Brighton & Hove City Council has announced that Brighton’s Christmas Market, hosted by independent events company E3 Events, will not be returning to Brighton this Christmas after “difficulties including the effects of Covid, supply chain problems and other rising costs”.
Instead, Brighton & Hove City Council is looking to host a new Christmas celebration for the city and is asking local artists, craftspeople, food producers and performers to get involved.
The council will be consulting with local artists and residents, asking them to come forward with ideas to develop the new event.
Over the past two years, independent events company E3 Events has hosted a large Christmas market on Valley Gardens, as part of a three-year contract. The company’s decision not to return, Brighton & Hove Council says, will “open up an opportunity for the council to create a new, smaller scale, community-led event”.
Alan Robins, lead councillor for culture, said: “We’re excited to announce our plans for a different type of Christmas celebration this year that will be community-focused and centred around our fantastic local artisans and performers.
“We’re thinking brass bands, choirs, gifts, crafts and fun for all the family.
“Rising costs have meant that the current operator has decided to withdraw from the event planned for Valley Gardens this December, giving us an opportunity to re-imagine the kind of Christmas celebration that we want in Brighton & Hove.
“We’ve not yet decided where this new event will take place and who we will work with to take on this project, but will be consulting potential partners, artists and citizens about ideas and opportunities in due course.”