Circus Street Winterland Brighton attracted over 1000 visitors

Brighton’s old municipal market in Circus Street bustled once more on Saturday as over a thousand people turned out for the festive free event, Circus Street Winterland.

The giant warehouse, which closed a decade ago, was once again packed to the rafters – this time with dance and circus performers, gourmet food stalls by Street Diner.

The one-day festival marked the re-opening of the building as a community venue.

Martyn Evans, from Cathedral Group, said: “We were delighted that so many visitors came to the Circus Street Winterland, which attracted people from Brighton & Hove and beyond.

“As well as wanting to experience an alternative take on Christmas festivities, many were curious to see what was behind the doors of this huge building, which has remained closed to the public for so long.

“The most frequently asked questions by visitors were how local groups and artists could make the most of this unique venue and when more community events might follow. We will be updating our website www.circusstreetbrighton.com in the New Year with details of further events and how groups can take advantage of the space.”

Festival-goers were also treated to a technicolour digital tour of discovery around Alice’s Wonderland in the Bell Tent Imaginarium by Periplum.

The ZoieLogic Dance Theatre wowed the crowds with the radical duet MurMur, a stunning physical performance by dancers Samuel Cooke and Luke Brown, centring around a mechanical pivoting sand tower.

Cathedral Group in partnership with McLaren Property submitted a planning application last month for a development on the site estimated to bring over £200million into Brighton & Hove over the next ten years.

It aims to create more than 600 jobs and deliver two landmark public buildings: The Dance Space, a new home for South East Dance, and a library and teaching building for the University of Brighton, as well as new homes, student residential accommodation and office space.

ZoieLogic performance choreographer, Zoie Golding, said: “I am absolutely ecstatic that South East Dance may soon have a base in Brighton.

“It’s a great opportunity and a wonderful development for dance as an art form.

“The Winterland festival has already made a wonderful impact by making the Circus Street Market site more visible to people in Brighton & Hove.”

The scheme, which aims to be the most sustainable development in the city, includes a series of well planted character areas, including a fruit tree orchard, with a raft of special initiatives to increase biodiversity and protect the environment, with green roofs, living walls, bird boxes, grey water recycling and food growing pathways.