are many different shops located in the lanes such as:
- Paxton & Glew
- BouSham Gallery
- Rieker
- Farah
- Habitat Brighton
- and so many more (click here for a full list!)
Bars and Clubs in Brighton
Brighton definitely has one of the best nightlife in the U.K. We’re famous for its stag and hen parties. Brighton has hundreds of different bars and cocktail bars and the ones along the seafront come to life at night, turning into exciting night clubs till the early hours. If your night is late and feeling peckish there is also plenty of kebab houses to choose from.
If you like to have a little gamble then there are a few casinos in Brighton which have a variety of slot machines, roulette and card tables to play on. If you haven’t been to a casino before and would like one which is a not as busy and a bit more relaxed to learn, the casino down Preston street is a great choice.
This is typical Brighton, someone has thought what can we do next that would be different, I know let’s build a house upside down and plonk it on the seafront. It is worth a look just for the sheer uniqueness of the house!
Things to do in Brighton with kids
If you have children yourself, you would know keeping them entertained for the day can be quite challenging. Let’s face it, happy kids makes a happy family day out. So, head down to the Brighton seafront and here are a few things you can do with the family that the kids will simply love.
Hit the beach
As mentioned earlier, Brighton doesn’t have a beautiful sandy beach like you would expect in the Caribbean, but it can be just as fun and you can take a swim in the sea.
Sealife Centre
Take a visit to Brighton’s Sealife centre and see over 1,500 sea creatures. Also, it is the world’s oldest operating aquarium. Remember to look out for Nemo and Dory.
Peter Pans Playground
If you have young children, than this is the perfect place. Why the kids are running around, swinging off climbing frames and going down slides, you can be relaxing with a nice coffee. If you like a bit of golf, then you play the crazy golf which is next to it too.
As you can see Brighton has much to offer for all ages. If you are looking for a souvenir from Brighton, maybe forget the stick of rock and get a car mirror or keyring boxing gloves from Brighton’s very own boxing brand, Sidekick!
To read our article about ‘The Knight family in Brighton’ click here.
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