Author: Matt

The sums have been tallied, and we are extremely happy to announce that Brighton Bear Weekend 2016 has raised the following amount for the Rainbow Fund:

£7,752

We knew the weekend was busy, but this has exceeded all our expectations. We couldn’t have done it without the help of all our volunteers and partners around Brighton and beyond … and above all, we couldn’t have done it without you, the marvellous bears and friends who came to our events, bought raffle tickets and t-shirts, and brought so much fun and energy with you! We cannot thank you enough, and we hope to see you all again next year!

We presented the cheque to the Rainbow Fund on 11 July at the Camelford Arms. Read all about it here.

Check out this video from Latest TV about Brighton Bear Weekend:

There are also two fresh news items from Gscene magazine on the Press page:

• It’s a Bear’s World: a review of the Bear-B-Q Picnic on Saturday 18 June, with photos.
• Bear’s quiz night raises £320 for Rainbow Fund: the results of our big quiz at the Camelford Arms on the first night of Brighton Bear Weekend 2016.

Well, what a weekend that was! Brighton Bear Weekend 2016 was a total blast, with hundreds of visitors from the UK and around the world enjoying a great weekend of parties, food and drinks, music and dancing. We’re still recovering after all that fun, but check back here soon for loads of updates. In the meantime, look at our Facebook page for the latest news and photos!

Also, please note that our online shop is down for maintenance while we restock, but limited quantities of our t-shirts, polo shirts and (new!) vests will be available there soon. We’ll let you know when!

Brighton Bear Weekend won a special Community Fundraiser Award at the city’s annual Golden Handbag awards on Sunday 12 June. We really had no idea it was coming, and were stunned but very happy when it was announced!

The award was presented by James Ledward, founder of Gscene magazine and long-time LGBT campaigner in Brighton and Hove. We asked James about his life, his work, and his thoughts on Brighton Bear Weekend … you can read the full interview here.

In the last of our blog series before the big weekend, we interviewed three of the Brighton and Hove Sea Serpents rugby players (Ian Chaplin, Byron Todd and Ian Shepherd) about rugby, bears, and their plans for the weekend. You can read their interviews here.

We also talked to Wayne Shires, who runs the popular Brüt club night in London, about their co-hosting the men’s zone and tent at Brighton Pride in August. Read the interview here.

We were on Radio Reverb again on Thursday, together with Gary from Lunch Positive who will be providing the food at the Bear-B-Q Picnic. We talked with host Kathy Caton about our final preparations for Brighton Bear Weekend, food, drink, and more food!

You can listen to the podcast here.

If you like to dance, you’ll love our line-up of club nights at Brighton Bear Weekend! We fired a few questions at our three DJs: Josh the Barber, Rob C and DJ Bozzy Bear. Click the links to find out what to expect from them over the big weekend!

Many of you will know the Yorkshire Bears from our own and other bear events around the country (and even further afield, to Spain!). Geoff from Yorkshire Bears has written a marvellous review of last year’s weekend, when he and a group of friends hit Brighton for three nights of beer, bears and bad behaviour … you can read it right here.

Gin & Bear It‘s drinks menu for the Bear-B-Q Picnic on Saturday 18 June is here!

The libations on offer will include the brand new Bear’s Knees cocktail (gin, honey and beer), the effervescent Sloe Gin-ger Fizz, the delicious Long Island Iced Tea, and the classic Cheeky Gin (or Vodka) and Tonic. Beers and soft drinks will also be available. Check out the full menu (PDF 208KB) and get your drinking chops ready!

We can’t wait for the Bear-B-Q Picnic on Saturday 18 June! Barbecue and other delicious food will be available from Lunch Positive, who do great work in our local community. We talked with Gary Pargeter to find out what they do and what to expect at the picnic … read the full interview here.