A Night of Movement and Momentum Blending soaring melodies, wiry violin lines and bursts of controlled chaos, Man/Woman/Chainsaw transformed Brighton’s Concorde 2 into a space of collective energy and release. Touring in support of debut album Cannonball, the London six-piece arrived carrying considerable momentum. Yet what quickly became clear was that, despite the growing acclaim surrounding the record, Man/Woman/Chainsaw remain a distinctly live proposition. Their music co

Between Intimacy and Noise: 234 Fest at Green Door Store, 2026. Two days, two stages and a diverse line up of bands combined to create a vivid portrait of today's independent music community as 234 Fest returned to Brighton’s Green Door Store. What made the event especially compelling was not simply the quality of the performances but the breadth of artistic approaches on display. Across the weekend, audiences were invited into worlds that ranged from the intimate to the conf

Friday 4 September 2026 Brighton Psych Fest returned for a third year with a strong lineup of acts across the psychedelic music spectrum and far beyond. With around 40 acts performing across seven Brighton grassroots venues, Brighton Psych Fest defies complete observation. Everyone assembles their own version of the day, shaped by chance encounters, curiosity and difficult decisions on who to see next. What follows is not a definitive account, but one route through a kaleidos

Contrast, Reinvention, Intimacy and the Art of Listening. Green Door Store, Brighton, Sunday 6 September 2026 The first Melancholy Fest presented by MelancholyMGMT offered far more than a straightforward showcase of Brighton talent. What emerged over six hours of live music was a festival defined by contrasts, reinvention and a few surprises. With artists spread across Green Door Store's main stage and bar area, the event's structure established a natural tension between inti

Lonnie Gunn unveils a deeply personal debut EP in an emotionally loaded, enthralling performance – Rossi Bar, Brighton, Friday 7 August 2026. Lonnie Gunn ***** Lonnie Gunn’s “2013 Horsemeat Scandal” EP release show at the Rossi Bar felt like a moment where a fiercely personal, slow‑forged body of work finally stepped into public light. The New Jersey–born, Brighton‑based artist has written and shaped this EP over two years. With the grunge‑flecked alt‑pop, (her “lesbian fembo

Speedial carried a widescreen sense of scale, with their glowing vocal pairing anchoring fluid, shape‑shifting arrangements. Hope & Ruin, Brighton, Friday 24 July 2026 Speedial ***** Speedial’s second headline in Brighton, presented by local promoter Hidden Herd, reaffirmed why the London outfit have been gathering such steady word‑of‑mouth momentum. Even without their usual saxophonist, their expansive blend of melodic post‑rock, lush harmonies and carefully sculpted dynamic

Currents, Lulls and Lift: On The Beach finds its shape in The Maccabees' headline return. On The Beach returned under the stewardship of Joy., whose summer series has been steadily drawing distinctive line‑ups to Brighton’s shoreline. The Maccabees’ headline return opened with Lime Garden’s bright hometown spark before Badly Drawn Boy’s fragile solo turn; and Ash, Anna Calvi, Miles Kane and Editors each reframed the afternoon in their own styles. Lime Garden ***** Lime Garden

Opal Mag steps into a richer, dream‑fuzz world, supported by three contrasting acts Pleasance, Girl Apocrypha and Black Viiolet. Prince Albert, Brighton, Thursday 16 July 2026 Opal Mag ***** Opal Mag’s performance unfolded like an artist quietly expanding the emotional and aesthetic perimeter of her work. What has always defined her project, the dream‑fuzz haze, the shoegaze drift, the confessional softness, now feels less like a stylistic choice and more like a world she i

From Soulful Stillness to Noise‑Pop Surge: Four Emerging Voices, One Rising Energy - A Cleverly Curated Night of New Music Vona Vella + Joe Little + Mookie + Tia Ice – The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, Friday 26th June 2026 Hidden Herd’s latest night at The Hope & Ruin unfolded as a quietly curated exploration of emerging voices. Rather than four discrete sets, the evening felt like a gradual expansion of mood and texture. The showcase traced a thoughtful arc across soul, folk, ind

In the Round, In Their Element: The Orielles reimagine themselves at the ICA The Orielles transformed material from their latest album “Only You Left” into an immersive study in mood, movement, and evolution at The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). There are bands who play live, and then there are bands who seem to reimagine themselves each time they step onto a stage. The Orielles belong firmly to the latter. The Manchester‑based trio of Esmé Dee Hand‑Halford, Henry Carl

A celebration of women and non‑binary musicians. Brighton, Saturday 6 June 2026 Across Brighton’s Girls Night Out Fest emerging women and non-binary artists turned a grassroots fundraiser into a statement of identity and intent. What unfolded was a celebration of the city’s women and non‑binary musicians shaped by the communities it championed. Led by independent women‑run promoters, Sidequest Records, Agenda Collective, Buzz Present, Moonrock MGMT and Whattawally, the festiv

Moon Idle ***** Moon Idle illuminate new depths in a luminous, shapeshifting Brighton tour opener. Moon Idle opened their first headline tour at Brighton’s Hope & Ruin with a set that felt both like a return and a quiet redefinition. The room has long been part of their story, but tonight the band stepped into it with a new sense of scale with their dreamsoaked triphop foundations intact, yet stretched into bolder, more exploratory shapes. They began with ‘Godzilla’, a slow,