About the calendar

All you need to know about its origins, the people behind it today, and why this much-loved local tradition remains a trusted part of Christmas for both current and former Brighton residents.

Nigel Swallow, founder of the Brighton & Hove Calendar, in his studio surrounded by colourful Brighton photography featured in past calendar editions.

the calendar is born

A brief history

The story began in 2000, when local photographer Nigel Swallow had the idea to sell affordable photographs of Brighton; first from a market stall, then from his gallery, North Laine Photography, above Snoopers Paradise in Kensington Gardens.

The money he made from those early calendars helped support numerous up-and-coming artists. What started as a small local project quickly found its way onto walls across the city and around the world.

You can find many of Nigel’s early calendar images (and many more) in his book, The Joy of Being Brighton.

Read more
A close-up view of inner pages from Brighton and Hove Calendars from 2012, 2017, and 2025, showing monthly layouts, tide tables, and photography credits.

quality features

A closer look

The calendar is printed locally on beautiful, FSC-certified paper using vegetable-based inks and plastic-free packaging. For the 2026 edition, we’re increasing the page count to 32 to showcase even more stunning local photography – and yes, the tide timetable is back!

It measures 34 x 24.5 cm (13.4 x 9.6 inches), with plenty of space to jot down notes, reminders, and important dates throughout the year.

Stacked front covers of the Brighton and Hove Calendar from various years, including 2012, 2017, and 2025, showcasing different design styles and photography.

supporting local photographers

Submit your photos

The calendar is nothing without its photos - and that’s where you come in! You don’t need to be a professional photographer, just someone who’s captured a beautiful or quirky moment in Brighton & Hove.

Check out the link below for full submission details.

Submit your photos
Lisa and Alex from the Brighton and Hove Calendar team standing in front of a bright mural featuring the letters "L" and "A", both smiling and pointing upwards.

the new custodians

Meet Alex & Lisa

We’re Alex and Lisa Bamford; a Brighton-based photographer and designer duo.

We’ve known Nigel, the original founder, for nearly two decades. Alex has contributed photos since 2009 and has designed the calendar for the last 10 years. Lisa brings her graphic design and project management experience to the team.

Our aim? The same as Nigel’s – to make high-quality, affordable photography of Brighton available to everyone.

More about us

calendar questions

More details & FAQs

Didn't the calendar end a few years ago?

Yes... and no.

The Brighton & Hove Calendar was originally created by local photographer Nigel Swallow, who produced it for over two decades. During that time, three editions were produced by another local photographer, Finn Hopson of Brighton Photography Gallery.

In 2020, Nigel stepped back to focus on other projects and published what was billed at the time as the final edition. But it turned out the calendar was still much loved – so he passed on the reins: first to Petrusco and the ArtHoc collective, and now to us, Alex and Lisa Bamford.

It’s a real honour to be custodians of this Brighton institution. Rest assured – this is still the original Brighton & Hove Calendar. The same spirit, the same purpose, and the same much-loved tradition.

Do you have a stall in Kensington Gardens?

Just like every year, you can pick up the Brighton & Hove Calendar from its spiritual home, Kensington Gardens. Just head to the brilliant Beard Man stall, right outside Snoopers Paradise. Marcus will have a stack ready and waiting.

Where else can I buy the calendar in person?

You can also pick up the Brighton & Hove Calendar from these brilliant independent shops around the city:

Brighton Photography Gallery – Seafront
A beautiful gallery on Brighton seafront, filled with landscape photography of Brighton and Sussex. Find the gallery.

City Books – Western Road, Hove
A much-loved independent bookshop, located between Norfolk Square and Brunswick Square in Hove. Find the bookshop.

Colourstream – Kemptown
A friendly, independent photo lab at the bottom of St James’s Street in Kemptown. Find the shop.

Why has the price gone up slightly?

Like many UK producers, we’ve been affected by rising paper and energy costs. Paper prices have gone up globally, and industrial energy rates in the UK remain high.

Our eco-friendly printer uses FSC® certified paper and vegetable-based inks, which costs a little more — but we think it’s worth it.

We’ve kept the price rise as small as possible while continuing to support sustainable, local printing.

This year we’ve also added 4 pages, going back to the original 32 pages from a few years back, to make room for the tide table and 3 more full page images to brighten up your walls.

Can I buy prints of the images?

Yes! A selection of images from the calendar will be available as prints in a range of sizes, so you can enjoy them all year round.

Visit Brighton Photography to browse the collection and check prices.

Is the calendar environmentally friendly?

Yes. Environmental responsibility is central to our local printer’s ethos, which is why they’re both FSC® and ISO 14001 certified.

They use vegetable-based inks, recycle nearly all paper waste, and take care to ensure their entire print process is as sustainable as possible. So, when you buy the Brighton & Hove Calendar, you can be confident it’s not costing the earth.

Read more about our eco credentials.

  • Printed with care

    Our local printer cares about the planet as much as we do. They're FSC-certified, use eco-friendly inks, and recycle almost everything that passes through the press.

    More info 

  • The original and the best

    Despite there being a ‘last ever’ calendar a few years ago, we’re still going strong – a new edition has been produced every year since 2001.

    Read our history 

  • Supporting local people

    The calendar features the work of many local photographers, and we're proud to be sold by brilliant independent business. Have a great image you're proud of?

    Submit photos