Programme announced for 2021 Brighton Festival

The programme has been announced for the 2021 Brighton Festival, which takes place throughout May. This year's guest director is poet Lemn Sissay.

Centring on the theme of 'care', 94 events will run both online and, from 17 May, in person. Thirty of these will be free to access.

Highlights include ten world and UK premieres, including new work by the actress Jane Horrocks (Yolk and Aliens); theatre director Neil Bartlett (Tenebrae: Lessons Learnt in Darkness); Tim Crouch (House Mother Normal) and Peter Sellars (This Body is so Impermanent…).

There will also be performances from classical artists Roderick Williams, Paul Lewis, Jessie Montgomery and Isata Kanneh-Mason; musicians Le Gateau Chocolat, Eliza Carthy and Gwenno; visual artist Olafur Eliasson; comedians Josie Long and Mark Watson; author Jacqueline Wilson and poet Michael Rosen.

Lemn Sissay's Tell Me Something About Family will invite people to contribute stories via a website exploring the "complexity and variety of what family can mean".

Sissay said: "The range of events on offer is incredible and I'm honoured to have some of my favourite artists taking part, presenting opportunities to reflect and discuss what's been happening socially and politically. There are also plenty of events that are simply joyful and celebratory, giving everyone the chance to enjoy themselves and be inspired by the arts."