Brighton cancels Christmas markets as festive tradition dropped for 2023
Brighton and Hove City Council have cancelled the market
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Brighton has cancelled its annual Christmas market, leaving local residents devastated.
The city's Christmas market will no longer be going ahead after a bid to replace it with a community-led event fell through.
Council bosses at Brighton and Hove Council admitted the city will not see Christmas markets return this festive season.
It comes after the council failed to secure a commercial partner to fund the event.
Council chiefs said the local authority cannot spend the £70,000
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Council chiefs said the local authority cannot spend the £70,000 needed to carry out the event.
It comes as the Labour-led council is currently facing an “enormous funding crisis”.
The coastal city’s Christmas market attraction had been hosted by an independent events company E3 Events for the last two years.
However, the company cut short its three-year contract earlier this year citing difficulties because of Covid, rising costs and supply chain problems.
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Brighton and Hove City Council said they knew traders would be dissapointed
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Lead for tourism and culture Councillor Alan Robins said: "Organising a Christmas Market for the city was always dependent on finding a new commercial partner to help us to fund and co-ordinate the event.
"Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we have been unable to find a partner willing to commit to the project for a single year. Given the enormous funding crisis the council is facing, we cannot commit to spending the £70,000 needed to stage an event.
"We wanted to create a different kind of Christmas Market this year – because in the two years it was staged it was never actually all that popular with the public, and was also expensive for traders who wanted a pitch there
"We received a fantastic response from community groups, artists and makers in the city keen to be involved in a Christmas event – and we appreciate they will be disappointed."
The council are continuing with a scheme to put up community Christmas trees across 23 sites across the city for the festive period.
On Friday, November 24 members of Brunswick Town Association are inviting residents to join them for the annual lighting of the Floral Clock Christmas tree in Hove.
There will also be a chance to climb aboard the festive Brighton & Hove Buses’ Santa Bus.
The bus will be departing for its first Christmas journey at 5.05pm.
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