There’s no better place in England to have a stag do than Brighton. We’ve got it all – a beautiful beach, an endless selection of things to do as a group, a superb selection of pubs (possibly more pubs than there are days in the year), nightclubs and strip clubs and some amazing places to eat too.
Our Civilised to Shameless Brighton Stag Ideas – Ultimate Guide includes the best man’s brief (know your responsibilities), how to pick the rules (and dares) of the weekend, how to choose the theme, which stag houses to stay in, how to warm up for the weekend, an awesome pub crawl, a guide to the clubs and restaurants that welcome stag parties, and an introduction to the stag party organizers that can make everything even easier for you.
The Best Man’s Brief
(Know Your Responsibilities)
If you’re taking on the role of best man, then organizing the stag do is part of the fairly sizeable list of duties that you’ve signed up for. Fortunately, if you choose Brighton for your stag, this bit is easy as our guide will help you sort out everything you need to do.
But you’re also going to have to:
- Help pick the clothes that the groom’s side of the wedding will wear. This is to try and ensure that the groom doesn’t commit any fashion atrocities on his bride as much as anything else.
- Organizing the stag do (it doesn’t hurt to emphasize this bit).
- Ensure that everybody turns up when the groom’s group has to go for their suit fittings.
- Organize a gift for the groom to be presented on his wedding day.
- Give a speech after the wedding, the “best man’s speech” is one of the biggest moments of the reception
- Readout any messages/telegrams that have been sent by those who can’t attend
- Make sure any groomsmen are fully acquainted with what’s expected of them
- Make sure all items (such as suits, buttonhole flowers, etc.) are delivered to the right place
- Hang out with the groom and calm his nerves on the night before the wedding
- Ensure the groom gets ready on the wedding day
- If required – you might also need to bear witness to the marriage or give a reading in church
- To help get everyone together for the group photos
- Act as an announcer if needed on the wedding day
- And, finally, dance with the maid of honour (chief bridesmaid) when it comes to the first dance
That’s quite a bit to be getting on with, but we’re only dealing with the stag weekend, and really this comes down to making sure everyone’s invited (talk to the groom to agree on a guest list), everyone’s paid up, all activities are booked, and everyone knows what to do on the day.
How To Decide The Rules
(and The Dares) Of The Weekend
If you want a stag weekend in Brighton to go with a swing, then it’s important to have some rules and indeed some forfeits (or dares) that people have to do if they infringe the rules. The good news? There are plenty of rule sets around, and this is one you’re free to use:
- Whatever happens on a stag weekend stays on a stag weekend. Seriously, boys will be boys and it’s best just to agree on a code of omerta to cover all eventualities.
- Cheating is not a good idea. The best man is supposed to stand in front of the groom if things look like they’re going too far – starting a marriage on a night of cheating is a bad idea.
- No calling home. It’s a lad’s night, and it’s going to be fun – don’t spoil it by calling your missus every two minutes. Forfeits should be paid for breaking this rule.
- No soldier was left behind. If someone passes out or can’t hack it, ensure they get home safely before continuing with the night.
- No photos. It can hardly stay on the stag weekend with photographic evidence, can it? Rule breakers have to hand over their phone to the best man and be made to wander home in just their pants once the nightclub has closed.
- Don’t wreck the stag. No fights, no tattoos, no shaving his head, etc. he’s getting married make sure he looks his best. Feel free to get him very drunk on the last night though, a hangover is an ideal way to remember the weekend.
- The best man is in charge. Don’t agree? Do a shot or as many shots as he orders. In fact, does as many shots as he calls whenever he calls them.
- It’s a mob call. You follow the will of the party when it comes to places to go or things to do. Failure to do so should result in a forfeit.
Forfeits can be as amusing as you’d like them to be. Just make sure they’re not dangerous.
How To Choose The Best Stag Theme
Choosing a stag theme doesn’t have to be a complicated pain the posterior, it really boils down to remembering that you want to look like you’re all having fun. Everybody loves fun people and will laugh with you, welcome you and possibly even buy you a drink or two.
Get it wrong, however, and you’re going to find that every bouncer in the land can find a reason you’re not going clubbing tonight.
With that in mind, we’ve got some proven methods that almost always bring great results for the stag and his men:
- Movie characters. Heroes or villains, it doesn’t matter but they should be recognizable, you can’t be John McClane from Die Hard if you have hair down to your waist. Think about it.
- 90s or 00s TV Shows. Hopefully, you’ll all remember these. Pick a program and theme the night around it, talk to each other about who is which character before you go.
- Computer Games. You can’t go wrong with games if your stag spent his youth playing Donkey Kong and Pacman.
- Cartoon characters. Recognizable cartoons, mind you. Nobody needs to see a range of your favourite Hentai moments.
- Old school fox and hounds. The stag is the fox, the party are the hounds. It’s an oldie but a goldie and costumes are easy.
- Something that is representative of the stag’s interests. This requires a bit more thought but is likely to be very much appreciated by the stag, and it could be a lot more fun for the people who know him best too.
It might be worth bearing in mind that a theme is not mandatory though and some stags might be happier with something a little less “in your face”, if that’s the case some printed t-shirts to identify the group at a glance can be just fine too.
5 Awesome Brighton Stag Do Houses To Stay In
Be warned. Stag dos aren’t welcome at every large property in Brighton and you’ll want to make sure that you book a place that does allow stags or you might spend the beginning of the weekend wandering around trying to get a place to stay.
Some hotels allow stags but are unlikely to offer the same feeling of community and bonding, so with that in mind we’ve picked 5 awesome Brighton stag do houses to stay In for you.
The Beach House (Brighton Sea Front)
You’re going to love the Beach House which can sleep up to 16 guests (and a few more if you want to share sleeping spaces). Its bright, breezy and funky inside and ideally laid out for large groups. They’re very happy to welcome stag parties which will save a lot of hassle and there’s an awesome roof terrace as well as a rear terrace, so you can have some warmup drinks in the fresh air, what more could you ask for?
Brighton Boho Chic (City Centre)
This place is always clean and perfectly situated for all the city has to offer. They don’t allow bookings which start or end on a Saturday, so make sure to book the whole long weekend for maximum fun. It’s close to the railway station for when everyone arrives, and the open-plan lounge is perfect for getting ready for a night out with a few beers and some sport on the 55” TV. There’s even a voice-activated stereo system for when you want some tunes!
Gatsby House (Central)
This is a great value place which happily sleeps 22 people as long as you’re all happy to share bedrooms, which you ought to be on a stag do. It’s very chic inside, and there are lots of lovely Regency-style features which aim to tally up with the Regency exterior. It’s a very short walk from the Pier which means you can easily get to the beach if you fancy a wander around. Gatsby House is great.
Beatnik Central (Central)
If you fancy something a little extra, then Beatnik Central not only sleeps up to 28 people but it has a superb hot tub too. However, you have to be over 21 to book the place, and it’s designed to have a “quirky” living appeal. There are rainfall showers on each floor too. The owners are also happy to arrange group catering and other activities for your stag party, which is very handy.
Beatnik Stable
This is near Level one of Brighton’s most popular parks and can sleep up to 26 people and like its sister property – they only take over 21s. The communal lounge is really nice and means you’ve got somewhere to chill with the stag as a group once the partying is done. It’s also only a short walk to many of the city’s pubs and clubs. The Beatnik Stable is a solid choice for a stag weekend.
Getting Warmed Up: What To Do In The Day (700)
Before you get into the heavy drinking, it’s a good idea to relax into things and do some fun activities to speed up the bonding process we’ve got some great ideas that might also involve a few drinks because a stag do is almost always better with drinks.
A Brighton Bike Tour Pub and Brewery Crawl
Drinking is not mandatory if you decide to join me on a Brighton Bike Tour, and you really should join me. Why? Because this is the best way to see a lot of the city in a short time, it’s a great bonding exercise and most of all because you can pick my brains about the way you want to approach your time in Brighton.
I love Brighton, and I know it like the back of my hand because I want you to be able to love it too. If you want a truly bespoke weekend, there’s nothing like having a man on the ground who can steer you towards what’s hot and away from what’s not.
Also, though drinking is not mandatory, we can definitely incorporate some drinking in the form of a mini-pub and brewery crawl. If you want to go with this option – we won’t just take in all the important sights and get on the seafront, we’ll also stop in a couple of pubs and in the Unbarred Brewery for a quick drink in each.
And while I freely admit, I am biased when it comes to saying that everyone who comes on these tours has a good time – Tripadvisor will back me up. Their customers say that a Brighton Bike Tour is the best outdoor activity in the city too. And I hope that you will too.
On the tour, you’ll be able to check out:
- The Royal Pavilion Palace
- Brighton beach
- The Brighton Dome
- Preston Park
- Preston Manor
- Park View pub (optional)
- The Level
- Graffiti adorned backstreets
- North Laine area
- Waggon and Horses pub (optional)
- St. Peters church
- The Lanes
- Brighton seafront
- The West Pier
- Beach front Pub (optional)
- The Brighton Pier
- The British Airways i360
- The Unbarred Brewery (optional)
Great British Vineyard Tour
Now, I know what you’re thinking, “British wine?” But bear with me, because not only has British wine improved immeasurably in the last few years (quite possibly thanks to global warming giving us hotter summers) but the Great British Vineyard Tour is great fun
They pick you up in a bus and cart you off into the Sussex countryside, which is absolutely stunning, to do some wine tasting and nibbling on cheese too. You’ll get to “knowledgeably taste” at least four local wines (all of which are award-winning) and learn how the wine is made too.
There’s a superb charcuterie lunch included as part of the package too. The whole day is really well set up and quite refined. If you’re not in the mood for a pub crawl, this may be the next best thing.
Go Karting
Go Karting can be brilliant on a stag weekend but beware, while many stag activities are compatible with alcohol – this one is not, so you probably want to get it slotted in during the early part of the day.
They can arrange for a competitive time for stags and their parties who want to feel like Formula 1 drivers on the 800-meter track. They’ll also provide all the safety kit you need and any instruction necessary to keep you on track and having fun.
The earlier you book for this, the better as it can get very popular some weekends and you wouldn’t want to miss out, would you?
Watersports
Brighton is a seaside town when all’s said and done. Why not make the most of that and get out on the water? Well, at least if your stag is being held during the summer – it can get a bit nippy during the winter, to be fair.
The folks at Brighton Watersports can arrange group lessons or outings for a fair-sized group, and all you have to do is choose the activities you want to undertake. Paddleboarding is really popular at the moment, but you can do anything from kayaking to water skiing if you want.
If you’ve got any non-swimmers in the group, however, you might want to think about something a little less immersed in the waves, such as sea fishing, and you can arrange that through Brighton Charter Fishing.
The Ultimate Brighton Barny Jolly Pub Crawl
There are pub crawls, and then there are pub crawls, this is 12 pubs, and the recommended time to complete is 8 hours. Know your limits, though, you don’t want to end the night in the pub but in the nightclubs, so if you can’t hack a huge amount of drinking, either knock a few pubs off the list or decrease the required measure to be drunk in each pub.
Prince Albert
Address: 48 Trafalgar Square, Brighton, BN1 4ED
Call: + 44 1273 730499
One thing’s for sure, you can’t miss the Prince Albert with its brightly coloured exterior covered in famous faces, even a Guide Dog’s going to notice when you’re nearby. It’s a super place for your first pint of the day (or half a pint if you’re taking it easy), and it’s friendly and happy inside.
The Pond
Address: 49 Gloucester Road, Brighton, BN1 4AQ
Call: +44 1273 660277
This place also has a striking exterior and while it can sometimes be hard to grab a table at busy times, it doesn’t matter, you’re only passing through, right? They’ve got a great collection of cask ales on tap and the vibe is generally pretty raucous, so a stag party should fit right in.
White Rabbit
Address: 13-14 Kensington Road, Brighton, BN1 4AL
Call: +44 1273 677 655
You’ve got some superb artwork on the walls (it’s all in the same style as Ralph Steadman, who did much of Hunter S Thompson’s illustrations). The bar snacks are very good. Indeed, here if anyone feels peckish and you can’t beat the kitsch, quirky atmosphere inside, which screams “Brighton!”
The Dorset
Address: 28 North Road, Brighton, BN1 1YB
Call: +44 1273 605423
They’re very used to big parties in The Dorset, and your stag group won’t feel out of place. You’ll be able to do some serious people-watching as you start to get fully into the groove of the Pub Crawl but don’t get too comfortable because you’ll all soon be moving on.
Mash Tun
Address: 1 Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1UE
Call: +44 1273 684951
The Mash Tun has been a Brighton institution for over 20 years, and they know how to throw a party. If you’re feeling hungry, the burgers here aren’t bad though we’d recommend that you save the burger mania for Patty and Bun (see below), which is even better and not too fair away.
Mrs Fitzherberts
Address: 25-26 New Road, Brighton, BN1 1UG
Call: +44 1273 682401
Mrs Fitzherbert was, of course, King George IV’s mistress, who he kept in Brighton because they were unable to wed (she was Catholic, sadly) and they aim to keep the fires burning a little with a non-stop party at Mrs Fitzherberts Pub in her honour (or lack thereof).
The Font
Address: Union St, Brighton, BN1 1HA
Call: +44 1273 747727
Large groups are always welcome at The Font, one of Brighton’s bigger pubs. The staff are well-known for being friendly and kind, and there’s a decent screen to catch the match if that’s how your stag is inclined, mind you, you won’t be staying for the second half.
The Druid’s Head
Address: 9 Brighton Place, Brighton BN1 1HJ
Call: +44 1273 325 490
You should be working up a nice head of steam by the time you hit The Druid’s Head. This unpretentious 16th-century boozer is a great place for a pint of real ale. They do some decent pub grub if anyone feels hungry by now.
The Mesmerist
Address: 1-3 Prince Albert St, Brighton, BN1 1HE
Call: +44 1273 328 542
This place is always buzzing, and the retro décor gives the whole place a party feel right from the word go. There’s often live music and/or a DJ on if you time your arrival right and you can help to get the blood flowing and the drinks pouring just a little faster.
The Cricketers
Address: Black Lion St. Brighton, BN1 1ND
Call: +44 1273 329472
You shouldn’t miss out on the oldest pub in the city, which boasts connections to the author Graham Greene and, rather less salubriously, Jack the Ripper too. It’s our favourite pub in the city, and the range of ales is excellent. Get fired in, and there are only two more stops to go!
The Walrus
Address: 10 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AD
Call: +44 1273 025749
With possibly the best Pub sign in the city, The Walrus is almost as odd inside as it is out but in a good way – get up on the roof garden and enjoy the penultimate pint of your pub crawl in the fresh air and then it’s time for the home straight.
The Old Ship
Address: King’s Road, Brighton, BN1 1AD
Call: +44 1273 329001
Hit The Wardroom, the bar at the city’s most iconic hotel, to finish up your crawl. Why here? Well, because you’ve reached King’s Road now and your next stop is one of the city’s best clubbing destinations which are all just around the corner.
The Best Night Clubs
Brighton’s nightclubs are among the best in the country, it can pay to book in advance if you want the best deals on pricing and if you want VIP service. It may also make your passage past the door staff somewhat easier if they’re expecting your group.
Coalition
Address: 171-181 King’s Road Arches, Brighton, BN1 1NB
Call: +44 20 3475 1872
The longest-serving nightclub that appears on Brighton’s seafront. Coalition is all about the music and attracts clubbers who love to dance. We’d advise you to stick to the bottled beers, though, as there have been some recent complaints about the tap beers. The food’s nothing to write home about but if you need to fill up after a night on the sauce – it’s decent enough.
The Arch
Address: 187-193 Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 1NB
Call: +44 1273 208133
The Arch definitely has the best drink pricing, which may explain why it attracts a much younger crowd, you’ll be fine to have a good time as a big group here but be warned it can get absolutely packed at times and even end up a little uncomfortable if you suffer from claustrophobia. But cheap drinks is a big win sometimes.
Shooshh Superclub
Address: 214 Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 1NB
Call: +44 1273 202807
The only VIP super club in town but it’s worth the extra money you pay to get in if you want a swanky time with a private table and the chance to rub shoulders with Brighton’s beautiful people. This is the perfect venue to wrap up the night in and dance until you drop.
Pryzm
Address: Kingswest, West Street, Brighton, BN1 2RE
Call: +44 1273 710976
The biggest club in Brighton is Pryzm, which means 3 dancefloors to choose from, each playing a different set. Dancing all night long is never a problem and the crowd is one of the friendliest in the city. We’d recommend booking a VIP booth if you’re in a decent-sized group as it’s nice to have somewhere to put your beers and chill out.
The Funky Fish
Address: 19-23 Marine Parade, Brighton, BN2 1TL
Call: +44 1273 698331
If you want old school (that is, the 70s, 80s and 80s), this is the best venue in Brighton for it. This is the best venue in Brighton if you want your cheese piled ten miles high on the turntable. Don’t go expecting the latest house and club vibe, and you’ll have an amazing time. The Funky Fish does not take itself seriously, and neither should you.
The Best Strip Clubs
Brighton has three decent strip clubs to choose from, they’re not the cheapest form of entertainment in the city, but many stags feel that this is a price worth paying.
Grace Gentleman’s Club
Address: 51-52 North Street, Brighton, BN1 1RH
Call: +44 7366 151199
Grace’s is an upmarket strip club, and they are happy to welcome stag groups of any size. If you like pretty girls, you won’t be disappointed. They can also offer a mixology class if anyone fancies learning bar skills instead of leering at the ladies. You can also wear a fancy dress if you like.
Platinum Lace
Address: 76 East Street, Brighton, BN1 1NF
Call: +44 1273 205206
Platinum Lace styles itself as a premium club, and it’s always a good idea to book in advance for a stag do. If you want champagne, wolf whistles and lots of seductive waitresses, you will be in the right spot.
Pussycat Club
Address: 75 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 9JA
Call: +44 1273 689503
The Pussycat Club is only open to over 25s, and you want to keep that in mind because they will ID everyone on the door. However, the place has a nice feel, and if you book in advance, they’re only too happy to cater to stag parties.
The Best Stag Friendly Restaurants
When you want to get fed, you want to go somewhere that a stag party will be greeted warmly and where they can seat you all together. That means narrowing down your options and then booking in advance to secure a space.
Al Duomo
Address: 7 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton, BN1 1EE
Call: +44 1273 326741
They cater to vegans and vegetarians at Al Duomo, whilst still delivering an authentic Italian experience. You don’t have to try the pizzas, but we’d recommend you do because they’re awesome. They use a wood-fired oven, and that means everything tastes amazing!
OhSo Social Beach Bar & Restaurant
Address: 250a Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 1NB
Call: +44 1273 746067
They love parties in OhSo, making it a great place to stop in on your stag do. They do quick bites and traditional British grub and if you’re just looking for some fuel before you go clubbing – this is a great place to get your energy back as it’s on Kings Road.
Patty and Bun
Address: 56 Ship St, Brighton, BN1 1AF
Call: +44 1273 729388
You can’t go wrong with a good burger, and Patty and Bun’s burgers are exceptional. They also cater to the vegan and vegetarian crowd, and the veggie burgers are a good imitation of meat that you may decide to save the planet then and there on the spot or eat another bacon cheeseburger, either or.
Pinocchio’s
Address: 22 New Road, Brighton, BN1 1UF
Call: +44 1273 677676
Another excellent Italian option, and once again, they love big groups at Pinnochio’s. We’ve heard some people complain the portions are a little small but that’s not been my experience, we think the food’s great, and the staff are awesome. Thoroughly recommended.
All Night Diners
Once the clubs close, you might not be ready to hit the sack without getting a decent feed in you to soak up some of the alcohol. Not everywhere is 24/7 in Brighton but there are a couple of good options for your stag party.
Buddies
Address: 50 Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 1NA
Call: +44 1273 363600
This is fish and chips or British stodge; both are very well done. When you’re hungry at 2 am. there’s probably no better option than Buddies, and it’s conveniently close to the clubs, too, which means no taxis before you get your grub.
All Night Market Diner
Address: 19-21 Circus Street, Brighton, BN2 9QF
Call: +44 1273 608273
If you want to go a bit farther afield, the Market Diner is also open all night, but you will need to get a cab from the clubs to get there. They do good honest fast food, and there’s nothing of the gourmet about it, but when you’ve had a skin-full, you’ll probably be very grateful for it.
Stag Friendly Breakfast Spots
When you wake up, and your mouth tastes like an ashtray, and you’re dry as a bone, it’s time to grab the boys and tackle that hangover with a decent breakfast, and you’ll be pleased to know that Brighton’s got every stag group covered in that respect.
The Breakfast Club
Address: 16-17 Market Street, Brighton, BN1 1HH
Call: +44 1273 947080
You can choose between British and American options here, but we’d say that a stack of pancakes covered in something sweet is probably going to hit the spot perfectly. Vegans and vegetarians are going to be perfectly happy too.
The New Club
Address: 133-134 Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2HH
Call: +44 1273 730230
The vegetarian breakfast options here may be the best in town for a large group, but vegans might not be as well catered to. The British breakfasts here are generous and tasty. The only thing you might end up arguing about is whether to use brown sauce or red.
Bill’s Brighton Restaurant
Address: The Depot, 100 North Rd, Brighton, BN1 1YE
Call: +44 1273 692894
Bill’s is great for vegans and for vegetarians, too but don’t worry, the meat-eaters aren’t left out. The service is absolutely spot on, and that can be really comforting when your head is banging from the excess of vodka from the night before. You won’t leave hungry, that’s for sure.
Great Stag Party Organizers
If you don’t feel that as best man, your organization skills are up to the challenge of arranging the stag do or you simply don’t have the time to get it done the way you’d want to – there’s good news!
You can get a company to do all the heavy lifting for you. Then all you need to do is make sure everybody pays up and turns up on the day, which is much easier.
There are 3 stag party organizers that handle stag dos in Brighton that we can recommend:
The Stag Company
The Stag Company is a fully bonded tour operator that claims to have handled over half a million stag dos, which is simply an incredible amount of experience. They can keep everything low hassle and even collect the money from the individuals in the group. They offer stag arrangements all over the country, but Brighton is where they say they do best because they’re based in the city.
Chilli Sauce
Chilli Sauce’s big selling point is that everything is managed via a smartphone app on your phone. This allows you to send invites, collect payments, print out maps, send directions, etc. at the tap of a button, and that really will make your life easier, particularly if your organizational skills are less Miss Moneypenny and more completely missing.
Adventure Connections
The team at Adventure Connections has 17 years experience of in events management, and while they don’t just do stag dos, they do stag dos very well. It’s very easy to put together the outline of a weekend on their website, and then you just pay the fee, and they do all the rest for you. Their customers say they’re very happy with the service provided by Adventure Connections.
Conclusion
So, as you can see, you’re going to have an amazing stag do in Brighton. We hope that our Civilised to Shameless Brighton Stag Ideas – Ultimate Guide has you excited about coming and has aided your plans for an unforgettable final night of freedom.
I hope to see you soon at the Brighton Bike Pub Crawl to help you warm up for the weekend and share some of the real insider knowledge that means you get the most out of everything you do in your time here. You only get married once, make the stag weekend memorable.
