Brighton is undoubtedly one of the most unique and diverse places in the UK, known for pushing boundaries. Of course, this means that Brighton has been quite the pioneer throughout history, particularly in the world of entertainment. Ready?
Let’s dive in.England’s First On-Land Casino
Nowadays, Brighton – like most English seaside towns – is synonymous with classic amusement arcades. Many tourists and locals drop their coins into the machines, which navigate a series of pegs before landing randomly on the board. With the digital transformation, many of these games can now be played online through online casinos.
For example, Plinko Go allows players to drop a virtual ball into the pachinko-style grid, which bounces on the pins before dropping into a coloured box. By playing with the combination of traditional arcade games and online casino mechanics, this provides players with a modern-yet-nostalgic, immersive experience.
In the same vein, before Brighton became known for its arcades, it was the casino capital of England, it’s history serving as a lesson in innovation on interweaving arcades and casino games. England’s first ever on-land casino, the Clarence Room, was opened in Brighton in 1962, situated within the Metropole Hotel. The glitz and glamour of the space drew swathes of tourists to Brighton, boosting the city’s tourism industry. Whilst the casino changed locations in the 80s, the original safe of Clarence Room can still be seen at the Metropole Hotel, now part of the Hilton group. And, you can see some of the equipment dated to the time of the casino’s height at the Mechanical Memories Museum, the collection featuring original slot machines from the 1900s-1960s.
Work commenced on Brighton Aquarium in 1869 after Eugenius Birch, the same architect who designed the West Pier, returned from a trip to Boulogne in which he visited their innovative aquarium attraction. The aquarium was eventually opened in 1872 – and was extended with a roof terrace and other amenities in 1874.
Despite there being aquariums that predate it, Brighton’s aquarium remains the oldest operating aquarium in the world.
This is even more impressive when considering the tumultuous history of the building, particularly through the early 20th century. In 2012, the Sea Life chain took over the aquarium, who dropped an estimated £1.5 million to restore the aquarium to its 19th-century glory, and another £2.7 million in recent years.
Today Sea Life Brighton remains to be one of the best local attractions, according to Time Out – one that has been popular for over 150 years.
The Duke of York’s Picture house is the oldest purpose-built cinema to be in continuous use in all of Britain. Built at the behest of actress and manager Violet Melnotte-Wyatt, the cinema was formally opened to the public in 1910. At the time, it was one of the first purpose-built cinemas in Brighton, and in England. It may have been predated by the Electric in Birmingham, but this cinema was temporarily closed twice in the 2000s, and was permanently closed in February 2024.
The Duke of York’s has one single screen, which houses 278. Due to its size, it has specialised as an arts cinema since the 1980s, as larger cinemas started to take off. The Duke of York’s still operates as an arthouse cinema to this day, even after a takeover by Cineworld. It hosts the Cinecity Brighton Film Festival with the University of Brighton every year.
And there you have it – just a few ways in which Brighton made pioneering moves in developing entertainment. With this in mind, it’s clear that Brighton’s cultural heritage is at the heart of the history of British entertainment.
