Good morning, Brighton and a happy Friday to you all. With the weather on the up and a plethora of Festivals in Brighton occurring next month, the beaches will steadily be filling up so a coastal focus to the news today to make your lives just that little bit better.

In today’s Brighton Scoop:

- Phil Reynolds

💩 Two Sussex beaches have been labelled “no-go” for swimming after being rated “poor” – the lowest possible DEFRA water quality classification. DEFRA assesses bathing waters as Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor, based on four years of Environment Agency tests for bacteria linked to health risks, including E. coli and intestinal enterococci. Nationally, most English bathing waters perform well: as of November 2025, 87% are rated Excellent or Good, and 93% meet at least the minimum standard. However, Worthing Beach House (near Splashpoint) has retained its Poor rating from 2024, and Aldwick beach in Bognor is also rated Poor, with DEFRA advising against swimming at both. Local councils say they are working to improve water quality, signage and public awareness, citing citizen science initiatives and campaigns such as the Yellow Fish project to reduce pollution entering the sea. Thankfully the Brighton beaches all ranked Good or Excellent. Latest Results.

Hove - Excellent | Brighton Central - Good | Brighton Kemptown - Excellent | Rottingdean - Excellent | Worthing Beach - Poor | Aldwick Beach - Poor

🌊 If you can pop down early doors or after work once you’ve picked the kids up then there’s going to be the joy of sand on the beach for us Brightonians - a rare treat. Sunday and Monday it also coincides with sunset there or thereabouts so expect every man and his granny to be down there snapping away for the ‘perfect’ shot. Anyway it’s a great excuse to get to the beach, throw your shoes off and feel the sand beneath your toes. Heaven! Enjoy.

🛟 If you’re heading down to the beaches over the coming weeks bear in mind the water’s still pretty nippy at sub 11° and the stone shelf drops away steeply so you can quickly be out of your depth. The awesome RNLI manage the beach lifeguard service in Brighton (donate here if you have a few ££) but duty doesn’t kick off until 24th May and runs until 7th September. There are plenty of information boards along the seafront so in the meantime have a quick read even if you’re confident water baby as conditions differ from one beach to the next. You can find out more about the beaches and Lifeguard Duty Information here. Enjoy the water and be safe!

🌤️ | 📈 15° | 📉 9° | ☔️ <5% | 🌬️ S 10mph | 🌊 1-2ft

🌤️ | 📈 16° | 📉 6° | ☔️ <5% | 🌬️ SW 8mph | 🌊 <1ft

🌤️ | 📈 15° | 📉 5° | ☔️ 10% | 🌬️ N 7mph | 🌊 <1ft

Be sure to tag us @brightonscoop to get your photos featured

Cinema’s aren’t going to fill themselves. Break a habit of a lifetime, turn off Netflix, get off the sofa and potter down to your local (cinema).

Duke of York’s Picturehouse - Book

The Stranger | National Theatre Live: All My Sons (2026) | The Drama | Rebuilding | Akira | Amelie | Zootropolis

Dukes at Komedia - Book

The Stranger | The Drama | Rebuilding | Magic Faraway Tree | Project Hail Mary | Moulon Rouge (25th Anniversary) | Zootropolis 2 (Relaxed Screening) | Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Great to have you follow the Scoop today. If you liked it, do share it with a fisherman. There’s a beer on me if you spot me in town.