Artwork inspired by Raymond Briggs’s The Snowman was projected across the Royal Pavilion in Brighton on Monday 2 November, recreating the moment the boy and the Snowman take flight.
The projections were made possible by a collaboration between Puffin Books, owner of The World of The Snowman, and Brighton & Hove Museums, according to Penguin Random House Children’s. The artwork was drawn from the picture book and the book of the film.
What was projected on the Royal Pavilion
The series of projections lit up the landmark with scenes from the story, from the moment the boy and the Snowman fly to the friendship that follows over one night. The flight sequence in the book carries the pair over the South Downs, the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Pier.
Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s, said: “Raymond had a deep affection for this part of the world and local landmarks frequently found their way into his art.” She added that bringing the flight to life in Brighton felt “particularly special”.
Kate Turnbull, Head of Marketing at Brighton & Hove Museums, said that for many people around the world, seeing the Snowman fly over the Royal Pavilion in Briggs’s illustration was their first introduction to the building. She described the projections as a way to kick off the festive season.
Where it happened
The Royal Pavilion stands in the middle of Brighton, next to the Pavilion Gardens and a short walk from the seafront. Brighton Dome, which is hosting a Snowman screening next month, is a few steps away on Church Street.
Raymond Briggs and Brighton
Briggs died in 2022. He lived and worked near Brighton for many years and taught illustration at Brighton College of Art, now the University of Brighton. He made his home in Westmeston, at the foot of the South Downs.
The Snowman was published as a wordless picture book in 1978 and has sold more than 5.5 million copies in 21 languages. The animated film was first shown on Channel 4 on Boxing Day 1982, and its sequel The Snowman and The Snowdog followed on Christmas Eve 2012.
Briggs won the first of two Kate Greenaway Medals in 1966 for The Mother Goose Treasury. He was awarded a CBE for services to literature in 2017, and his final book, Time for Lights Out, was published in 2019.
The Snowman at Brighton Dome
The film will be screened with a live orchestra at Brighton Dome Concert Hall on Saturday 19 December 2026, in a production by Carrot Productions. There are two performances: a relaxed screening at 1.30pm (doors 12.45pm) and another at 4.30pm (doors 3.45pm).
Tickets cost from £15.50 to £23.50, with under-16s at £15.50, and members save £2. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Book on the Brighton Dome website.
For more of what is on at the venue this season, see our guide to the Brighton Dome autumn 2026 season. The Royal Pavilion also hosts Dishoom Permit Room’s Diwali night on 12 November.
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