Brighton has some awesome public street art which I’ve written about in my Brighton Graffiti Tour and other posts but there are also some fantastic murals hidden away inside buildings and other places… Here I showcase a few of them in case you want to seek them out – and they are more likely to be a more permanent fixture, unlike the transient nature of the outside stuff.
As someone who has been obsessively visiting Brighton street art for a few years I was astonished by how much I was missing out on, sticking to the outside locations.
To visit all of these places is actually quite a challenge as they are all open at different times. Some of the pubs don’t open until teatime and the shops are only open during the day. It’s worth making a plan if you’re only there on a day visit, and checking ahead for opening times. You can support these local businesses at the same time, by stopping for food or drink in each one while you marvel at the murals!
I have only included a few images in the main blog, the rest are in a gallery at the bottom.
My Brighton hotel car park
My hidden street art tour starts in the underground car park below the My Brighton hotel in the North Laine. Now I’m not sure whether they welcome street art hunters, so I’m always too scared to ask, so I sneak under the barrier and head down the ramp when I want to take some photos.
It’s pot luck whether the cars (or vans) cover up some of the murals, so it may take a few visits before you get to see the pieces in all their glory.
One of my favourite artists, Mazcan, has a gorgeous mural of one of her specialist styles, a portrait of a woman’s face.
Other featured artists include Manic Minotaur, Cassette Lord, I Own This Art,
There are even some lovely coloured stripes painted on the ramp which leads down to the car park…
Cult Hero
I then headed into the Lanes, to Brighton Place which is home to Cult Hero, an independent record shop.
Inside, there are pieces by The Postman and Mister Market as well as Guy Favela.
The Druid’s Head
The next stop is the Druid’s Head pub in the Lanes. Unfortunately, with the restrictions imposed as as result of the pandemic, the murals inside aren’t easily accessible but the kind owner let me come in to take some photos.
These are the work of Glimmertwin32, aka Sean Lyons, a prolific local artist. Sean’s murals really brighten up the back rooms with images of the West Pier and other seaside themes.
Bangerz ‘n’ Burgerz
One of the best places for hidden Brighton street art is Bangerz ‘n’ Burgerz in Duke Street. The owners have commissioned some of the most well known artists from the south coast to paint inside, mainly in the basement.
Artists include Snub23, Fark and Mister Samo, and I was very grateful to be allowed in when the cafe was shut to be able to take so many photos.
Grand Central pub
From Duke Street you can walk up West Street and onto Queen’s Road to the railway station, opposite which is the Grand Central pub. Once again I politely asked if I could sneak up the back stairs to the outside roof garden which features some more Glimmertwin pieces.
There is also a cheery row of painted doors!
Caxton Arms
The Caxton Arms is a lovely pub on a road behind Queen’s Road and is well worth a visit to see a Postman Artist portrait of the legendary Brighton player Bruno. There are Postman pieces in many Brighton businesses, from hotels to shops, cafes and pubs.
(You can see another big Bruno mural in my blog about Glimmertwin’s commission here)
Brighton Cereal Cafe
If you like bright and cheery decor then the Brighton Cereal Cafe features its own form of art, displaying hundreds of cereal boxes on the walls, some of which has got its own art applied on top!
Big Beach Cafe
Over in Hove, the Big Beach Cafe has plenty of art both inside and out. Inside are some Postman Artist pieces, which again I was granted special access to take some photos.
Owned by Normal Cook, AKA Fatboy Slim, it’s a cool place to grab a coffee, visit the playpark if you’ve got small children or use the skate park.
Supporting street artists
The work I feature here has been commissioned by businesses who love street art and want to support local artists. I’ve done the same myself, asking Snub23 to paint my street art scooter, and my friends arranged for some angel wings to be painted by Glimmertwin32. If you see anything you like in the gallery below then it’s worth following the artists on Instagram to see their other work and maybe even arrange for them to create your own bespoke work of art.
Hidden Brighton Street Art Gallery
Getting to Brighton
f you are visiting Brighton by car then Just Park will save you money and help you find the best places to park right in the centre of the city. I use it every time I come and usually pay around £2/hour, which is a bargain compared with many of the town centre car parks.
The place I usually park in is a secure underground car park which is a stone’s throw from the Druid’s Head and Cult Hero, right in the middle of the Lanes. It works out at between £1-£2 per hour depending how long you stay, which is an absolute bargain for Brighton.
It’s easy to create an account in Just Park and I’ve used it for Wembley gigs as well as parking conveniently close to railway stations for trips to London.
More about Brighton!
If you’d like to read more about Brighton, from cheap places to eat, quirky things to do, to more about its thriving street art scene then here is a list of my other Brighton blogs.
Fabulous. I wiĺl definitely be referring back to this for my next Brighton street art hunt.
These are beautiful! I have to admit Brighton has never been on my bucket list (I don’t live in the UK), but now I’ve seen the awesome street art that awaits me there, I may have to rethink that decision!
I would highly recommend it! It’s a great city, really exciting!