SEA LIFE Brighton celebrates 150 years of fin-tastic fun!

SEA LIFE Brighton, the world’s oldest operating aquarium, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

The attraction was opened formally to the public on the 10th August 1872, by Brighton’s mayor Cordy Burrows. The aquarium was imagined and invented by Eugenius Birch, the famous pier engineer and designer of Brighton’s West Pier. The iconic Italianate building cost £133,000 and extended for 700 feet along the base of the city’s clifftop, with a large entrance hall that led into the main corridor of the aquarium, which was a staggering 224 feet long and lined with large tanks.

To commemorate the iconic milestone, SEA LIFE is focusing on a year-long of events and occasions to pay tribute to both the history and evolution of the aquarium since it first landed 150 years ago.

Kicking off the 150th celebrations SEA LIFE Brighton will be opening its doors on the evening of the 1st April to celebrate the iconic milestone. Treating guests to an evening of drinks, canapes, and a tour of the site – it will be the perfect event to mark the occasion.

Colin Sayers, Managing Partner of Seasoned, who are catering the event said: “Seasoned are delighted to be involved in such an amazing land-mark celebration and are proud to be the Venue and Event management partner to Merlin Venues at Sealife Brighton and the Merlin London Venues.

Seasoned is an independent specialist caterer, providing a friendly tailored service of irresistible food and elegant design at the most desirable venues. Our talented team comprises of incredibly passionate & creative foodies, always excited about delivering the next spectacular event.”

Plymouth Gin will also be the drinks provider for the celebration and are also working alongside the Ocean Conservation Trust believing that everyone can be empowered to ‘Think Ocean’ – a sentiment SEA LIFE Brighton can absolutely get behind.

Also, throughout the year on selected dates SEA LIFE Brighton will be offering historical and behind the scenes tours of the aquarium. Guests will be able to look back at the history of the attraction, whilst learning about the amazing sea creatures that now call it home as they get an insight into the day-to-day tasks of the staff who work there.

In late August SEA LIFE will celebrate its old age with a Victorian Extravaganza Fun Week. The 5-7 daylong events will consist of staff led activities throughout the site and guests will be encouraged to dress up in Victorian outfits to celebrate the era of when the aquarium first opened its doors. There will also be Victorian sweets and prizes to be won throughout the week.

On September 30th and October 1st, SEA LIFE will continue to mark the occasion with very special theatre performances. A child friendly adaption of Shakespeare’s The Tempest will be performed by local theatre company – Brighton Little Theatre – throughout the attraction, which will consist of an immersive production encouraging the audience to participate with actors throughout the show, paying homage to when the site was previously used as a theatre.

The celebrations will then wrap up during the holiday season, with SEA LIFE Brighton hosting Victorian Christmas Markets the week commencing 19th December, so guests can visit the wonderful sea creatures, whilst getting their festive fix.

Neil Harris, SEA LIFE Brighton’s General Manager said: “Here at SEA LIFE Brighton, we’re proud and honoured to hold the title of the world’s oldest operating aquarium. With this being our 150th anniversary, we wanted to host a range of activities throughout the year for guests of all ages to enjoy, so we can showcase the amazing history behind our attraction.

“We also would love to see guests who have visited the attraction throughout the decades to share their memories, photos and any other content they have with us, so we can display the many years of wonderful memories that have been created in this building.”

Since operating as a SEA LIFE centre, the 150-year-old building has received an investment of over £10 million in the last 20 years, to ensure the historical architectural building remains intact and prominent within Brighton’s community.

To be involved in SEA LIFE Brighton’s celebratory events throughout the year, make sure to follow the attraction’s social channels and monitor its website. To book a visit to the world’s oldest operating aquarium, please visit the website here: https://www.visitsealife.com/brighton/