History

Back in 1823, a chain pier opened just steps away from where Brighton Palace Pier now sits. This original pier, known as the Royal Suspension Chain Pier, was designed by Captain Samuel Brown and acted as a landing stage for ferries travelling between Brighton and France and quickly became a fashionable spot for Brighton residents and visitors to promenade.

During the late 1800s, the old chain pier began to deteriorate after being hit by many storms that caused irreparable damage. This led to Brighton’s local council deciding to grant permission for a new pier to replace it and the Brighton Marine & Palace Pier Company was formed. The famous architect R. St. George Moore laid down designs for a new pier that would include a palace-like pavilion and theatre. Construction began in 1896!

The Palace Pier officially opened on 20th of May 1899 after 3 years of construction. Many challenges were dealt with in order to complete the pier. In 1896, an enormous storm washed away the remains of the old chain pier, damaging the partly completed Palace Pier at the same time. Two acts of parliament were required in order to attain permission to allow extra time to complete the project. Upon opening, the initial promenade was complete but the theatre and main buildings remained under construction.

As the century turned, the theatre and pavilion opened to the public, transforming Brighton Palace Pier into a major entertainment venue. Throughout the early 20th century, the theatre hosted many iconic acts, including Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin!

Captain Weeks was appointed the position of Pier Master in 1928. He wore a gold braided uniform with three rings on his sleeve and a row of war ribbons on his chest. Him and his team, known as his crew, looked after and maintained the pier daily. Captain Weeks remained in his position until his retirement in 1955, making him our longest serving Pier Master.

As time went on, the pier began to develop its entertainment offering, providing rides for the first time in 1932. In this year, a big wheel and dodgems were introduced. Brighton Palace Pier continues to have fun and exciting rides to this day!

During the second World War, the pier was under strict instruction from the War Office to remain closed. Due to the fear of sea-borne invasions, a section of the pier was removed to stop German boats from being able to dock there. The pier remained guarded at all times until the war ended.

Brighton Palace Pier was purchased by the Noble Organisation in 1984. Two years later, the theatre was removed and the seaward end of the pier began to fill with many exciting new rides and attractions.

At the turn of the millenium, Palace Pier was renamed to 'Brighton Pier'. Many still referred to it as its original name due to the pier's royal ties to George IV.

The pier was sold to the Eclectic Bar Group, who then renamed themselves the Brighton Pier Group. Upon taking on the pier, the new owners quickly restored the name of Brighton 'Palace Pier', as it was when it originally opened. 

To this day, Brighton Palace Pier attracts millions of visitors and continues to provide state of the art rides and arcade games alongside fantastic dining locations. It remains a popular icon of the British seaside and we continually invest in protecting the heritage and majesty of our Grade II* listed structure. We take preservation of the pier very seriously and continue to invest over £1m a year to keep us standing for generations to come.