Date spot in Brighton

Starlings over the West Pier

Stand on the beach as the sun goes down and watch thousands of starlings swirl in great shapes over the burnt-out frame of the old West Pier before they settle for the night.

A dark cloud of starlings swirling above the skeletal iron frame of the West Pier at dusk

The beach by the West Pier ruins, King's Road

Address: King's Road, Brighton BN1 2FL
  • Outdoors
  • Free
  • Dog friendly
  • Best in Autumn, Winter
  • Romantic

Why it's a good date: One of the great free shows in the country, from about November to early March. Get there half an hour before sunset, wrap up warm, and go for a hot drink on the front afterwards.

More from our Brighton guide

  • The Royal Pavilion's onion domes and minarets across a lawn, reflected in a lily pond under a blue sky

    The Royal Pavilion

    Pavilion Buildings, city centre

    Address: 4/5 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton BN1 1FN
    • Culture
    • Rain-proof ☔
    • Mid-price

    Tour George IV's seaside palace, all domes and minarets outside and dragons, hand-painted Chinese wallpaper and palm-tree columns within, then sit out in the Regency garden.

    Why it's a good date: Nowhere else in Britain looks like it, and the Banqueting Room alone is worth the ticket. It's a good rain plan right in the middle of town, with the Lanes a couple of minutes away.

  • A narrow brick-paved alley in the Lanes, lined with jewellers' shopfronts and hanging signs

    The Lanes and North Laine

    Between North Street and the station, city centre

    Address: Meeting House Lane, Brighton BN1 1HB
    • Other
    • Free

    Get lost in the narrow alleys of the Lanes, full of jewellers and antique shops, then cross North Street into North Laine for vintage, records and independent cafés.

    Why it's a good date: A whole afternoon of browsing that costs nothing unless you want it to. Pick out something small for each other, and stop for coffee on Kensington Gardens.

    Photo: Fry72, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)

  • The tall slim column of the i360 tower above the seafront promenade under a deep blue sky

    Brighton i360

    King's Road, by the West Pier

    Address: Lower King's Road, Brighton BN1 2LN
    • Activity
    • Rain-proof ☔
    • Mid-price
    • Romantic

    Rise 450 feet above the seafront in the glass pod of the i360 tower, with the whole coast from the cliffs to the Isle of Wight on a clear day.

    Why it's a good date: A slow, quiet ride with the city laid out below you. Time it for a late flight on a clear evening and the sunset does the rest.

    Photo: DaHuzyBru, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)

From our guide to date ideas in Brighton

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