ICONIC Brighton and Hove landmarks will be plunged into darkness on Saturday to raise awareness of climate change.

The Royal Pavilion and the Palace Pier will be switching off their lights for one hour from 8.30pm as part of the World Wildlife Fund’s annual Earth Hour.

Lights will also be turned off by the Peace Statue in Hove and the Clock Tower in the city centre.

Over the past nine years, Earth Hour has grown from a symbolic event in Sydney, Australia, to the world’s largest open-sourced environmental campaign.

Hundreds of millions of people in more than 7,000 cities and 162 countries and territories will be using less or no power for one hour and also taking part in campaigning activities.

The seventh Seafront Torch Walk will be taking place in the city on the night, with people urged to wrap up warm and bring a torch or an LED lantern.

The Maracatu samba band will be boosting morale with some Latin rhythms as walkers travel along from the Bandstand to Palace Pier.

Brighton and Hove City Council economic development and culture committee chairman, Geoffrey Bowden said: “Last year was the warmest year on record.

“Climate change is a growing threat to all of us living on our increasingly fragile planet.”

The Silo restaurant, in Upper Gardner Street, Brighton, is inviting people to join them for a pre-industrial six course tasting menu comprising raw foods from 7.30pm on Saturday.

Tickets are £32 per head and include a drink on arrival.