Brighton Photo Fringe

Photo Fringe is an open-platform photography festival that celebrates the diversity of contemporary photographic practice. Established in 2003, it provides a platform for artists, collectives, photographers and communities to exhibit work, experiment with visual storytelling and engage audiences in new ways of seeing.
Rather than concentrating exhibitions in a single gallery, the festival spreads across Brighton and Hove and the wider south coast. Galleries, independent cafés, pop-up spaces, outdoor installations and other unexpected venues become exhibition spaces, bringing photography into the everyday life of the city. The programme features artists at different stages of their careers, from enthusiasts and recent graduates to established practitioners.
The 2026 edition is the festival's twelfth biennial and runs under the theme Feedback Loop. It explores how images, ideas and relationships develop through exchange, collaboration and circulation. This emphasis reflects the festival's wider commitment to grassroots creativity and the belief that photography flourishes when artists and communities connect.
Visitors can discover a wide variety of photographic approaches, from documentary and portraiture to conceptual work and experimental image-making. The open-platform model encourages different voices to share their perspectives, making the festival as much about participation and dialogue as it is about exhibitions.
By taking photography beyond conventional art spaces, Photo Fringe creates a city-wide encounter with contemporary visual culture. It offers a way to explore Brighton through the eyes of its artists while discovering how photography can challenge assumptions, document communities and reveal unfamiliar stories.