Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Brighton Festival announces Anoushka Sankar as guest director

Brighton Festival 2025 will take place from Saturday 3rd – Sunday 25th May.

Brighton Festival announces Anoushka Sankar as guest director
Mohnish Singh
By Mohnish SinghJun 13, 2024
Mohnish Singh
See Full Bio

Brighton Festival has announced Anoushka Shankar as next year's Guest Director.

Established in 1967, the festival is a celebration of music, theatre, dance, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and community events in venues and locations across Brighton, Hove and Sussex.

Anoushka Shankar will be Brighton Festival's 16th Guest Director, following in the footsteps of Anish Kapoor, Brian Eno, Laurie Anderson, Kae Tempest, Lemn Sissay OBE and, in 2024, author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce.

Brighton Festival 2024 enjoyed its highest ticket sales in five years, with more than 50k tickets sold, plus more free and pay-what-you-decide events than ever before.

On becoming Guest Director of Brighton Festival 2025, Anoushka Shankar says: "It brings me so much pride and joy to have been invited to be Brighton Festival's Guest Director for the 2025 season. I have loved the beauty, energy and eclecticism of Brighton since I was a teenager and was thrilled to play Brighton Festival myself a couple of years ago.

"I'm elated to now have the chance to get involved in programming a festival of diverse and cross-pollenating art forms from around the globe. It's my hope that the artists involved in the Festival can draw on their skills and heritages past and present to share perspectives on new ways forward across all areas of our lives, our challenges, and our dreams."

Shankar will work with the Brighton Festival programming team to develop a diverse and inclusive programme of events, which will be revealed at the official launch in February.

Brighton Festival 2025 will take place from Saturday 3rd – Sunday 25th May.

anoushka shankarbrighton festival

Related News

Sunita-Nick-Nasa

Trump on stranded astronaut Sunita Williams: 'We’re coming up to get you'

india New Zealand in Champions Trophy final
Editorial

Unbeaten India set to face New Zealand in Champions Trophy final

Hanumankind drops new track ‘Run It Up’: A high-octane fusion of rap & tradition
Entertainment

Hanumankind drops new track ‘Run It Up’: A high-octane fusion of rap & tradition

women solo travel
Features

Top 10 solo travel destinations for women in 2025

More For You

Sara Davies

Sara Davies steps back from Dragons' Den to focus on Crafter’s Companion

Instagram/saradaviescc

Sara Davies steps back from Dragons' Den to save Crafter’s Companion

Sara Davies, a well-known face on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, has decided to step back from the show to focus on her own business, Crafter’s Companion. The 40-year-old entrepreneur, who joined the series in 2019 as the youngest female Dragon at 35, shared the news on Instagram, explaining that her role as CEO of her craft supply company requires her full attention. While fans will still see her in the second half of the current season, she won’t be part of the next series.

Davies, who founded Crafter’s Companion in 2005 while still at university, built the business from her bedroom into a global brand. She recently returned as CEO after the company faced financial challenges earlier this year, stepping in to save jobs and stabilise the business. In her Instagram post, she described the decision to leave Dragons’ Den as a tough but necessary one, emphasising that being a Dragon involves far more than just filming. “It’s about committing to the businesses you invest in and seeing them grow,” she wrote. “That’s why I need to focus on my first ‘baby’—my own business.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Oscars

Getty Images

Anora’s unconventional Oscar campaign: How a bold $18M strategy turned the indie film into a cultural phenomenon

How did 'Anora’s $18M hype-driven strategy take over the Oscars?

Neon, the indie film distributor, has once again proven its knack for Oscar success, this time with Sean Baker’s Anora, a film about a sex worker’s whirlwind romance. The movie’s big win at the Oscars has left us all in awe, not just for its cinematic experience but also for Neon’s high stakes unconventional marketing strategy. This wasn’t Neon’s first rodeo though. The company had previously helped Parasite (2019) make history at the Oscars, spending around $20 million on its awards campaign.

For Anora, the approach was different. Instead of courting critics and industry insiders, they tapped into the film’s Gen Z appeal and grassroots charm. One of their biggest moves was a pop-up merch shop in an LA auto repair yard, where 300 eager fans lined up hours before opening. The limited-edition Anora merchandise, racy “Little Wifey” thongs for $15, cheeky slogan T-shirts, and retro-style posters quickly became collectibles. Rather than courting Academy members with lavish screenings, Neon filled early showings with sex workers, ensuring buzz that felt authentic to the film’s subject matter.

Keep ReadingShow less
Roy Ayers

The legendary Roy Ayers, a pioneer of jazz-funk and soul, whose music continues to inspire generations

Getty Images

Jazz-Funk icon Roy Ayers passes away: Fans mourn a music legend

Roy Ayers, the iconic jazz-funk musician best known for his timeless hit Everybody Loves the Sunshine, has passed away at the age of 84. His family shared the news on his official Facebook page, revealing that he died on March 4, 2025, in New York City after battling a long illness. The statement described Ayers as a “legendary vibraphonist, composer, and producer” who lived a full and inspiring life. They requested privacy during this difficult time and promised a celebration of his life would follow.

Born on September 10, 1940, in Los Angeles, Ayers grew up in a household filled with music. His mother, Ruby, was a piano teacher, and his father, Roy Sr., played the trombone. Ayers’ musical journey began early, learning piano as a child before discovering the vibraphone. His passion for the vibraphone was sparked by jazz legend Lionel Hampton, who gifted him a pair of mallets after a performance when Ayers was just five years old.

Keep ReadingShow less
Picture This Team

The team behind 'Picture This' lights up the premiere night with laughter, love, and celebration!

Getty Images

Exclusive interview with the 'Picture This' team: A cosy rom-com celebrating love, culture & chaos!

Move over, cookie-cutter rom-coms because Picture This is here to sweep you off your feet, shake up your expectations, and have you laughing so hard you won’t even think about skipping a beat (yes, it’s that good). This isn’t just another love story though, it’s a loud, vibrant, laugh-out-loud celebration of culture, family, and the glorious chaos of figuring yourself out. With a powerhouse cast, a director with a vision, and a script that’s equal parts hilarious and heart-warming, trust me, Picture This is the rom-com we’ve all been waiting for.

The heart of the movie: A love story that feels like home

Keep ReadingShow less
jay-z

Jay-Z has filed a defamation lawsuit, claiming the dropped allegations were part of a scheme to damage his reputation

Getty Images

Jay-Z files defamation lawsuit against woman who dropped rape allegations

Jay-Z, the celebrated music mogul, has launched a defamation lawsuit against an anonymous woman, referred to as "Jane Doe," who accused him of raping her when she was 13. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Alabama, claims the allegations are baseless and driven by financial motives. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, asserts that the accusations are part of a calculated effort to tarnish his reputation, both personally and professionally.

The legal action comes after Jane Doe withdrew a previous lawsuit last month, in which she accused Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs of sexually assaulting her at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000. Jay-Z has consistently denied these claims, and the case was dismissed after Doe voluntarily stepped back. However, Jay-Z’s new lawsuit alleges that Doe and her attorneys, Tony Buzbee and David Fortney, orchestrated the accusations for monetary gain, describing their actions as "soullessly motivated by greed."

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025 Garavi Gujarat Publications Ltd & Asian Media Group USA Inc