Brighton Festival announces theme of 2020 Children’s Parade

Brighton Festival has today (December 11) revealed that the annual event, which opens the three-week multi-arts festival, will have the title Nature’s Marvels.

It will ‘celebrate the wonders of flora and fauna from around the world’ and reflect on the ‘urgent need to protect and conserve the planet’s natural environment’, organisers say.

The theme has also been chosen as 2020 will mark the end of the UN Decade on Biodiversity and to tie in with the city’s Nature 2020 initiative – a programme of events and activities to celebrate theBrighton and Lewes’ Downs biosphere and living coast.

Chief executive of Brighton Festival Andrew Comben said: “We’ve seen how passionate children and young people are about protecting the planet and it seemed such an obvious choice that the 2020 children’s parade should reflect what’s happening across the world but also to celebrate the biodiversity that’s right here on our doorstep.

“Each year we are amazed by the imagination and incredible hard work that goes into making the parade happen and the sheer joy it brings to everyone who takes part or who watch from the streets of Brighton.”

The Children’s Parade, which draws thousands of spectators, is jointly produced with Brighton-based community arts charity Same Sky and will take place on May 2.

Same Sky’s artistic director John Varah added: “Next year recognises the importance of biodiversity and will provide a rich topic for school pupils to learn about and to get creative.

“Nearly 60 schools and groups from Brighton and Hove will work together with our artists to create a moving pageant that celebrates nature’s wonderful ecological diversity.”

News of the parade’s theme comes after Brighton Festival revealed last week that British and Ethiopian poet, author, broadcaster and speaker Lemn Sissay MBE will be the guest director of the 2020 festival.

Brighton Festival will run from May 2 until May 24. The full programme of events will be announced on February 11.