Thousands turn out for Burning the Clocks parade

A large lantern in the shape of a lego astronaut is seen in front of a dark sky. There is also a lantern shaped like a wrench held in front of it and what looks like a smaller spaceship in the background, all illuminated from the inside.Getty Images

The theme of the 2024 parade was "voyager"

Emily Coady-Stemp
BBC News, South East

More than 30,000 people turned out for the annual Burning the Clocks parade in Brighton on Saturday, organisers have said.

The parade had a theme of "voyager", described by organisers as "reflecting on our own journeys" and inspired by astronomer Carl Sagan.

About 1,600 people took part in the parade, with thousands of lanterns carried through the streets, in the event's 30th year.

Community arts organisation Same Sky, which puts on the winter solstice event, said they did not yet have a final number of attendees but it was more than last year.

Skip image gallery
  1. A lantern in the shape of what looks like a fox with its front paws controlled by two sticks seen held by a person standing just in front of it. There are fairy lights strung on a building in the background and people lining the streets

    The parade takes place in Brighton on 21 December each year

A spokesperson for Same Sky said: "Thank you to everyone who celebrated the 30th Burning the Clocks and joined to make it a brilliant evening."

The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year and organisers of the Brighton event say it provides "an antidote to the excesses of Christmas".

The event went ahead despite high winds forcing the cancellation of the Brighton Winter Fayre, which had been scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.

Related topics

More on this story

Related Internet Links