Clubbing

'You walked underneath the tunnel and you'd hear the boom of the beat as the sound system let rip.' anon, Ovingdean free parties

Brighton is renowned for its club and party scene. In Regency times, aristocrats danced at Brighton's grand balls. The Victorians enjoyed ballrooms in hotels and the Aquarium. The 'dance craze' swept the town in the 1920s and 1930s. Today, Brighton is the clubbing capital of the south.

Famous Brighton clubs included the Zap Club, the Concorde and the Escape Club. The Paradox Club was once Sherry's, the famous 1930s dance hall. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Concorde gave a start to performers who became national names. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, DJ Fatboy Slim became Brighton's most famous musical celebrity. He even decided to sponsor Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club through his record label.

As well as Brighton's clubs, people have held impromptu parties in squats, warehouses, on the Downs, and beside the cliffs. The scene started with reggae 'blues' parties during the early 1980s. One of the first outdoor events took place by Shoreham Power Station. Anarchic and open to all, such parties express an alternative political culture.