It’s not Central Park but for Brighton residents the many events in Preston Park make it a regular attraction, both for the local community and for those events that attract a crowd from across the city.
From the Walled Garden Party (run by the Friends of Preston Park) to the circus and annual celebration for Pride, the park, nestled next to Preston Manor and including a wild flower meadow, a formal rose garden and a 14th Century church, continues to increase in its appeal, and Saturday afternoon BBQs are just fine sometimes too.
Newly added to the calendar is Together the People (TtP), a two-day music festival. Although festival line ups often start out small, TtP have started big with the wonderful Super Furry Animals headlining.
Sussex hosts a number of festivals throughout the year, catering for a wide-array of musical tastes, but I’m not sure that many hit the right note for me – with a rock/indie line up added to its support of local bands, I’m excited to see this one and to see it return.
Many of the nearby smaller gig venues hosting bands; The Joker; Bleach and the Green Door Store are sure to benefit from a 5000 strong crowd of fans coming together in the area. I’ve been to a fair few gigs at these venues where I’ve seen awesome bands play to a crowd number that you could count on one hand, it’s a real shame. Brighton draws some superb lesser-known bands on their tours and I think events like this will highlight the city as a place for music and a place for musicians. As an added bonus, promoters have said the line-up will continue to be added to and that there will likely be literature, spoken word and theatre events as well. Sold.
Together the People will take place 5-6 September in Preston Park. To see the full line up and for more info, head over to www.togetherthepeople.co.uk.
By Lou Clement
