5 reviewed party hostels · from €20.65/night · Hostelworld rated
Brighton earns its "London by the Sea" nickname on any given Friday night, when the bars along West Street and the Lanes fill up well before midnight. The seafront strip alone has enough options to keep you busy for a week, from sticky-floored student clubs to cocktail bars with sea views. Kemptown, the city's LGBTQ+ quarter to the east, has a different energy: more eclectic, less chain-bar, and going strong until the early hours. The Laines area is the heart of daytime drinking culture, packed with independent pubs tucked into narrow Georgian streets. Hostels here are genuinely social. Home Brighton, close to the train and bus stations, is a solid base for backpackers who want easy access to all of this without much faff. Beds in dorm rooms start from around £20 a night, which is reasonable for a UK seaside city with this much going on.
Rated by Hostelworld score · Prices per dorm bed per night
Social hostel with friendly and helpful staff. Close to the local bar and pubs, crowded with people every evening. Cosy common with a chill atmosphere is a great place to meet and chat with other backpackers. Free tasty breakfast, with a wide selection of healthy food options.
Party hostel with a marvellous interior and designed rooms. A former hotel, YHA Brighton hostel has on-site restaurant and café. Huge bar crowded with locals and other guests is a great place to meet new people, and experience Brighton’s nightlife.
Selina Brighton is located in the heart of the vibrant city center, the hostel location will give you an extraordinary sea views from each of its unique rooms and a complete panoramic view from its beachfront restaurant and bar; this place is surrounded by independent restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and more.
A lively hostel with famous on-site bar, Home Brighton, where The Cure and Jimmy Hendrix has previously performed at. A wide selection of beers and spirits available, with special discounts for travellers. Less than 10 from the vibrant Royal Pavilion. Plenty of fun activities are going on every day like DJs, live music, stand-up comedies, etc.
HAPPY Brighton, a hostel that offers 24 hour access to its common spaces, like their cosy chill out lounge and cinema room. In the heart of the city, the hostel offers being minutes away from the wonderful, beautiful & interesting sites of the city. At HAPPY there's always events and activities so visitors can share experiences and moments together, the common ones are movie nights and trips around Brighton.
Organised nights out with a local guide
Brighton's top-rated pub crawl on TripAdvisor, led by energetic guides who take you to at least four bars and clubs in the city centre. The crawl includes free shots, queue-jump privileges, and discounted drinks at multiple venues. It runs every Friday and Saturday night and covers both the seafront bars and spots in town.
A guided bar crawl that takes in some of Brighton's liveliest pubs, bars, and clubs across the seafront and the centre of town. Knowledgeable local guides lead the route, with free shots and discounted drinks included along the way. Good option if you want a structured night out and a ready-made group to explore with.
How Brighton's nightlife zones break down
A maze of narrow Georgian alleyways in the centre of Brighton, packed with independent pubs, wine bars, and late-night spots. North Laine (just north of the Lanes proper) adds record shops, vintage stores, and laid-back craft beer pubs to the mix. It's the area most backpackers end up spending the bulk of their evenings in.
West Street is Brighton's main club corridor, running from the clock tower down towards the seafront. This is where you'll find the larger venues, late licences, and the bulk of the pub crawl circuit. It can get rowdy on weekends, which is exactly what a lot of people are after.
Kemptown sits to the east of the pier along St James's Street and is Brighton's LGBTQ+ heartland, though the whole area is welcoming to everyone. The bars here stay open late, the crowds are friendly, and the atmosphere is noticeably more relaxed than the West Street strip. It's a ten-minute walk from the city centre.
Where the hostel pub crawls end up, and where to go on your own
One of Brighton's best-regarded electronic music clubs, sitting right on the seafront beneath the arches near the pier. It hosts touring DJs and local nights across two floors, with a programme that leans towards house, techno, and disco. Gets seriously busy after midnight on weekends.
A large beachfront club under the arches on Kings Road that has been a Brighton institution for years. The main room handles big club nights while a second bar area is slightly more relaxed. Cheap drinks promotions run early in the evening, making it a popular first stop before things kick off properly.
A mid-sized live music and club venue on Pool Valley that punches above its weight in terms of bookings. It runs club nights most weekends and hosts live bands throughout the week. The sound system is genuinely good and the crowd is a mix of students and music lovers.
A theatrical bar on the corner of Prince Albert Street in the Lanes, decorated like a Victorian curiosity shop. It gets packed on Friday and Saturday nights, with DJs playing from late evening. The cocktail list is worth working through before the dancing starts.
Brighton's most iconic live music venue, on the seafront in Kemptown. It has hosted everyone from Radiohead to Fatboy Slim over the years and still books a strong mix of touring acts and club nights. Check the listings before you go as the programme changes weekly.
A volunteer-run social club on London Road that operates as a bar and live music space with an alternative edge. Entry is cheap or free for most events and the crowd is friendly and unpretentious. Best for those who want something away from the mainstream club circuit.
A long-standing bar and club on Marine Parade in Kemptown, central to Brighton's LGBTQ+ scene. It runs themed nights through the week and turns into a proper club on weekends, with DJs and a dance floor that fills up fast. The outdoor terrace is a good spot for a drink before heading in.
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