Filming Locations In Brighton
Brighton’s creative capital provides a variety of locations for filming and photography – beaches galore, stunning landscapes and historic architectural buildings.
Here’s a handful of productions filmed in Brighton, some iconic filming locations and insider knowledge thrown in for good measure to help you get a feel for what this vibrant city offers…
Feature films
Brighton is no stranger to the film industry having hosted several feature films over the years.
1979’s Quadrophenia developed a cult following for the city off the back of the film’s key locations – The Grand Hotel, Madeira Drive and not to mention “Quadrophenia Alley” off East Street.
Other notable films include Brighton Rock (1947) and its remake in 2010, The End of The Affair (1999), Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2007) and more recently 20,000 Days on Earth (2014) and Mr Holmes (2015).
My Policeman with Harry Styles
Amazon Studios’ much-anticipated release of the film My Policeman hit screens in October 2022. Pre-production started in November 2020 with a local location manager who we’d worked with since 2016. Many of the crew were also local and happy to come onboard for the production.
From beaches and buildings to various streets in Sussex, we helped with location enquiries, filming permits and film fixer support from start to finish. We blogged about some of the locations used in the film together with some behind the scenes info…
Major TV productions
Brighton has recently hosted two major television productions for Netflix – thriller series Behind Her Eyes and period drama Bridgerton. It’s also renowned for ITV’s fictional crime series Grace.
Behind Her Eyes
Behind Her Eyes streamed to homes in 2021 and quickly became a box set binging hit. Shooting took place in 2019, with principal photography taking place in Brighton, London and Scotland. We explored Brighton’s filming locations for the limited series, including the Cosiez Café on Upper St James Street, the promenade and Brighton’s train station.
Bridgerton
Season 1 of Bridgerton shares the story of Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, The Duke of Hastings, based on Julia Quinn’s book “The Duke and I”. Brighton’s Theatre Royal features throughout the first season and shines in the spotlight in the penultimate episode, “Oceans Apart“. Filming took place with 120 crew and 100 supporting actors plus the cast, meaning Brighton’s hotel chains were busy with 250 rooms needed per night for two nights…
Grace
The city also plays host to ITV’s fictional crime series Grace, with some recent filming ahead of season three of the show. The series is based on the popular books by local author Peter James, featuring Brighton-set character DSI Roy Grace.
Filming locations in Brighton
Brighton offers a variety of locations whether you’re shooting a contemporary production, a period drama or a crime thriller series – the city has a setting for all filming requirements.
Brighton’s colourful terraced houses line the streets with new buildings and historic architectural properties spread throughout the city. Brighton’s infamous Lanes host a labyrinth of quirky shops, eateries and hidden open areas providing unusual spaces for filming and photography, as well as the twittens that connect the city.
The city offers parks, landscapes and open spaces; Hove Park and Preston Park, Brighton offer vast green spaces. The Pavilion Gardens – one of a few fully restored regency gardens in the country – provides flowers, plants and trees each season, offering a stunning backdrop for any shoot.
The Level in the centre is used by locals as a skate park and provides for a flat open space for cycling/skating with benches and formal gardens surrounding. There are beachside basketball courts at Rottingdean situated on the promenade which stretches west to the hustle and bustle of Brighton and east to the quieter under-cliff walk at Saltdean.
A variety of roads provide for modern and traditional settings together with car parks and on road parking.
Brighton’s iconic locations for filming
The Palace Pier takes pride of place on Brighton’s seafront with the city’s multiple beaches, the Bandstand, British Airways i360 Viewing Tower and remains of the West pier; all iconic locations available for filming.
The Palace Pier, Brighton
Opened in 1899, the Grade II listed Victorian pleasure pier is 1,722 feet long and the biggest attraction in the Southeast. It’s featured recently in various TV shows and commercials.
The BBC recently filmed an episode of Born to Brawl on the pier – Chris Eubank Jr takes a trip to his hometown to meet his cousin and play a few funfair games. Freesat also took to the pier to film their “Live life free” campaign ad showcasing their free channels and on-demand service. The ad features two CGI crab characters enjoying their time on pier, as well as the beach…
Brighton’s beaches
Brighton’s multiple beaches stretch along the region. The BBC’s longstanding drama series Silent Witness is predominantly filmed in London but for season 22, episodes 5 and 6 “To Brighton, to Brighton” follow the cast as they unravel the mystery behind a body unearthed at a local landfill, covered in Japanese tattoos. While there are many scenes in the episodes filmed on Brighton beach and the surrounding areas, the landfill was a double location found in Swindon…
20ten Creative devised New Balance‘s recent campaign in partnership with Sports Direct – “No half measures”. Incorporating video footage and stills the 30-second ad features two models and Brighton’s seafront. The campaign launched on social media in April 2022 and runs into 2023 targeting runners of all levels.
Channel 5’s series Dirty Tricks follows YouTube sensation and street magician Ryan Tricks. Production filmed on Brighton’s beaches as Ryan performed various magic tricks with members of the public – conjuring mysterious ink at a tattoo parlour, for one.
The Bandstand, Brighton
Sunset Aperture’s short film “When the rain sets in” was filmed in the city over five days. The film examines relationships, romance and love and explores the intricacies of a relationship and the challenges it brings. Production shot scenes at the iconic Bandstand – the film’s couple visit the Bandstand and the male character proposes marriage. Drone footage was also taken over the bandstand looking down at it as the female lead contemplates the proposal at the bandstand railings. The drone flies out to the ocean and the shot ends.
The Beach Boys actually filmed a video on Brighton Bandstand – not one of their more famous songs we might add. Don’t Go Near The Water, a 1971 Promo Video, features the band playing with Brighton’s Palace Pier in the background.
Brighton’s versatile locations serve all year round and are open to filming. Brighton is within easy access from the M25 – 50 miles from London – and booking is quick and easy from point of enquiry to confirmation. As well as filming, Brighton provides a wide range of locations for fashion shoots, stills and photography. Email us if you have an enquiry: mailto:hello@sussexfilmoffice.co.uk.