Where to Watch the Sunset in Brighton

The best places to watch the sunset in Brighton are the beach in front of the West Pier ruins, the end of Brighton Palace Pier (with the starlings, from November to late February), the Sky Bar on the Brighton i360, a seafront window at Artist Residence on Regency Square, the promenade out to Hove Lawns, and, if you can get up there and back, Devil's Dyke on the Downs. Brighton's beach faces south, so through autumn and winter the sun drops into the sea off to the west, beyond Hove, and the whole stretch from the Palace Pier to the Lawns turns orange. Everything here was checked in October 2026.

The West Pier ruins

The classic. Eugenius Birch's West Pier opened in 1866 and has stood as a black iron skeleton in the sea since fires in 2003 left it too dangerous to reach. At sunset it is the shot on every phone on the beach. Sit on the pebbles just east of it, on the beach below Regency Square, and watch the light go through the frame. If you are early, the West Pier Trust runs a small centre in a beach-level arch just east of the i360, open 12pm to 3pm from Friday to Monday, where you can read up on what you are looking at.

Brighton Palace Pier, with the starlings

From November to late February, sunset at the Palace Pier comes with a bonus. The pier says thousands of starlings perform their murmurations as the sun goes down, with the biggest displays around dusk, before roosting in the pier's sub-structure. Stand near the end, or on the beach either side, and look up. It costs nothing in winter: the £1 entry fee only applies at peak times between March and October.

The Sky Bar on the i360

A View 360 ticket at the Brighton i360 is £20.50 for adults and includes the Sky Bar, 138 metres up, for a 25 minute ride. The catch is timing. The attraction's hours change through the year, and in late October 2026 it closes at 4.30pm on most days but stays open until 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays, so those are your sunset days. Check the day's hours before you book. Locals in BN1, BN2, BN3 and BN41 can walk up for £7 with proof of address.

Artist Residence, Regency Square

If you would rather watch from somewhere warm with a drink, Artist Residence at 33 Regency Square describes itself as a bohemian hangout on the seafront, complete with sunset views and the sounds of the sea. Regency Square faces straight down to the West Pier, so a front room here is the comfiest seat in town for it. Ask for a room at the front if the view is the point.

Hove Lawns and the beach huts

Walk west from the i360 along the promenade, past the Peace Statue, and keep going to Hove Lawns and the rows of beach huts. The crowd thins, the sky gets bigger and you get the sun setting down the coast rather than behind a pier. In winter, from 1 October to 30 April, dogs are allowed on every beach in the city, so expect company. From May to September they are limited to marked dog friendly stretches, including the beach by Hove Lawns Cafe.

Devil's Dyke

For a proper sky, go up. Devil's Dyke sits high on the South Downs north of the city, with views for miles in every direction. The 77 Breeze bus runs up there on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays all year, apart from Christmas Day, up to every 75 minutes, and a Breeze Return is £5. Check the 77 timetable for the last bus back before you stay for the last of the light, or you will be walking home in the dark.

Sunset tips from someone who has done this too many times

• Get there 20 minutes early. The best colour is often just after the sun has gone.
• Bring a layer even in summer. The wind off the sea drops the temperature fast at dusk.
• For photos, put the West Pier or the i360 in silhouette and let the sky do the work.
• In winter, combine West Pier and Palace Pier: watch the sun go behind one, then walk ten minutes east for the starlings.

And if it clouds over at the last minute, which it will at least once, there is a pub on every corner between the two piers.