Brighton Dome

- Saturday 17th April – Frankie Boyle. £20.00.
- Tuesday 20th April – Boy George. Prices start at £20.00.
- Saturday 24th April – The Lightning Seeds. £22.50
- Wednesday 28th April – La Roux. £15.00

Other Events

- Saturday 3rd – Monday 5th April - Hot & Spicy Food & Drink Festival on Hove Lawns.
- Monday 5th April – Brighton Racecourse Bank Holiday Market – 9am-5pm.
- Tuesday 6th – Saturday 10th April – The Pirates of Penzance at Theatre Royal. Prices start at £13.00.
- Friday 12th – Thursday 18th April – Brighton and Hove Children’s Festival – various locations around Brighton.
- Tuesday 13th – Thursday 17th April – Oklahoma! At Theatre Royal. Prices start at £13.00.
- Thursday 29th April – Blockheads at Komedia. Prices start at £15.00.
- Sunday 18th April – BRIGHTON MARATHON

Alchemy, Southbank Centre April 7th - 11th

Alchemy explores the culture of India, its diaspora and its relationship to the UK today in over 30 events spanning dance, music, literature, debates, fashion and food.

Over five packed days discover classical masters of the sub-continent alongside emerging British Asian talent; folk traditions alongside contemporary experimentation.

Alternative Fashion Week, Spitafields Traders Market April 19-23

Alternative Arts presents East London’s major fashion event – Alternative Fashion Week. Spitalfields will play host to the most original and creative collections by a fresh crop of new designers with truly innovative ideas.

Alternative Fashion Week is where all the best new designers are to be discovered. It provides a genuine alternative for them to present their work directly to the press, public and the fashion industry. Designers come from all over the UK and other parts of the world including Russia, the USA, Europe, India and Japan.

London Marathon, Tower Bridge April 25

The first London Marathon appeared in 1981, and the race has been widely popular right from the start. On Sunday April 26th 2009, more than 24,000 runners finished the race. Each year almost a million people come to watch the runners from street corners and from the city’s impressive variety of pups, making the event not just a marathon, but also a 42 km long street party. The next party will be on Sunday April 25th, 2010.

Cheltenham Jazz Festival Curated by Jamie Cullum April 28-May 3

Building on the previous success of what is already considered to be one of Europe’s leading Jazz Festivals, 2010 will see the Cheltenham Jazz Festival develop its programme, atmosphere and edge like never before.

Alongside a compelling balance of international stars and cutting edge European musicians, this year’s Festival will feature a free-jazz stage curated by comedian and lifelong jazz fan Stewart Lee, a “Best of British” strand featuring the likes of Empirical, trioVD and Troyka, and programming from Jamie Cullum, who has been invited to be the Festival’s first ever Guest Director.

Around town

• Until May 26 Charting Charing Cross
A walk with London Trails, stopping to look at old maps and explore alleys, architecture and ancient paths. You’ll hear about the character who lived and worked around Trafalgar Square, including Benjamin Franklin, Rudyard Kipling and Joseph Bazalgette. Meet at the Cranbourn Street exit of the station. Booking essential.

Exhibitions

• Until April 17 Still life from Flanders, Flow Gallery
The applied arts gallery hosts work by nine Flemish artists including double-use jewellery from Sofie Lachaert and Luc d’Hanis, and silver ornaments by David Huyke.

• Until May 22 Silver in the Study, London Silver Vaults
A selling exhibition of Victorian, Edwardian and twentieth-century desk accessories such as inkstands and bookends, and after-dinner drinks paraphernalia including decanters and silver dice, drawn from silver retailers housed in the vaults. (Admission: free)

Sweet Charity, Haymarket Theatre Royal From April 23

Charity Hope Valentine - with her heart not only on her sleeve but tattooed on her arm - is a New York dance hostess at the Fandango Ballroom.

Macbeth, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre April 23 – June 27

Shakespeare – something of a king and much of a rogue himself – understood that the world needs rogues, just as it needs kings. It needs the wildness, warmth and virtue of rogues, to balance against the paranoia, greed and violence of kings; just as it needs the strength of kings, to counteract the confusion of rogues.

This year’s season at the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre opens at April 23 with Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most terrifying portrait of humanity gone sour.

Star Wars in Concert April 3-4

Massive multi-media event features stunning visuals, a live orchestra, choir and narration, plus an exclusive exhibit of Star Wars costumes, props and production artwork. Star Wars: In Concert, a unique multi-media event featuring music from all six of John Williams’ epic Star Wars scores, is on a worldwide concert tour.

The Magic of the Beatles April 15

Join the authoritative Beatles live concert show as the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Fab Four.

The Australian Pink Floyd UK Tour April 23

The number one tribute show in the world returns to the UK in April 2010.

Torvill and Dean’s Dancing On Ice April 16-20

After wowing more than 750,000 people across the country in previous years with stunning ice performances, skating legends Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean will headline the fourth UK tour of Dancing on Ice and lead an all-star celebrity line-up to arenas across the country.

Whitney Houston April 25, 26 & 28

WHITNEY HOUSTON launches European tour dates in support of global chart-topping album I Look To You. The O2 announced as only London dates of tour on 25, 26 & now 28 April 2010.

Hair, Gielgud Theatre From April 1

The year is 1967, and the Vietnam War is at its height. In New York City, a tribe of hippies rails against the establishment, protesting intolerance, brutality, and the dehumanization of society. When Claude, one of their own, gets drafted, he must make a decision about what values are worth fighting for. Songs include ‘Aquarius’, ‘Good Morning Starshine’, ‘Let the Sunshine In’

‘Hair’ is a musical about the kind of people you see on the street - if the street you’re on is in Manhattan, circa 1967, which is when under-employed actors James Rado and Gerome Ragni took the eminently sensible decision to write themselves a job (the music is by Galt MacDermot).

La Bohème, Cock Tavern Theatre Until May 15

OperaUpClose transports Puccini’s masterpiece of young love and loss from 1830s Bohemian Paris to the gritty realism of vibrant modern-day North London.

Win an iPod Nano from umi Hotels

Visit http://umihotels.com/competitions to win an iPod Nano

Brighton Centre

- Friday 2nd April – Monday 5th April – Disney Live ‘Three Classic Fairy Tales’ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast. Prices start at £13.00 for children and £15.50 for adults. 
- Saturday 10th April – Bad Company Live! Tickets start at £34.50
- Thursday 15th April – Diversity presents ‘Bringing a Toy Story to Life’. Prices start at £18.90.
- Saturday 24th April – Australian Pink Floyd. Prices start at £34.00.
- Thursday 29th April – Sunday 2nd May – Strictly Come Dancing. Prices start at £20.50.

Concorde2

- Friday 2nd April – Silent Disco! £8.00.
- Tuesday 27th April – Alphabeat. £12.00.

UMI LONDON AND UMI BRIGHTON BECOME MEMBERS OF METRO HOTELS

Umi Hotel London and Umi Hotel Brighton are delighted to announce that they have recently been accepted as members of Metro Hotels, a niche alliance operated by the Great Hotels Organisation (GHO) for mid-range, contemporary, city-centre hotels targeting the corporate traveller. Chosen for its superb facilities for corporate travellers, the two hotels will be featured in the next issue of Great Hotels Organisation – Corporate Travel Collection directory.