Brighton legends The Levellers headlined the inaugural Live in Hove Park, celebrating 35 years of Levelling The Land alongside Sleeper, Kid Kapichi, Brakes and The Meffs.
Live in Hove Park opened on Saturday 5 September with a triumphant hometown headline performance by Brighton’s own The Levellers, who returned to the city for an open-air exclusive celebrating 35 years of their landmark platinum-selling album Levelling The Land. The inaugural concert brought together an eclectic line-up of artists with deep connections to Brighton and the wider South Coast, establishing a new late-summer fixture in the city’s live music calendar.
Emerging from Brighton in the late 1980s, Levellers have built a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive and celebrated live acts – combining folk, punk and political energy with an enduring connection to their audience. Released in 1991, Levelling The Land became a defining album of the era, going platinum and featuring tracks including ‘One Way’, ‘15 Years’ and ‘Far From Home’, alongside ‘The Game’, ‘Liberty Song’, ‘Riverflow’, ‘Boatman’ and ‘Battle Of The Beanfield’. The band went on to achieve a Number 1 album with Zeitgeist in 1995, further establishing their place within British music. Over the decades, Levellers’ influence has extended beyond their recordings – shaping festival culture, grassroots movements and generations of independent artists.
Joining the Levellers were Britpop favourites Sleeper, Hastings punk-rockers Kid Kapichi, Brighton’s own Brakes, making a rare hometown appearance as part of their first live shows together in more than a decade, and Essex punk duo The Meffs. Together, the five acts delivered a day of punk, folk-rock, Britpop and alternative music that celebrated Brighton’s distinctive musical identity.
The Meffs opened proceedings with raw punk energy, while Brakes offered a taste of the city’s alternative scene. Kid Kapichi brought their characteristic attitude and intensity, before Sleeper transported the crowd back to the Britpop era with a set full of nostalgia. Each act brought a different flavour to the afternoon, creating a varied and compelling build-up to the evening’s headline performance.
By the time The Levellers took to the stage, the atmosphere was already charged. Their return to Brighton lent the evening a particular warmth, reminiscent of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ recent homecoming performance at Preston Park. Yet the Levellers’ connection to the city was especially palpable. Levelling The Land is so closely associated with Brighton that the band have even described it as a “Brighton album”, and the crowd’s joyful, almost instinctive singalong made clear just how deeply those songs remain embedded in the city’s cultural memory.” Culturalee Editor Lee Sharrock
The band’s combination of folk-rock and punk edge is a sound that comes fully alive in a festival setting. More than three decades after the release of their iconic album, The Levellers remain a formidable live act, bursting with energy, musical prowess and a palpable enjoyment of performing together. Their headline set was both a celebration of the past and a reminder of the enduring power of their music.
The evening’s success was also a testament to the strength of the supporting line-up. From The Meffs’ raw punk to Sleeper’s Britpop nostalgia, the acts provided variety while leading naturally towards an unforgettable headline performance. It was a fitting showcase for a city whose musical heritage continues to evolve, and a reminder that Brighton’s creative energy extends well beyond its established venues and festivals.
Set within one of the city’s best-loved green spaces, Live in Hove Park brings together artists with strong connections to Brighton and the South Coast. Its inaugural two-day series celebrates the region’s musical identity through two distinct line-ups spanning folk, punk, Britpop, indie and singer-songwriter music.
On Sunday, Passenger returns to the city where his musical journey began for a major open-air UK show presented in partnership with BBC Radio Sussex. The chart-topping, multi-Platinum and Ivor Novello-winning artist has announced his new album Wild Love, due for release on 6 November, alongside the lead single It Was Gonna Be You. Having first built his audience busking on Brighton’s streets, Passenger is joined by indie-folk trio The Staves, British folk guitarist John Smith, rising alt-pop and country artist Ber, and Worthing singer-songwriter Chris Simmons.
Presented by JOY. Concerts, the Hove Park show bought the Levellers back to their roots for a rare outdoor performance in the city that first shaped them. After such a brilliant start, Live in Hove Park looks set to become a welcome addition to Brighton’s late-summer calendar. The Levellers’ triumphant return provided the perfect opening: a celebration of a landmark album, a showcase of the city’s musical community, and a reminder that Brighton’s best homecomings are often the ones that bring everyone together.
Live in Hove Park 5–6 September 2026 Live in Hove Park official website
Review by Culturalee Editor Lee Sharrock
