Nick Cave surprises fans with rooftop show

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds have surprised fans with a gig on the roof of an East Sussex record shop.

The Australian singer and his band emerged on to the balcony of Resident Music in Brighton's The Lanes area at 11:00 BST on Friday, where they performed a selection of their own songs and a T-Rex cover.

Cave, who lived for more than two decades in the city after moving there in 1999, played the impromptu show ahead of a huge open air concert at Preston Park on Friday evening.

"Thank you, Brighton - what a thing to be doing," the 68-year-old shouted to the packed crowds below.

With Cave's wife Susie and son Earl watching from the sidelines, the band finished with a singalong rendition of Papa Won't Leave You, Henry, from their 1992 album Henry's Dream.

At the end of the performance, Cave said: "See you tonight. Thank you, and thank you, Resident Records, for this.

"Best record shop in the world."

Gig goers arriving by train throughout the day were also greeted by a "Welcome to Brighton Station" message, especially recorded by Cave.

Hundreds of Bad Seeds fans queued for hours when early bird tickets for the concert first went on sale back in September 2025.

Also on the Preston Park line-up are US psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips, indie band English Teacher, Welsh singer-songwriter Cate Le Bon and post-punk outfit Warmduscher.

In addition, Brighton's Duke of York's Picturehouse cinema will screen five films selected by Cave himself during the weekend.

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