A HUGE Christmas festival, market and observation wheel are coming to the city for the festive season.

The Brighton Christmas festival will run for five weeks from Friday November 26 until December 31.

Revellers will be able to visit two purpose-built entertainment venues to watch live performances of festive shows and have the opportunity to visit Santa’s Grotto.

A giant, 50m observation wheel providing stunning, wintery views of the city will also be erected.

The Christmas market in Valley Gardens will have more than 150 stalls offering a mixture of retail stalls, food and drink, entertainment and attractions.

The festival will be run by Brighton company E3 Events, based in Palmeira Square, Hove who has experience running the Brighton Half Marathon.

E3 founder David Hill said: "This is going to be an absolutely amazing Christmas for Brighton and Hove.

"Christmas was effectively cancelled last year due to Covid, but we are planning something special for 2021.

"We are delighted to have secured a three-year contract to run the Brighton Christmas Festival - and now we want the city's people involved.

"There will be so much going on across Brighton and Hove, and the response so far has been fantastic.”

Trading Post Coffee Roasters, based in Sydney Street, Brighton, has three artisan coffee shops in Brighton, and is one of many businesses thrilled to be involved in the festival.

Head of Wholesale Ryan Deol said: "The Brighton Christmas Festival is just what the city needs and will give us all a huge boost before, and indeed during, the festive period.

"Brighton and Hove really needs a happy and successful Christmas 2021, and this spectacular event will go a long way to achieving that goal.

"We are delighted to be involved and supporting the Christmas Festival, and are confident that it will be a huge success."

A launch event is to be held at the Royal Pavilion on Thursday and will be attended by Eastenders star Anita Dobson, who is set to star in the pantomime Aladdin at the Brighton Centre.

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