Residents and businesses around St James’s Street are demanding a refund for wristbands they had to buy so people could visit them in their own homes during this year’s Pride Village Party.
Brighton Pride has previously given people living in roads closed off for the party unlimited wristbands which were either posted to them or available to pick up at a single location which was open every day in the weeks before the event.
But more recently, it has started charging, and this year charged £15 for any over the allocation of four per household which had to be picked up at various locations during limited timeslots – mostly two hour windows, and mostly during working hours.
Having taken legal advice, some residents are now demanding a refund – and reassurances the arrangements won’t be repeated next year.
Vestina Maciuaidyte, who lives in St James’s Street, said: “I can’t have anyone round – there’s three people in our house and so we can have one person and that’s it.
“My friend who lives in St James’s Street has a birthday around then and used to have a party but now she can’t because she has to pay for all her guests.
“If you work you miss most of the pick-up slots. And last year they put all these fliers through the door saying when and where you could pick them up. This year we didn’t get anything, so were having to Google to find out how we could get to our own homes.
“This year, because of the bad weather it wasn’t very busy so they just let anyone in. I didn’t understand why I had to pay for it if they’re going to let anyone in.”
One woman who owns Airbnbs in the area, who wished to remain anonymous, told Brighton and Hove News she had to buy wristbands not just for two sets of guests for each house, but also maintenance staff between their stays.
She said: “In the past it was a pain but providing you could prove you needed them, you could have as many wristbands as you wanted.
“It’s not about criticising the cause. It’s about being charged to access your own property.”
One resident posting on the Kemptown Residents Association Facebook group said: “I take great issue with having to pay for extra wristbands for people to enter my home over the weekend. The price has tripled from £5 to now £15 for extras.
“I cannot get my head around how they can legally stop people from entering my home when there is no legislation to pause civil rights across Pride weekend.”
Another said: “I moved into this property years ago, long before charging residents was the thing. They used to push envelopes stuffed with free wristbands through the door of every property, and we didn’t have to pay for extra ones.”
And another said: “They’re inconveniencing us, but seem to think they’re bestowing a great honour on us.”
A representative for Brighton Pride CIC, who wished to remain nameless, said the question of whether the charges are legal or not would be for the council to answer.
He said: “Brighton Pride were asked to take on the management of the street party by Brighton and Hove City Council in 2014 and were given consent to charge an entry fee for people attending the event.
“This income is used to fund the infrastructure, to engage security, pay for policing and the event production team so that the event is managed and controlled.
“Prior to Pride taking on the management it was an uncontrolled event where free and unrestricted access was permitted to anyone in the city on Pride weekend.
“The local authority considered the area to be unsafe and decided a new approach was needed.
“The event priority is to have safety measures in place as previous gatherings were unsafe. Ticketing was introduced to reduce the excessive number of attendees when the event was free to enter which allows for better stewardship and ensures that it is a safe well managed event.
“Demand for free wristbands from residents and businesses has increased year on year from approximately 4,000 in 2014 to apprx 12000 I 2023 – a 300% increase.
“We constantly review how and when business and resident wristbands are distributed, and this year we increased the number of sessions available in the lead up to the event as well as having days set aside at the Pride box office for resident collections.
“Unfortunately, we have observed a growing trend each year where free resident and business wristbands are being resold online for profit. This underscores the importance of limiting distribution to business owners, their staff, and residents.
“The misuse not only jeopardises event safety but also impacts our capacity and ability to sell public wristbands, directly impacting our community fundraising efforts.”
A council spokesperson said: “We have powers under the Town and Police Clause Act 1847 Section 21 to put in place road closures for events such as the Pride Village Party.
“The wristband scheme was introduced a few years ago following significant safety concerns.
“We consider both the Pride Village Party road closure and the wristband scheme to be proportionate, reasoned and justified – and therefore lawful.
“Under our agreement with Pride residents and business owners within the specific Pride Village Party area are given the opportunity to receive free access to the Pride Village Party area through the wristband system.
“However, visitors to the event from outside this area can be charged for the wristbands.
“The detail of how the wristband scheme is managed with regard to residents and businesses – including local visitor accommodation providers – is a matter for Pride, not the council.”
The Pride Village Party began as an unofficial event but by 2013 it had grown large enough for police to raise safety concerns.
From 2014, it was ticketed, and from 2015, St James’s Street and surrounding roads have been fenced off, with an agreed capacity of 42,000.
In 2019, councillors were asked to consider moving it to Madeira Drive, but this was vetoed on safety grounds, and because Pride said it would make the event financially unviable.
This charge has to go. Not only do residents and business owners have to put up with the huge disruption and inconvenience of this event when the area is filled with open sewage but we are also expected to pay for it. If Pride can’t get sponsorship for it shut it down. Being told you have to pay to access your own property and you should be pleased to do this to ‘fund’ Rainbow charities is a kick in the teeth for people that live and work in this area many of whom are not flush with cash. Most of us want this event to move to Stanmer Park, Waterhall Park, the Level anywhere and we certainly don’t want to fund it.
The charge is not to fund it but for the security needed . it would go ahead anyway with or without security. Pride was asked to step in by the council to manage it .
I don’t think it would go without Security, Derek. I personally would not let that get past SAG nor would I think many others. It’d be a nightmare on health grounds otherwise.
A shame the whole thing is illegal then…don’t hold the event if you can’t do so safely and legally.
We we’re almost hit by this too as there’s 3 of us here & our daughter had friends staying so they could attend a birthday. Thankfully we’re close to the edge & could point to our front door, so she/they was allowed to pass with 1 wristband, but that’s very hit & miss & it shouldn’t be the case at all.
Agree with residents being exempt but Airbnb owners should be charged double.
If you are an official business you get free wristbands.
If you are the owner of a number of AirBnBs you don’t, but then you probably save a fortune during the year by not adhering health, fire and safety regulations, not paying for your rubbish to be collected, not paying tax on your income, not paying business rates, not paying for music and film licences for your TVs plus all the other charges that official guest houses have to pay.
I’m assuming you don’t pay for any of these which is why you wish to remain anonymous.
I think we should also be told how many free wrist bands bars were given. I was told bars were given hundreds and if so what connection to the organisers are these businesses and also why were residents and business rate payers charged and free passes given to day trippers from London and these people. Also where did this money go? They said Rainbow charities but this was our money and who gave the council and the pride organisers authority to take our money to give to anyone. Rainbow charities, extra toilets for St James street pubs pub goers or in fact anyone. If residents were selling passes so what? These passes shouldn’t have been in existence in the first place. If the event was unsafe without this and they were designed to limit numbers then why was it not moved to a safe area or just diverted to the main event at Preston Park.
Because its the Gay village area. A street party would happen anyway where ever it was re housed
Most people going to the event are just straight kids from Croydon…and don’t we have police any more? Can anyone do what they want in Brighton?
In Manchester the community kicked off about being charged to enter streets. The Department of Transport ruled there was no provision in law to charge entry to a public street. See https://www.factsmcr.com/offsite/dft_p_second-letter_.jpg and https://www.factsmcr.com/what-happened.html.
Manchester was forced to stop charging for the street party.
It is about time we liberated Brighton pride!
So this establishes these charges were illegal. Thank you for these links. The next question is what is the process for getting refunds on these charges? If Pride don’t refund this money they should be banned from holding a 2024 event.
Different law being used there, not the same here, unfortunately.
Thank you for putting this. I’m from Manchester originally and this did happen however you have to be very firm and stand your ground with the security to get through.
I sent this to BHCC early this year and as usual got no response from our Council.
It was outrageous that the council can legally charge people for access to a public street, especially when they are visiting residents living there. And why should residents have to wear a wristband to enter their own home anyway? The event should be restricted to Preston Park, for which entry is excessive anyway.
The council are not charging , its the the security firms that need to be paid
OK. So just like in Palermo people living and working in Kemptown have to pay for ‘security’ now for a party which they don’t even in most cases even want to be taking place.
Will Hove Park residents have to pay for ‘security’ too soon if too many people turn up to the proposed music festivals they don’t want there either? Or is it just events in the new ‘Kemptown Themepark’ which apparently we have now been designated to pay for their running of as we can’t escape them as this is taking place in our streets and not in a enclosed field? What about Transpride? They want to move to Kemptown too will we have to pay for their toilets and security soon too in a year or so as someone needs to pay for this for 30,000 people?
I’m a bit surprised about this as if you live in a house in Thorpe Park it may say this in the deeds. In Kemptown there is no mention of ‘protection’ fees being payable in the deeds to access your property along a public highway, or if you wish to have a Tesco delivery or wish to have friend around or if you are paying business rates and wish to invite customers to your businesses. Also, this was clearly marketed as being a charge for Rainbow Charities. I accept some of this money may have been used by a security company but let us see the accounts. Was it a reputable local security company or just some friends of the organisers who every now and again gave out free passes if the pubs weren’t full enough? Where on earth did this money go and why on earth were we charged it? If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and sounds like a duck it probably is a duck and in this case if it doesn’t feel right so let us see how this all stands up to scrutiny.
all the money genereted from tickets are going to Pride organisators which pay only for security guys?
really?
—all the mess with tickets. guys from ticet office didnt control situation. 4 wristbands per house was redistributed week before in some center timing 10 am -12.30pm only, but someone who went second time at thursday to ticet office Old staine and would collect another 3 wristbands, while someone 1 time evening went and was told only 3 free wristbands for house. what more saturday I have seen outside Morrison behind pride security back or even they saw him guy was selling ,,black market” ticket. many people only show tickets to secuirty and later on could resele tickets.
—but for cleaning streets later on at night 1-2 am morning for police forces, for emergency paramedics for collection rubish (not sure about tens toilets) was paid from local taxes not pride funds.
— its offensive to say that area of Kemptown is guy area… here living more populations normal straight people, students, tourist (lots of AirnB, hotels) others tenants, local families.
— peoople who doing some jobs repair etc couldnt have that day any awaiting delivery of goods, post , builders except who happy local food and bewerage companies
— simple if you want to organise any parade and block town at future just pay money to local government which money could be used even to purchase lets say any required equipment for NHS etc.
How is it that people are getting charged for peacefully using the King’s highway. Not having to pay tolls, or any other kinds of charges, to walk on the roads was supposed to be one of the most basic freedoms that distinguishes a free society from tyrannical ones. Suddenly we find basic freedoms such as these are being taken away and by people hosting an event aimed, amongst others, at celebrating their own freedoms. Taking away people’s freedom to peacefully walk on the King’s highway for free and of their own free will is a kind of tyranny and should be stopped immediately.
That’s just being melodramatic. The parts that are annoying are people getting into their own properties, but all I’ve read so far is AirBnB can’t make a profit out of it, and some people can’t have a birthday party that weekend in their house.
It is hardly world-ending causes.
.
Quite astonishing that anyone should be charged for walking along a public street. If GayPride are able to do this why not any organisation be it a charity or a private company?
Is this any different in principle than for me to charge everyone who wishes to walk along the pavement outside my house?
Still what has happened has happened. Surely every pound raised by should be returned, if not to the individuals out of pocket, at least to a local residents association.
It is a completely different principle I’m afraid. You have to account for during those two days, it is not a public access street, it is a event location. Any company could do the same with permission. Why would a private company give money to residents when they have no need to?
Is not an event location like the Brighton Centre. TROs do not allow for charging for access to properties on a public road. Charging was illegal I’m afraid and we want compensation for the time it took going to pay for these tickets and also a refund for the tickets. I’m afraid the law is on our side and if you doubt it find me a TRO that allows any event organiser to do this private property owners. It requires an act of Parliament to put in a toll charge such as on the Dartford Tunnel and the Kemptown Village Party did not get such an act.
I’m afraid you’re using legalisations that don’t apply in this instance. I also don’t think you’ll be rewarded with compensations, and if you did, I don’t think it will end up in a net positive. But if you are going for a legal route, I genuinely wish you the best because it’d make a very clear case law for any future challenges.
One might suggest that the good people of Kemptown do a fundraiser for legal fees and take the council to court. I am sure that you will get an answer there if the continue to shrug off responsibility. My gut feeling is that your enjoyment of your own property is protected in law. Enjoyment includes having guests. Safety will top this but I suggest that this is based upon immediate danger (gas main etc) and not a pre-planned licensed event. Remember BHC have a habit of ignoring laws at its convenience.
I visited for a week during pride with my family and always enjoy the festivities in the city, however the controls around kemp town were ridiculous. I have never before had to get a ticket to anywhere in order to access our accommodation (other than maybe when we we stayed at Disney). If that wasn’t enough my bag was searched and some wine I had brought with me to consume in my accommodation was confiscated. My sense is this hasn’t been thought through properly by the organisers. The council should be welcoming tourists and not treating them like this. The vibe in Brighton is normally inclusive and festival like and to put these constraints and hold this type of event in a residential area just didn’t work, it’s simply not ethical to constrain access to accommodation like this and unlawful to charge for visitor access. The management of this was also not planned for, not enough stewards and support etc, the streets were filthy and the whole thing just came over as being a tawdry, noisy mess. A really bad look for Brighton vs the previous experiences I’ve had of pride seeing the parade or the festivities at Preston park. Why on earth the council decided to site it here rather than moving the lot to Preston Park is beyond me.