Brighton and Hove Museums has announced a new partnership with Brighton & Hove Albion FC to mark the club’s 125th anniversary. A major exhibition dedicated to the Seagulls’ history will open in August 2026, showcasing the journey of one of English football’s most resilient clubs.
The announcement was made at a special event outside the Royal Pavilion, where Hedley Swain, CEO of Brighton & Hove Museums, described the project as “exactly what the city needs.”
“We need to be telling the Albion story in the city centre, and we need to be telling it in the museum,” Swain told The Argus. “It’s lovely to think that in years to come, people will travel to go to a game at the Amex, but they’ll also come to the museum and the Pavilion.”
The launch event included free children’s football coaching sessions run by the Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation, football-themed art workshops hosted by museum experts, and plenty of photo opportunities with the club’s mascot, Gully.
Albion legend Guy Butters, who made over 180 appearances for the club between 2002 and 2008, said he was “delighted” to see the story of his beloved team celebrated in such a way.
“To show the journey the Albion have been through is such a special and important thing for the city,” Butters said. “To go from the years in the wilderness at Withdean, when we didn’t really have a proper home, to now playing European football at the Amex — it’s been a brilliant journey, and depicting that story is even better.”
Butters has personally contributed to the exhibition, donating his 2004 play-off medal from Albion’s 1–0 victory over Bristol City at the Millennium Stadium, a win that secured promotion to the old Nationwide Division One.
The exhibition promises to be a centrepiece of Albion’s anniversary celebrations, offering supporters and visitors a chance to reflect on the club’s remarkable rise and its deep connection with the city.
