Hundreds of people gathered on a candle-lit seafront in front of the brooding West Pier for a magical finale to Brighton Festival 2015.

As the sunset gave way to the flicker of flames, Brighton beach had a true festival atmosphere that bought all ages together. Fireworks, shot towards the West Pier, gave excitement to kids (of all ages) and signalled the end of each half hour performance.

An installation created by the ‘And Now:’ artists, Fleeting gave a nod to the murmuration of starlings that fills the skies over Brighton’s West Pier.

We witness our own serene moment, as the first firework of the evening startles hundreds of birds from the pier into their own flock. We suspect they were seagulls rather than starlings, but planned or not, it was a fitting touch.

Fleeting, Brighton Seafront, Sunday 24th May 2015
Words and Photos by Ashley Laurence