Burning the Clocks

What to expect

Hundreds of glowing willow-and-paper lanterns, many made by local people and community groups, are carried through the city centre in an early-evening parade, accompanied by drummers and musicians. The procession heads down to the seafront, where the lanterns are passed into a bonfire on the beach by Madeira Drive. In past years the finale has included fire performance and fireworks. Recent editions have drawn very large crowds, so the streets near the route and the seafront fill up quickly.

The story behind it

Burning the Clocks was created by the Brighton arts charity Same Sky in the 1990s as a festival for everyone, whatever their faith, to mark the turning of the year without the commercial bustle of Christmas. The clock theme is about letting go of time passed. In 2025 Same Sky paused the parade after costs rose sharply and its artistic director retired, displaying a single large lantern instead. The 2026 effigy, Magicada, takes its name from the periodical cicadas that stay quiet for years before emerging in a noisy swarm, a fitting image for a comeback.

Getting there and home

Brighton station has fast trains from London and along the south coast, and the seafront is around a 15-minute walk away. Roads along the route are likely to close for the parade, so public transport is the easiest option. Paid parking exists near the seafront but will be busy. Allow time for crowds when walking back to the station afterwards.

Watching, taking part and tips

Watching is free. Same Sky runs lantern-making workshops, mainly through community groups, and has said more details for 2026 will follow, so keep an eye out if you would like to walk with a lantern. For viewing, the city-centre streets give a close look at the lanterns while the seafront is best for the finale. Wrap up warmly, wear flat shoes and agree a meeting point with children in case you get separated.

Taking part

Same Sky's community workshops are where much of the event is made, but they don't mean anyone can turn up with any lantern and join the line. The charity describes free lantern-making with local groups, including young carers, homeless young people and single fathers. If you're part of a community group, ask Same Sky how its current programme works. If you're hoping to carry a lantern yourself, wait for the 2026 participation instructions before you buy materials or assume you'll be let in.

The lanterns are made to be handed into the beach bonfire, so carrying one means accepting that it probably won't come home as a souvenir. That gives the making a different purpose from a craft project you'd keep. Talk it through with children beforehand, especially if they've spent ages on a design. And if taking part isn't on the cards, watching the community's work arrive is a complete way to enjoy the event in itself; you don't need a home-made lantern to appreciate it.

Make a day of it nearby

The Royal Pavilion makes a good daytime alternative to the wintry seafront, and its visitor information covers the elaborate interiors, garden, tours and admission. Check the specific date you plan to go, as a city-centre landmark won't necessarily keep the same hours all through December. A palace tour and the evening lantern parade are separate bookings and separate experiences. The Pavilion's own information also distinguishes ordinary sightseeing from particular tours, so decide what you actually want to see before you choose a ticket.

Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, on the Royal Pavilion estate, is another option for a longer stay, with a current programme taking in photography, fashion and exhibitions drawn from its collections. It normally closes on Mondays apart from bank holidays, and 21 December 2026 is a Monday, so don't count on it on parade day. Save it for another day, or check for a special opening. Planning with the real calendars in front of you beats building an afternoon around buildings that might be shut.

Accessibility and families

We couldn't find a detailed 2026 parade access plan on the Same Sky project page we checked. If you need a step-free route, a particular viewing position or an accessible toilet, ask the organisers before relying on it. A nearby museum's access provision isn't an event facility, and it won't necessarily stay available all evening. Treat the daytime attraction and the outdoor celebration as two separate access decisions.

At the Royal Pavilion, wheelchair access covers the ground floor, but the first floor can only be reached by stairs. The audio guide includes a video tour of the upper floor for anyone who can't manage them, and there's an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Brighton Museum's visitor page mentions a passenger lift and accessible toilets, as well as free downloadable family trails. Those are useful while the buildings are open. If a child or adult needs a quieter break, line up a real indoor destination and check its closing time, rather than hoping a crowded evening will offer somewhere to retreat.

Where to watch

Check the 2026 route announcement before you choose between watching the lanterns in the streets and finding a spot for the beach finale. Same Sky's project page describes the overall journey and the planned return in 2026, but it still includes 2025 material and doesn't give a fresh street-by-street timetable. An old route diagram can help explain the tradition; just don't let it decide where you go on the night.

The charity's archive photographs show how varied the work can be, from giant sculptural lanterns to dancers and smaller lights carried through the streets. Decide whether you're more interested in the individual creations or the collective arrival at the sea, then let the current stewarding plan decide where spectators can stand. Don't promise children a particular creature or performance from the archive, because each year has its own theme. We'd suggest enjoying whatever actually passes you, rather than spending the procession trying to recreate a photograph from another year.

Questions people ask

Where it is

Map pin shows the approximate area where the event happens. Open in OpenStreetMap ↗

Go straight to the source

Independent research. The organiser’s own information always wins — we have not visited or tested the journeys.

• Same Sky: Burning the Clocks ↗
• Visit South East England listing ↗
• Brighton and Hove News: Burning the Clocks takes a year off ↗
• Same Sky:Burning the Clocks project and 2026 return statement ↗
• Royal Pavilion:official planning and access information ↗
• Brighton Museum and Art Gallery:current programme ↗
• Brighton Museum:opening, access and family information ↗