Burning the Clocks

Central Brighton and the beach, Brighton · 21 December 2026

Photo: David B Young from Brighton, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0

21 Dec

Photo: David B Young from Brighton, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0

Burning the Clocks is Brighton's winter solstice celebration, created by the arts charity Same Sky in 1994. A parade of around 2,000 people carrying handmade paper and willow lanterns winds through the city to the beach, where the lanterns are passed into a bonfire before a fire show and fireworks. It draws more than 30,000 spectators and returns in full for 2026.

Highlights

• Lantern parade of around 2,000 people
• Lanterns burned on the beach
• Fire show and fireworks
• A new time-related theme each year

Good to know

• Expect large crowds on the seafront
• Same Sky publishes lantern-making and route details nearer the date

Getting there