Brighton Palace Pier The End of the Pier Show Review

Brighton Palace Pier once again comes alive for The End of the Pier Show, returning to Horatio's Bar for 2026 in a revitalised production that feels bigger, brighter and bursting with energy. While there are familiar threads from last year's hugely enjoyable show, this is no simple repeat: the creative team have reinvented the production, refreshed its spirit and brought a host of exciting new talent to the pier.

Conceived and produced by award winning choreographer and theatre creative Jack Pallister and TV/radio presenter and pantomime veteran Allison Ferns, the show continues to celebrate the unique character and history of Brighton Palace Pier while embracing a wonderfully playful theatrical style. The atmosphere of Horatio's Bar remains part of the magic, with the pier itself providing an unmistakable backdrop to a show that feels completely at home in its surroundings.

What is particularly exciting about this year's production is the sense of renewal. Some familiar faces return, bringing the warmth and charm audiences loved in 2025, but Pallister and Ferns' ethos of seeking out new and exciting talent is very much evident. The result is a young, energetic company who throw themselves into the material with real commitment and infectious enthusiasm. There is a lovely sense that the show is continually evolving rather than standing still.

The production retains the eclectic mix of history, music hall, popular culture and pantomime that made last year's show such a joy, but this time everything feels dialled up. The choreography is energetic, the performances are full of personality and the musical numbers have a real sense of occasion. It is the sort of production where the audience is encouraged to join in, laugh along and, inevitably, become part of the spectacle.

And, of course, there is still that wonderful sense of theatrical surprise. The show knows exactly what it is: a piece of seaside entertainment that celebrates the history of the pier while refusing to take itself too seriously. It manages to be nostalgic without becoming stuck in the past, instead introducing each new generation of performers and audiences to the wonderfully eccentric world of the British pier.

There is something particularly lovely about seeing The End of the Pier Show return for a second year and witnessing how much it has developed. Pallister and Ferns have taken the foundations of last year's production and given them a fresh lease of life, demonstrating that the show has the potential to continually reinvent itself alongside its ever-changing company.

Staged quite literally at the end of Brighton Palace Pier, it remains one of those theatrical experiences that could only really happen here. It is joyous, silly, nostalgic and gloriously energetic. A celebration of Brighton, the pier and the performers who bring it to life.

At just £5, with pier entry included, The End of the Pier Show is still an absolute bargain and a genuinely lovely piece of family entertainment. If you're heading to Brighton this summer, make the journey to the end of the pier. You won't regret it.