Join us for a series of events related to the COLOUR exhibition at the Royal Pavilion.
Colour Conversations: Neil Parkinson – The Colour Librarian
Saturday 26 April, 11am
Royal Pavilion – William IV Room
Tickets £15 (Members £10)
Neil Parkinson is perhaps the only known ‘colour librarian’ in the UK. As head of special collections at the Royal College of Art, his responsibilities include the internationally renowned Colour Reference Library, one of the largest collections of material on colour in the world.
Neil will talk about the challenges of interpreting and organising such a vast and eccentric collection and will discuss the different ways its many users, from archaeologists to set designers, approach the subject of colour.
Buy tickets for Colour Conversations: Neil Parkinson – The Colour Librarian
Fantasy Paper Bird Workshop with Zack McLaughlin at Paper & Wood
Saturday 10 May, 1.30 – 3.30pm
Royal Pavilion – William IV Room
Tickets £35 (Members £30)
Create a stunning paper bird inspired by the vibrant wallpapers of the Royal Pavilion in this hands-on workshop with Zack Mclaughlin, founder of Paper & Wood. Using colourful, high-quality papers, you’ll learn to cut, shape, and layer delicate feathers, transforming simple materials into a breathtaking fantasy bird.
Buy tickets for Fantasy Paper Bird Workshop
Pinot & Picasso present The Royal Perch
Sunday 11 May, 1 – 4pm
Royal Pavilion – Adelaide Room
Tickets £39 (includes single day entry to the Royal Pavilion Colour exhibition)
Immerse yourself in the rich colours and intricate patterns of the Royal Pavilion at this exclusive pop-up event, where history and creativity come together on canvas.
Drawing from the Pavilion’s exquisite wallpapers, you’ll transform ornate designs into your own unique masterpiece. With a brush in hand and expert guidance from a talented artist, you’re free to experiment, play with colour, and make the artwork your own—all in a setting that radiates beauty and grandeur.
Buy tickets for Pinot & Picasso present The Royal Perch
Paper Peony Workshop with Karen Hsu at PomPom Factory
Saturday 24 May, 11 – 1.30pm & 3 – 5.30pm
Royal Pavilion – William IV Room
Tickets £65 (Members £55)
Join Karen Hsu, the visionary behind the stunning paper flower installation in the Colour Exhibition and step into her world of creativity, colour, and craftsmanship. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll explore the art of paper flower making while uncovering the emotional power of colour.
Using luxurious Italian crepe paper, Karen will guide you through the process of shaping, layering, and blending to create a breathtakingly lifelike peony—a flower rich in symbolism and beauty.
Buy tickets for Paper Peony Workshop with Karen Hsu at PomPom Factory
Colour Conversations: Patrick Baty – The Paint Detective
Saturday 31 May, 11am
Old Courtroom
Tickets £15 (Members £10)
Paint is far from boring and provides clues to a building’s history. Patrick Baty, the leading historian of architectural colour in the UK, will explain why several people have referred to him as ‘The Paint Detective’. The wide range and type of projects that he is faced with – from Tudor gardens to 1960s housing estates – will be outlined together with a brief explanation of the process of analysis.
Buy tickets for Colour Conversations: Patrick Baty – The Paint Detective
Baby Pavilion
Tuesday 3 & Wednesday 4 June, multiple sessions
Royal Pavilion – Lecture Room
Free with entry, but must be booked in advance as only 5 babies per session
How do babies see colour? Its not so black and white! Bring your baby along to an interactive session from The Sussex Baby Lab on babies’ perception of colour.
Summer Solstice Sound Bath at the Royal Pavilion
Friday 20 June, 6.45 (doors open 6.30pm) – 9.15pm
Royal Pavilion – Music Room
Tickets £60 (Members £50)
Celebrate the longest day of the year in the most magical way with Brighton Sound’s Petra & Matt, as they bring a contemporary ritual of light, sound, and transformation to the opulent Royal Pavilion.
Dressed in your white and golden best, you’ll join a sunlit procession through the Royal Pavilion before arriving at the breathtaking Music Room—a space of pure enchantment. Here, you’ll lay back and surrender to the deep, resonant vibrations of the Sun Gong, as its golden tones wash over you in a powerful sound bath experience.
Golden light. Sacred sound. Deep relaxation.
Buy tickets for Summer Solstice Sound Bath at the Royal Pavilion
Colour Conversations: From Mars Yellow to Dragon’s Blood
Saturday 12 July, 11am
Old Courtroom
Tickets £15 (Members £10)
Artists Julian Bell, Jo Lamb and Peter Messer talk about pigments and colour. Hosted by Alexandra Loske.
Each of these artist paints in a different medium: Julian in oil, Jo in acrylics, and Peter in egg tempera. How does this affect their work, and which pigments are their favourites? Find out some incredible stories about pigments and techniques old and new. Peter Messer has kindly lent the large collection of vintage pigments and artists’ tool that are currently on display in the Banqueting Room of the Royal Pavilion as part of the COLOUR exhibition.
Buy tickets for Colour Conversations: From Mars Yellow to Dragon’s Blood
Pinot & Picasso present All That Glitters
Sunday 13 July, 1 – 4pm
Royal Pavilion – Adelaide Room
Tickets £39 (includes single day entry to Royal Pavilion Colour exhibition)
Paint and sip with Pinot & Picasso. Surrounded by the Pavilion’s shimmering gold accents and rich tapestries, let your creativity shine in this exclusive pop-up event. Inspired by the palace’s opulent details, this dazzling art workshop invites you to capture its elegance and brilliance on your own canvas.
With a touch of glitter and a splash of colour, you’ll bring the Pavilion’s radiance to life in your own unique way. Guided by a skilled and encouraging artist, you’re free to experiment, embellish, and make this masterpiece truly your own.
Buy tickets for Pinot & Picasso present All That Glitters
Picnic like a Prince
Sunday 27 July, 12 – 4pm
Royal Pavilion Garden
Free
Join us in the Royal Pavilion Garden as we celebrate Brighton Pride. Get inspired by the new COLOUR exhibition at the Royal Pavilion and join us for a colourful crafting session in the gardens. Feel free to bring a picnic and blanket to join us on the lawns for a big celebratory picnic. There will be games and crafts to take part in.
Please note this event is weather dependent, food and drink are not provided at this free event.
Rags to Riches – Get Crafty at the Pavilion
Friday 8 August, 22 August 10.30 – 12.30pm & 2 – 4pm
Royal Pavilion – Adelaide Room
Workshop is free as part of entrance to the Pavilion standard ticket
Use reclaimed and recycled pieces of fabric and paper to create something new and fabulous to take away with you.
Colour Conversations: Colour and Emotion
Saturday 13 September, 11am
Old Courtroom
Tickets £15 (Members £10)
“Do you see what I see?” Is my red the same as your red? If two people disagree on what is “green”, who is right?
Three speakers working in different fields discuss how humans respond to and feel about colour: Jenny Bosten, Emma Bestley and Zeynep Sagir.
Buy tickets for Colour Conversations: Colour and Emotion
Pinot & Picasso present Flowers on the Wall
Sunday 14 September, 11 – 1pm
Royal Pavilion – Adelaide Room
Tickets £39 (includes single day entry to Royal Pavilion Colour exhibition)
Paint and sip with Pinot & Picasso. Discover the hidden beauty of the Royal Pavilion’s exquisite tiles in this exclusive pop-up event, where art and history blend seamlessly on your canvas. Can you spot the inspirations tucked away in the palace’s intricate details?
This session invites you to play with colour, pattern, and texture as we reimagine these stunning designs together. With guidance from a talented artist, you’ll be free to experiment, create, and make this vibrant masterpiece uniquely yours.
Buy tickets for Pinot & Picasso present Flowers on the Wall
Heritage Open Day
Sunday 14 September, 12 – 4pm
Royal Pavilion Garden
Join us to explore shape and colour in the Royal Pavilion Garden. How do the plants and colours echo the Royal Pavilion? What colours can you find? What is the science behind colours in nature? What natural structures can you find? Take part in some art activities, and build a bug hotel to take home.
Find out more about Heritage Open Day
Equinox Sound & Colour Healing at the Royal Pavilion
Friday 19 September, 6.45 (doors open 6.30pm) – 9.15pm
Royal Pavilion – Music Room
Tickets £60 (Members £50)
As the red glow of the setting sun signals the shift into Autumn, join Brighton Sound’s Petra & Matt for a deeply immersive evening of sound and colour healing in the majestic Royal Pavilion.
In the stunning Music Room, bathed in the warm hues of red and orange, you’ll be guided on a sound journey with the gong — a meditation into the earth, reflecting on all you’ve grown this year as the seasons turn.
At this powerful moment of Equinox, as the leaves fall and the Solar year begins to wane, let the resonance of sound and the grounding energy of deep red prepare you for the transition into Autumn.
Harvest reflections. Vibrational healing. A return to balance.
Step into the changing season with intention, renewal, and harmony.
Buy tickets for Equinox Sound & Colour Healing at the Royal Pavilion
Hearing Colour – An Evening of Classical Music at the Royal Pavilion
Friday 26 September, 7 – 8pm & 9 – 10pm
Royal Pavilion – Music Room
Tickets £48 (Members £40)
Step into the regal elegance of the Royal Pavilion for a spellbinding evening of classical music, performed on instruments steeped in history. Renowned pianist Maggie Cole will bring to life the recently restored Tomkison Piano, once owned by George IV, while celebrated cellist Sebastian Comberti plays his exquisite 19th-century cello.
Adding a unique dimension to the night, Dr. Alexandra Loske will introduce the concert, exploring the fascinating connections between colour and music in the Pavilion’s history. Inspired by this synaesthetic theme, the program will feature works by Beethoven, Hummel, Schubert, Rossini, Diabelli, and Eley, transporting you back to the musical world of the early 19th century.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience historical instruments in an iconic setting, performed by world-class musicians, an unforgettable evening of music and history!
Buy tickets for Hearing Colour – An Evening of Classical Music at the Royal Pavilion
Hearing Colour – An Evening of Classical Music at the Royal Pavilion
Friday 3 October, 7 – 8pm & 9 – 10pm
Royal Pavilion – Music Room
Tickets £48 (Members £40)
Step into the regal elegance of the Royal Pavilion for a spellbinding evening of classical music, performed on instruments steeped in history. Renowned pianist Maggie Cole will bring to life the recently restored Tomkison Piano, once owned by George IV, while celebrated cellist Sebastian Comberti plays his exquisite 19th-century cello.
Adding a unique dimension to the night, Dr. Alexandra Loske will introduce the concert, exploring the fascinating connections between colour and music in the Pavilion’s history. Inspired by this synaesthetic theme, the program will feature works by Beethoven, Hummel, Schubert, Rossini, Diabelli, and Eley, transporting you back to the musical world of the early 19th century.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience historical instruments in an iconic setting, performed by world-class musicians, an unforgettable evening of music and history!
Buy tickets for Hearing Colour – An Evening of Classical Music at the Royal Pavilion
The John Dinkel Memorial Lecture: Alexandra Loske – Colour in the Royal Pavilion
Saturday 11 October, 11am
Old Courtroom
Dr Alexandra Loske, curator of the Royal Pavilion and author of the new book about The Royal Pavilion, Brighton: A Regency Palace of Colour and Sensation (Yale University Press) will take you on a chromatic journey through George IV’s pleasure palace. Find out why and how George and his designers were able to create one of the most colourful historic buildings in Europe. New pigments, technologies, and attitudes all played a part, as well as beautifully illustrated books about colour. Was George a trendsetter, or was he part of a wave of progressive thinking about colour?
Buy tickets for The John Dinkel Memorial Lecture: Alexandra Loske – Colour in the Royal Pavilion