Brighton music promoters: who will book the shows in 2026

Behind every great Brighton gig stands a promoter‚ the person or organisation who books bands, markets shows, handles logistics, and assumes financial risk. Understanding Brighton music promoters helps artists navigate the booking landscape whilst giving audiences insight into who curates the city's musical experiences.

Key Brighton music promoters

Resident Music extends beyond their record shop to promote selected shows, bringing touring artists to Brighton whilst maintaining the shop's curatorial reputation.

Transgressive Records operates both as label and promoter, supporting their roster through live shows whilst discovering new talent through Brighton events.

Independent venue promoters at The Green Door Store, The Hope & Ruin, and similar spaces handle internal booking, curating lineups matching venue aesthetics and audience expectations.

Juice FM community radio station promotes shows aligning with their programming, supporting local artists whilst attracting touring acts who value community engagement.

DIY collectives operate informally, organising shows at various venues based on personal taste and scene participation rather than commercial calculation.

What Brighton music promoters do

Effective promotion involves far more than booking bands:

Curating lineups that make artistic and commercial sense, pairing artists whose audiences overlap whilst offering discovery opportunities.

Marketing shows through social media, poster campaigns, radio promotion, and community engagement.

Handling logistics including advancing shows with touring artists, coordinating load-in times, managing guest lists, and solving inevitable problems.

Assuming financial risk‚ promoters guarantee artist payments regardless of ticket sales, creating pressure to accurately predict attendance.

Building relationships with venues, agents, managers, and other promoters enabling access to desirable acts.

Working with Brighton music promoters

For bands seeking gigs:

Research promoters handling your genre before pitching. Sending punk demos to jazz promoters wastes everyone's time.

Professional communication matters‚ clear emails, realistic descriptions, quality recordings, no entitled attitudes.

Build relationships gradually‚ support slots before headline shows, smaller venues before larger spaces.

Deliver professionally when booked‚ arrive on time, promote shows enthusiastically, play quality sets, treat venue staff respectfully.

Understand economics‚ promoters balance artistic and commercial considerations. Unrealistic demands destroy opportunities.

For audiences, supporting promoter-organised shows sustains the infrastructure bringing quality music to Brighton. Ticket purchases, advance planning, and spreading word all help.

The future of music promotion

Digital tools democratise promotion‚ bands can market directly to audiences, reducing traditional promoter roles. But local knowledge, venue relationships, and curatorial expertise remain valuable.

Brighton music promoters adapt by offering services beyond basic booking‚ artist development, tour support, marketing consultation. The most successful combine traditional promotion with modern digital approaches.