Brighton Naked Bike Ride returns: what you need to know about today’s event

The assembly for the event starts at 12pm in Preston Park with bike and body decoration, as well as lunch.

The ride itself starts at 2pm when hundreds of nude cyclists will follow a special route around the city. There will be a rest stop at Hove Lawns at 2.30pm and then the ride continues from 3.30pm to 4.30pm, ending at Black Rock with a swim in the sea and a hangout event on the beach.

A spokesperson on the event’s Facebook page said: “The World Naked Bike Ride is a global protest movement with rides in cities around the world, raising awareness of issues such as safety of cyclists on the road, reducing oil dependency and saving the planet.”

They said the event’s themes are to: protest against the global dependency on oil, curb ‘car culture’, obtain real rights for cyclists, demonstrate the vulnerability of cyclists on city streets, and celebrate body freedom.

See photos from last year’s event here

The spokesperson said: “It is fun, legal and all in a worthy cause. We are celebrating bikes, bodies and low-impact living – protesting against fossil-fuelled climate change, reminding ourselves about our place in the eco-system and the threats it faces as well as challenging the dominance of our streets by cars – highlighting the vulnerability of cyclists and our strength and safety in numbers. The ride aims to be celebratory, life affirming and inclusive. We will cycle with sound systems and flags highlighting the many environmental and social issues which cycling and body freedom can address.”

Participants are advised to take their clothes with them on the bike in a waterproof bag and not to cycle naked in Brighton after the event. A spokesperson on the Eventbrite page said: “You will no longer have the protection of fellow riders or the police.”

Participants are also advised not to forget their sun cream even if they are planning on being painted.

Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brighton-naked-bike-ride-2023-tickets-636412666417.

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