Brighton Palace Pier

The Brighton Marine Palace and Pier is a pleasure pier in Brighton, England.

Generally known as the Palace Pier before being unofficially renamed by its current owners as Brighton Pier in 2000 (something not recognised by the National Piers Society), it was opened in May 1899 after costing a record £137,000 to build. The theatre wasn't ready for opening until 2 years later. This theatre was controversially removed, on the condition that it was replaced. This never happened, and the seaward end building looks out of place compared to the rest of the structure.

The pier suffered a large fire on 4 February 2003 but the damage was limited and most of the pier was able to reopen the next day.

In 2004 the current owners, the Brighton Marine Palace Pier Company (owned by the Noble Organisation), admitted an offence of breaching public safety under the Health and Safety at Work Act and had to pay fines and costs of £37000 after a fairground ride was operated with part of the track missing. Judge Nicholas Ainley, passing sentence at Hove Crown Court, said inadequate procedures were to blame for the fact nothing had been put near the ride to alert staff or passengers it would be dangerous to use.

In 2005 the Palace Pier was raided by police and immigration officials searching for illegal foreign workers and several people were taken away.