Events suitable for the whole family are never hard to come by in Sussex thanks to a range of tourist hot-spots including a national park, two cities, Chichester and Brighton, and selection of seaside resorts. We've got hundreds of exciting events taking place all year round for residents, day-trippers and holiday makers to enjoy.
To find out what's on in Sussex today or this weekend, use the search box above to narrow down your required date. Families on a budget can look out for the many free events (F) taking place. If you're looking for what's on when it's raining, the coastal geography of Sussex means you can switch the beach for a trip to a local castle, all of which have a calendar of seasonal events to entertain children and adults.
You'll find an enviable supply of themed festivals in Sussex, from food and drink festivals bursting with local produce, which is amongst the best in the UK, and full to the brim with English wine as this county has the ideal conditions for a host of vineyards giving a unique flavour to any event. Sussex means you're never far from an event, a place, an adventure, guaranteed to keep you entertained and coming back for more.
Don't miss this year's Brighton Festival which kicks off on the 4th - 26th May 2024. This wonderful indoor and outdoor celebration of the arts is a highlight on the South East event calendar and includes dance, circus acts, shows, comedy, and more. Look out for the Olivier Award-winning performance maker, Marisa Carnesky, the newly refurbished Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre which opens to welcome premieres and international productions to Brighton Festival 2024 and for the children, the British Animation award-winning Kensuke’s Kingdom, adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s best-selling children’s book.
Take a look at our featured list for inspiration and then scroll to the bottom of the page to see hundreds of more events in Sussex.
If you're travelling from outside the area for an event in Sussex, there are numerous hotels and other accommodation options to suit your needs.
>>> Search & Book Sussex Accommodation
The guide below shows our full calendar of events in Sussex. Whether you're local or visiting the area, find what's happening near you by clicking the Map View button.
Number of results: 191
, currently showing 21 to 40.
Food
Eastbourne
The full music line-up has been announced for this year’s Beer & Cider by the Sea.
The three-day event takes place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday May 17-19 on the Western Lawns on Eastbourne seafront.
Festival
Rye
Exceptional artists hit the heart of Rye for the International Jazz and Blues Festival.
Festival
Worthing
Worthing’s multi arts festival – comprising music, theatre, dance, art, heritage, comedy, spoken word, workshops, film, outdoor and family events taking place in venues across Worthing.
Arts
Brighton
This artwork is dedicated to all the teachers that told me I'd never amount to nothin'. We'll be singing "Biggie, Biggie, Biggie, can't you see. Sometimes your ART just hypnotise me" when we create the man they call Big Poppa.
This neon arty party…
Heritage & History
Station Road, Tenterden
Come join the fun and splendid madness at the K&ESR Steampunk Weekend!
Steampunk dives into the world of Victorian Science Fiction, looking back through history and the fantastical works of H.G. Wells, Mary Shelley and Jules Verne (to name a few!)…
Comedy
Brighton
**Winner: Best Comedy, Shaftesbury Fringe 2023**
Can we do life better using science? Join marine biologist turned award-winning comedian Robyn Perkins as her globally touring show of stand-up comedy and science chat returns. Learn why your…
Run / Rally
Station Road, Tenterden
We are delighted to welcome back the Austin Counties Car Rally 2024!
A wide variety of these amazing classic cars will be parked across the Tenterden Town Station site and are well worth a visit.
Free entry with Train Tickets.
£1 Platform Tickets…
Music
Eastbourne
With more than 140 concerts across the season, Eastbourne Bandstand has a packed line-up in 2024, including the return of the 1812 Proms & Firework Nights on Wednesday evenings from 1 May to 25 September, and Traditional Sunday Afternoon concerts…
Food
Brighton
Foodies Festival returns to Preston Park across the May Bank Holiday Weekend from 4th – 6th May 2024, with brand-new features and a star-studded line-up of celebrity chefs and chart-topping music stars, including: Scouting For Girls, Sister Sledge…
Heritage & History
Station Road, Tenterden
Tenterden Town Station will be the setting for a rally featuring more than a dozen vintage buses, with some offering free rides to a number of local destinations! This includes a service to connect with trains from both Headcorn and Ashford railway…
Childrens Events
Brighton
The largest UK celebration of all things Eurovision.
Heritage & History
Station Road, Tenterden
Guest locos will be operating passenger services between
Tenterden and Bodiam - details will be announced here soon!
Bodiam and Robertsbridge will be linked by a Heritage bus service
(exclusively for K&ESR Freedom ticket holders)
The line between…
Comedy
Brighton and Hove
Discover the best in live comedy, featuring three top acts and an MC!
Boasting the hottest line-ups including Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Jordan Brookes, Olga Koch, Barbara Nice, Jarred Christmas, Nina Conti, Sara Barron, and many more!
Komedia is a…
Festival
Ardingly
Join us for the day or stay for the weekend at our brand new campervan festival in Ardingly. A phenomenal line-up of live music from 11am everyday awaits including a DJ set from Trunk of Funk legend Craig Charles. Visitors can also browse the…
Heritage & History
Chichester
Help keep our heritage crafts alive! Did you know that many heritage crafts are at risk of being lost forever?
Join the Weald & Downland Living Museum as they explore heritage crafts & skills from past to present, and learn about how we can conserve…
Festival
Chichester
Once again offering a veritable feast of entertainment, this year's Festival of Chichester is a celebration of all things arts.
Come and be immersed in music in a variety of genres, heatre, art exhibitions, spoken word and poetry, literary talks…
Walking
Hastings
Have fun (re-)discovering Hastings, spotting things you've never noticed before, with two quirky treasure hunt style heritage walks - a fun and affordable way to get some fresh air, whilst exploring this historic seaside town.
Curious About Hastings…
Hastings
Avast ye, Hastings Pirate Weekend is upon us again!
General event
Brighton
Explore how to identify common resident and migratory birds in this half-day walking workshop on the nature-rich edge of Brighton.
Before the day, you will receive step-by-step audio lessons on how to identify five key woodland species by sound…
Festival
Eastbourne
Beach Life Music and Street Food Festival, the south coast's funkiest weekend is back and guaranteed to keep you entertained all weekend long!
This packed two days features a Music Stage & Bar, street food to tantalize the taste-buds , Skate Park,…