British Airways i360 Brighton: Tickets, Views and Visiting
A glass pod glides 138 metres up the seafront for the widest view in Sussex. Here is what a flight costs and whether it earns the climb.
Written with Oliver Bennett, Brighton bus tour guide & local sightseeing specialist
Short answer
The British Airways i360 is a 162-metre observation tower on Brighton seafront, where a glass viewing pod rises to about 138 metres on a 25-minute flight. Adult tickets start around £20.50 for a timed View 360 slot, and the open-top bus stops right beside it at the West Pier (Stop 2).
You see it from half of Brighton: a slim white tower on the seafront with a glass ring sliding up and down it. The British Airways i360 is the tallest thing on the coast here, and on a clear afternoon the view from the top reaches from the Rampion wind farm out at sea to the green wall of the South Downs behind town. I send people up on their first afternoon, because nothing orients you to Brighton faster than seeing the whole of it at once.
What is the British Airways i360 and is it worth it?
The i360 is a 162-metre observation tower on Brighton's seafront, beside the ruins of the old West Pier, where a glass viewing pod carries you to about 138 metres on a gentle 25-minute flight. On a clear day it is worth it for the view alone, which stretches roughly 26 miles across the Downs, the coast and the Channel.
It was designed by the same team behind the London Eye, and it opened in 2016 on the spot where the West Pier once met the land. The pod is enormous, holding around 200 people, so it never feels like a lift. You can walk around it, buy a drink at the little bar, and watch the town shrink below you. Whether it justifies its ticket depends on the weather more than anything: book a clear slot and it is memorable, pick a grey one and you are paying to look at cloud. The Brighton i360 publishes its own flight times and conditions, worth a glance before you commit.
Because it sits right on the seafront, the i360 pairs naturally with a loop of the coast. The open-top City Sightseeing bus stops at the West Pier (Stop 2), a few steps from the entrance, so you can go up, come down, and carry on to the pier or the Marina without a long walk.
How much are i360 tickets and how long is the flight?
Adult tickets start around £20.50 for a timed View 360 slot, or about £25 for a flexible Anytime ticket, with reductions for children and families. A single flight lasts about 25 minutes from boarding to landing, and you are free to move around the pod the whole time.
The two ticket types are the thing to understand before you book. A timed View 360 ticket is cheaper but ties you to a slot, which is fine if you can read the forecast. An Anytime ticket costs a little more and lets you turn up when the sky clears, which is the smarter buy on a changeable day. You can book an i360 flight on GetYourGuide in advance, and it is worth doing in summer when the best afternoon slots go early.
| Adult, timed (View 360) | From about £20.50 |
|---|---|
| Adult, flexible (Anytime) | About £25 |
| Children and families | Reduced rates; check the live price when you book |
| Flight length | About 25 minutes, boarding to landing |
| Pod height | Rises to about 138 metres; tower is 162 metres tall |
| On the bus route | Stop 2, West Pier, a few steps from the door |
What can you see from the top of the i360?
On a clear day the view runs about 26 miles: the whole sweep of Brighton and Hove seafront below, the Palace Pier east, the Rampion offshore wind farm out to sea, and the South Downs rising green behind the town. Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters are visible far to the east in the best conditions.
The pod is glass on every side, so you get the full circle rather than a one-way window. Looking inland, the pattern of Brighton finally makes sense: the Lanes and North Laine as a tight knot behind the seafront, the Royal Pavilion's domes poking up, the long terraces of Hove running west. Looking out to sea, the wind farm turns slowly on the horizon. It is the same coast the open-top bus drives, seen from above, which is why the two make such a natural pairing.
How do you get to the i360 and what else is nearby?
The i360 stands on Brighton seafront at the root of the West Pier, a ten-minute walk west of the Palace Pier and a fifteen-minute walk from Brighton Station. The open-top bus stops right outside at Stop 2, and SEA LIFE, the pier and the beach are all within an easy stroll.
If you are building a seafront afternoon, the geography is kind. The i360, the beach and seafront, the Palace Pier and the Lanes sit in a rough line you can walk, or ride between on the loop when legs tire. The tower also has a decent café at the base and a shop, so it works as a rain-shelter with a view if the weather turns. For the wider plan, our things to do in Brighton guide threads these together.
Common questions about the British Airways i360
How much does the i360 cost?
Adult tickets start around £20.50 for a timed View 360 slot and about £25 for a flexible Anytime ticket, with reductions for children and families. Prices change over time, so check the live figure when you book.
How long does an i360 flight last?
About 25 minutes from boarding to landing. The pod rises smoothly to roughly 138 metres, pauses at the top, and descends, and you can walk around inside the whole time.
Is the i360 included in the bus tour ticket?
No, the i360 is a separate ticket, but the open-top bus stops right beside it at the West Pier (Stop 2), so it is easy to combine the two in one seafront afternoon.
Is the i360 worth it on a cloudy day?
Less so. The whole draw is the 26-mile view, which cloud and haze flatten. If the forecast is grey, buy a flexible Anytime ticket and wait for a clear spell, or save it for a brighter day.
Is the i360 accessible?
The pod and base are step-free and designed for wheelchair access, which is unusual for an attraction this tall. The open-top bus that stops outside is also wheelchair accessible on its lower deck.