News & Events

Egg-cellent Easter Adventure

Embark on an Egg-cellent Easter Adventure in Chichester! This Easter, get ready to hop into the spirit of Spring with our exciting Easter Trail. Running from 29 March – 14...

In My View – Julia Grant

By Julia Grant, Owner of Winter’s Moon and Director at Chichester BID   As an independent retailer in Chichester, I am always really excited when another independent business takes the...

Helping St Wilfrid’s Pay For A Day

This February, the heart of Chichester is pulsing with generosity as businesses in the city centre rally behind St Wilfrid's Hospice. The goal? To raise a crucial £26,000, the amount...

Valentine’s in Chichester

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and love is in the air in Chichester city centre! Whether you're a hopeless romantic or a pragmatist with a penchant for traditional...

In My View – Boosting our Local Economy

By Helen Marshall, CEO and Chair of Chichester BID Did you know about the Chichester Gift Card? Giving a Chichester Gift Card is such a simple and easy way to...

Susie Watson Designs Win Christmas Window Competition

Gift and homewares store Susie Watson Designs on North Street has been crowned winner of Chichester BID’s annual Christmas Window Competition. ‘Christmas Creatures’ was the theme of this year’s competition,...

‘Christmas Creatures’ Window Competition

Chichester city centre is buzzing with festive spirit, merriment and twinkling lights. We're getting ready for the judging of our annual Christmas Window Competition on 8th December with Amanda and...

Meet Our Light Switch On Heroes

Chichester BID is proud to announce that Emily Jordan, a pupil at Rumboldswhyke Primary School, and Yoddi Papa, the owner of the award-winning La Fish on St Pancras, will illuminate...

Win Your Dream Christmas

We're giving you the chance to win a £1,000 Chichester Gift Card in a new Christmas competition. All you need to do to enter is share your dream Christmas with...

Santa’s Missing Sack Trail

Santa's Missing Sack Christmas Trail We are thrilled to present a magical adventure that invites families to embark on a quest to save Christmas. Sponsored by Howden Insurance, from Saturday...

Chichester Independents Gift Guide

These hidden gems, nestled among the well-known names, can be found on the city's main high streets and picturesque side streets, including Crane Street, St Martins, Little London, and Baffins...

Christmas Shopping in Chichester

Chichester offers a delightful smorgasbord of shopping choices, from renowned high street brands to unique independent stores, making it the perfect destination to prepare for the festive season. The city's...

Chichester Festive Food Shopping

The festive season in Chichester is a time of enchantment and culinary delights. This year, let the magic of Christmas come alive as you embark on a culinary journey through...

Festive Dining in Chichester

Chichester comes alive during the festive season, offering an array of dining and entertainment options that will warm your heart and delight your taste buds. From fine dining to cosy...

Chichester’s Christmas Markets

The festive season in Chichester is a time of merriment and joy. It's when the city comes to life with twinkling lights, the aroma of mulled wine, Santa at the...

Festive Things to Do in Chichester

Chichester is an enchanting city, where the magic of Christmas comes alive in the most delightful ways. From twinkling lights to delicious feasts and cultural experiences, Chichester offers a variety...

Top 10 Festive Family Things To Do

Christmas is a magical time of year, and Chichester is no exception when it comes to spreading festive cheer. Our beautiful city, nestled in the foot of the South Downs,...

A Sustainable Christmas in Chichester

Chichester city centre provides the ideal backdrop for a sustainable Christmas celebration. With an array of local businesses, artisans, and eco-friendly options, you can make this Christmas both memorable and...

October Half Term Adventures

As autumn's crisp air rustles through the city and leaves fall from the trees, Chichester is preparing to offer delightful half-term experiences for families of all ages. The Chichester Bird...

Light Up Chichester Hero Competition

You are invited to nominate your real life superhero to light-up Chichester this Christmas Chichester BID is seeking nominations for two exceptional individuals to switch on the Christmas Lights in...

Peace Doves Window Winners

In partnership with Chichester Cathedral, we are delighted to announce the winners of our autumn Window Competition, held to celebrate the inspiring autumn installation 'Peace Doves' currently exhibiting at the...

Chichester’s Peace Doves Celebrations

We are delighted to share details of how our city is celebrating the arrival of Peter Walker Sculptor's Peace Doves installation at Chichester Cathedral this autumn. From creative window displays...

In My View – Brendon Cook

By Brendon Cook, Managing Director of Kiwi Recruitment and Chichester BID Board Member It goes without saying that in today’s climate, price has to be a factor. After everything that has...

In My View – Danielle Dunfield

By Danielle Dunfield, CEO of The Great Sussex Way and Chichester BID Board Member "I have three teenage sons, which can be quite daunting as I stare down the barrel...

Summer in Chichester Beach Trail

Looking for things to do with the kids in Chichester this summer? Our Summer in Chichester Beach Trail offers an exciting adventure around the city centre. Use the trail map...

Proudly Independent

We are thrilled to announce the launch of an exciting new campaign in Chichester called 'Proudly Independent. Proudly Chichester.' This initiative aims to celebrate and support the city's independent business...

Top Tips to Support Independents

Micro businesses play a vital role in the UK economy, contributing an impressive £1.6 trillion in revenue and providing employment to 16 million individuals*. They serve as the dynamic foundation...

Chichester Is ‘Alive After Five’

A new Alive After Five Gift Card  for Chichester's night time economy has launched, as part of our efforts to showcase the after 5pm businesses in the city centre, including...

Newly Updated Maps and Map Boards

This summer, we invite you to embark on an unforgettable exploration of Chichester's captivating city centre. Discover the charm of this historic city with the help of our newly updated...

In My View – Helen Marshall

By Helen Marshall, CEO and Chair of Chichester BID "You often hear it said that traditional high streets are failing! They need to transform! It’s all about the experiential! Well,...

May Half Term in Chichester

With the kids off school next week for half term, it's the perfect time to enjoy the city of Chichester and all it has to offer for families. Here are...

In My View – Jeremy Brown

By Jeremy Brown, Acquisitions Director for Brasserie Bar Co And Chichester BID Director "In April Chichester was named the best place to live in the Southeast by the Sunday Times,...

Chichester Pride 2023

Chichester Pride 2023 is just around the corner, and the city is buzzing with excitement as it prepares to welcome its second-ever Pride event which is being held once again...

In My View – Julia Grant, Winter’s Moon

As an independent retailer in Chichester it’s very easy to be focussed on life within the city walls and not look further afield. But a recent trip to Folkestone gave...

Our Special Coronation Flags

The city centre has been adorned with special Coronation flags designed by local school children from St Richard’s School, Cawley Road and The Prebendal School, West Street in advance of...

Easter Delights For Families

Don't miss out on The Chichester City Centre Easter Trail with your kids this Easter Holiday! From 1 - 16 April, this year's trail promises to be an exciting way...

CORONATION CELEBRATIONS

Chichester BID and Chichester Cathedral are joining forces to spearhead the city centre’s celebration of the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6 May, supported by Chichester District Council....

International Women’s Day 2023

Happy International Women's Day! We want to celebrate all the amazing female entrepreneurs and business owners in our city. Did you know that women account for well over 50% of...

In My View – Danielle Dunfield

According to Totally Locally, if every adult in the UK spent just £5 per week in their local shops and businesses, instead of online, at the supermarket or with the...

Epic Half Term Art Adventure

An epic art adventure trail is being launched this February half term, giving families the chance to ‘get arty’ and discover more about the amazing artwork that fills the streets...

Chichester’s Got Beans!

To celebrate Chichester’s love of coffee AND the city hosting the regional final of the UK Barista Championships on 10 February at The Assembly Rooms, we are launching a new...

Christmas Window Winner

Congratulations to independent gift and homewares store Winter’s Moon, which has been crowned overall winner of our annual Christmas Window Competition. Fellow independents The Richard Tildesley Practice and The Barn’s...

Take Part In Our Nutcracker Christmas Experience

On Saturday 10 December between 11am and 4pm, visitors to Chichester are invited to go on an enchanting Nutcracker adventure across the city with the opportunity to enjoy mesmerizing Nutcracker...

Student-run pop-up shop launches   

Chichester College students are inviting shoppers to spread a little happiness this Christmas at their new pop-up shop, Renew, located in Crane Street (just off North Street). The shop offers...

Christmas Light Switch-On Heroes

We are delighted to reveal that not one but two real-life super heroes, Zoe Collyer of Chichester and Trevor Ware of Tangmere, will do Chichester the honour of switching on...

In My View – Helen Marshall

Local Christmas Spirit Is it too early to start talking about Christmas? Here at Chichester BID, we don’t think so! We are not referring to the commercial aspects, but the...

The reward staff want this Christmas

Are you wondering how to reward and say thank you to your employees, volunteers or clients this Christmas? How about a reward that supports local too? The Chichester Gift Card...

Christmas Window Competition

Chichester city centre businesses have been invited to enter our annual Christmas Window Competition  which is this year being judged by international, best selling author Kate Mosse and Chichester BID...

Autumn Fiver Fest: £5 Offers

Fiver Fest is taking place between 8th – 22nd October to encourage people to shop local and discover the wonderful independent stores, cafes and restaurants that are here in our...

The Nutcracker Christmas Trail, 26 Nov – 2 Jan

An Enchanting Christmas Trail Guarding the city of Chichester throughout the festive period will be 11 magnificent Nutcracker Kings. Follow the trail to discover all their names for your chance...

A Spooktacular Half Term Surprise

A spooktacular augmented reality Halloween Trail is coming to Chichester this half term. Running from 14 - 31 October, the trail will take visitors on a fun adventure around Chichester...

FALL in Love with Chichester

Chichester is wonderful place to visit in Autumn. Discover the charm of Chichester this Autumn including its rich cultural history, eclectic shopping scene, vibrant cafe culture, tranquil parks and family-friendly...

In My View – Amy Sim

Palaces for the People – Creating spaces that are accessible to all During the pandemic, I stumbled upon a great book by Eric Klinenberg called Palaces for the People. Eric,...

Collect and Click Gift Cards Now Available

A new Chichester Gift Card Collect and Click service has been unveiled, enabling people to pick up the Chichester Gift Card in person, and load with value using Load This...

New Grant Scheme for Independent Retailers

Chichester District Council (CDC) has announced the availability of grant funding to support independent retailers with a physical high street shop presence in Chichester* to make improvements to their premises...

Lantern Trail

A spectacular free Lantern Trail is launching in Chichester city centre on 15 August with the chance to win tickets to see The Famous Five: A New Musical, based on...

A Roarsome Day of Dino Fun!

This Saturday grab the kids and join us for a day of free prehistoric fun on the Cathedral Green! Bringing the Cretaceous period to life, families can marvel at the...

Glorious Window Winners

Many of our city centre businesses enjoyed getting into the spirit of this year’s gloriously glamorous Qatar Goodwood Festival by taking part in our Glorious Goodwood themed window competition which...

In My View – Jeremy Brown

Public Transport Essential to Addressing Climate Change Countries across the world are in agreement that we need to take action to help keep The Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree maximum climate...

Chichester Gift Card goes digital

'More accessible and appealing’: popular Chichester Gift Card goes digital  High street revolution in Chichester continues as the city introduces a digital version of the Chichester Gift Card  Chichester has...

Dino Fun this Summer

Dinosaurs will be taking over Chichester this summer with a brand new Dino Trail running across the city centre from 25 July - 22 August and a special Jurassic Chichester...

Summer Street Party Fashion Show

As part of our Summer Street Party, in partnership with Chichester District Council, we are rolling out the red carpet on East Street to showcase some of the fabulous retailers...

Glorious Goodwood Trail

We have partnered up with Goodwood Racecourse to bring the glamour of Glorious to the city. The Qatar Goodwood Festival, affectionately known as Glorious Goodwood, is one of the undisputed...

In My View – Danielle Dunfield

Amazing People, Amazing Places Sparkling seas, sparkling wine and sparkling night skies embrace us here in the Chichester District. It’s no coincidence that the best of the British have flocked...

Pop-Up Shop initiative welcomes year-round applications

Chichester District Council’s Pop-Up Shop initiative is now welcoming applications from budding entrepreneurs and start-up businesses at any time throughout the year. Previously, applications opened for certain periods of the...

Glorious Window Competition

Many of our city centre businesses are getting into the spirit of Glorious and transforming their windows to celebrate The Qatar Goodwood Festival. From panamas and jockey silks to hats...

BID welcomes new Director

With a new term ahead, we have welcomed some exciting changes to our Board of Directors with the appointment of Danielle Dunfield, CEO of The Great Sussex Way. Danielle’s appointment...

Fiver Fest: 2 – 16 July

Locals and visitors are in for a treat as Totally Locally Fiver Fest returns to Chichester from 2 - 16 July 2022! The offer-filled fortnight boasts amazing £5 deals from...

My Sister’s House crowned winner

In celebration of the Jubilee and to mark the return of the Festival of Flowers at Chichester Cathedral, city centre businesses have put their best creative foot forward to take...

Culture Spark 2022

Culture Spark 2022 is a wonderful season of events, performances, live entertainment, exhibitions and community projects taking place across the district this summer. The festival is inspired by important milestones...

Jubilee Window Competition

In celebration of the Jubilee and to mark the return of the Festival of Flowers at Chichester Cathedral, city centre businesses have been challenged to put their best creative foot...

Summer Celebrations in Chichester

Chichester will be alive with parties, parades, competitions and trails this summer. Here's a rundown of what to look forward to: Jubilee Picnic - Friday 3 June, 12pm - 3pm Come...

Experience Chichester Roman Week

Step back in time this half term for Chichester's Roman Week from Saturday 28 May - Wednesday 1 June. Featuring a packed programme of talks, trails, immersive theatre, guided tours,...

In My View – Sandy Longley

With the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee only a week away, I am delighted to share with you a few ways that the city and our store will be celebrating to mark...

In My View – Helen Marshall

You will be amazed at what’s on your doorstep! As we move through Spring and head into Summer, there is a lot to be excited about and look forward to...

Jubilee Picnic on The Green

To Celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Chichester BID alongside Chichester Cathedral is hosting a free community get-together on the Cathedral Green on Friday 3rd June from 12.00 -...

Platinum Jubilee Trail

To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this June, we are launching a special family trail around Chichester city centre which uses augmented reality to help tell stories from the past and bring the Queen’s 70...

Chichester’s First Pride

The FIRST EVER Pride event is happening in Chichester on Saturday 28th May from 12pm – 6pm.  Taking place at the leafy-green Chichester College campus, this ‘festival style’, family friendly...

Plan Your Eggcellent Easter in Chichester

The clocks have sprung forward, and finally we can look forward to longer days and warmer weather. Here in Chichester, we are getting excited about the host of fabulous events...

St. George’s Day Parade, Saturday 23rd April

Saturday 23rd April marks 100 years of the St. George's Day Service held at Chichester Cathedral. The anniversary has been commemorated by the Regiment, and now The Regimental Association, at...

In My View – Derek Marsh

I wrote my first ‘In My View’ at the end of 2020 just after being elected Chair of Chichester BID. Helen, the new BID Vice Chair and I were at...

Eggstraordinary Easter Egg Trail

This Easter, come and take part in a city wide hunt as part of Chichester BID's Eggstraordinary Easter Egg Trail! A perfect opportunity to explore the beautiful cathedral city of...

Mothering Sunday Inspiration

With Chichester’s unique combination of breath-taking green spaces, fascinating local history, internationally acclaimed theatre and gallery, and wealth of wonderful shops, salons, restaurants, cafes and bars… we can’t think of...

Fiver Fest: £5 Offers

Fiver Fest takes place between the 12th-26th March to encourage people to shop local and discover the wonderful independent stores, cafes and restaurants that are here in our city centre....

Stand with Ukraine

The horrors happening in Ukraine have touched hearts in every corner of the planet. From the relative safety of West Sussex it can feel difficult to know real, tangible ways...

LEGO® Brick Quest Trail

Uncover the hidden worldy wonders around Chichester this February Half Term In celebration of the LEGO® Brick Wonders exhibition currently on show at The Novium Museum, this half term we...

Love Local Day Winner

On 14 February ShopAppy held their annual Love Local Day encouraging people to nominate their favourite Chichester City Centre business. Congratulations to Present Surprise who were selected as one of...

ShopAppy

A new initiative launched by Chichester District Council for this area, ShopAppy.com is a "Shop and Support Local Business" website designed to increase footfall, but also to make online shopping...

Culture Spark

2022 is the year of culture in Chichester. With an exciting season of events, performances, live entertainment and community projects, Culture Spark aims to give everyone the chance to participate in...

Half Term Family Fun

On Friday 29 October from 12-4pm, there will be an afternoon of autumnal activities to enjoy, including craft workshops on the Cathedral Green run by Chichester Community Development Trust. The...

Rocketing Round Chichester Space Trail

Running from Friday 22 October – Sunday 31 October, families are invited to take part in the ‘Rocketing Round Chichester Space Trail’ with the chance to win a signed set...

Half Term Autumn Fun

Chichester BID will be bringing plenty of autumnal and space-themed fun to the city this halfterm for the whole family to enjoy. Running from Friday 22 October – Sunday 31...

The Big Sleep Out

Now that restrictions have been lifted, we can once again gather together at Chichester Catherdral for Stonepillow's flagship fundraising event the Big Sleep Out, and this year there are two...

New street market coming to Chichester

A new street market featuring local designers and producers will be coming to Chichester city centre on Sunday 7 November. The Cross Market & More has been organised by Chichester...

Fiver Fest Offers

Fiver Fest takes place between the 9th-23rd October to encourage people to shop local and discover the wonderful independent stores, cafes and restaurants that are here in our city centre....

Business Plan 2022 – 2027

As you may already be aware, we are halfway through the final year of our current term as Chichester BID and will shortly be carrying out a postal ballot whereby...

Recover and Rise in 2021

Free online workshops are being launched this month to give West Sussex businesses the skills and experience they need to maximise the impact and accessibility of digital technologies. The Recover...

Fiver Fest: 9-23 October 2021

Having been part of this campaign for the past few years, we are delighted to be bringing Fiver Fest back to Chichester between 9th - 23rd October 2021! Encouraging people...

Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon

Chichester Cathedral will host Luke Jerram’s touring artwork, the Museum of the Moon, from this October. Measuring seven metres in diameter, the Museum of the Moon features 120dpi detailed NASA...

The Chamber Supports the City Centre

September 2021 marks the launch of a month long initiative by the Chichester Chamber of  Commerce and Industry to show support for businesses in the city centre.  As life gets...

Children’s Party Trail

In our special children’s party trail, see if you can discover the nine letters that have been hidden in shop windows around the city centre to spell out the secret...

Rediscover Chichester Competition Winner Announced!

Brian Bracher from Emsworth has won Chichester BID’s Rediscover Chichester competition with his artistic photograph of Chichester Festival Theatre. Daphne Ormerod and Heather Gratwick were also highly commended by the...

Summer Party Fashion Show

As part of our Summer Street Party on Thursday 26 August from 3-7pm, we are rolling out the red carpet on East Street to host a fashion show featuring some...

Great response to Summer Street Party

On Thursday 26th August between 3pm and 7pm Chichester is holding a Summer Street Party that will see many of the city’s businesses actively taking part in the celebration with...

New Visitor Guides

Chichester BID has launched a series of three 48-hour guides to help visitors make the most of their experience within the city walls. The colourful guides, featuring beautiful photography, are...

The Chichester Summer Street Party is back!

We have been working closely with Chichester District Council to bring back the successful Summer Street Party for 2021 on Thursday 26th August, 3-7pm. Come and join us for an...

A Free Library of City Centre Photos

We've been working with a professional local photographer (Nadi Lindsay) and student photographer from Chichester College to capture beautiful imagery of Chichester city centre that you can use for your...

Festival of Chichester Competition Results

To celebrate the launch of this year’s Festival of Chichester, many city centre businesses took part in a special window display competition, which was judged on Friday 11 June by...

Fiver Fest Offers

The next Totally Locally Fiver Fest is set to take place between 12th - 26th June 2021. This international campaign is held in towns and cities the world over, encouraging...

Give your city a standing ovation

Chichester wouldn't be what it is today without you - the residents, visitors and workers that keep our city thriving. Help give your city a standing ovation on social media...

In My View – Sally Russell

And we are open again! Finally, this week we have re-opened our doors at Chichester Harbour Hotel and have welcomed back our friends, guests and team members to the hotel....

In My View – Callum Woodgate

Even before COVID-19, the Government had been looking for ideas to try and revive our high streets. Naturally, there are undisputed benefits of planning policy, and the Use Classes system....

Fiver Fest is back!

The next Totally Locally Fiver Fest is set to take place between 12th – 26th June 2021. This international campaign is held in towns and cities the world over, encouraging...

Roman Week Returns

The award-winning Chichester Roman Week is back this May half-term (Saturday 29 May – 5 June), celebrating Chichester’s vibrant Roman history. Here in Chichester’s City Centre The Novium Museum has organised an...

Street Art trail on LoyalFree

Award-winning app LoyalFree was delighted to create an interactive digital trail for the much loved Chichester Street Art Festival in partnership with Chichester BID. The Street Art Festival was originally...

Festival Of Chichester Window Competition

As the country bounces back from pandemic restrictions, the Festival of Chichester returns with a bang! A month long programme of exciting events is planned - live, virtual and outdoors...

Support Local

As the High Street readies to reopen, Chichester District Council are urging people across the Chichester District to ‘Shop Local, Spend Local, Support Local’ and help support their local businesses...

In My View – Sandy Longley

It has now been a year of so-called ‘unprecedented times’ in which COVID-19 has dominated all of our lives. The emotional rollercoaster of this past year has brought heartbreak for...

Order ‘Love Local’ bunting

Order our 'Love Local' bunting to decorate your shop fronts and businesses ready for the reopening of the city centre. A great way to add some colour to our streets,...

Raising The Curtain on Chichester

We've been busy preparing a new campaign to ‘Raise The Curtain’ on the city centre and support BID Levy Payers (BLPs) to get back to business next month. The curtain...

Back In Business

Local station, V2 Radio, are using their platform to help independent businesses bounce back after COVID-19, supported by Sussex-based marketing company, Growth Animals. With light at the end of the...

Thank you from Chichester BID 

To all our city centre businesses, please give a warm welcome to our new Vice Chair and CEO, Helen Marshall. We're all looking forward to seeing you back in the...

Back 2 Business Power Hour

We are collaborating with The Collective - a community of local small business owners - to provide our Levy Payers with a free Social Media Power Hour. The Back 2...

In My View – Helen Marshall

Our Local businesses have done us proud during these difficult times I joined Chichester BID at the beginning of the year as Vice Chair and CEO.  Ordinarily, taking on a...

New Signage in the City

Like many historic cities, Chichester has a system of finger post signs in place to help direct visitors to areas of interest. These cast iron black finger posts with white...

Recover and Rise for local businesses

A series of online workshops has been launched to give West Sussex small businesses a robust toolkit to survive – and hopefully grow - in 2021. The West Sussex Recover &...

Free Workshops for Independent Retailers

Chichester District Council's Economic Development Team are offering free workshops for independent retailers based in the city centre. Would you like to create a clear and focused four month plan...

Team Update

We’d like to welcome a new member to Team BID for 2021. Mandy Medhurst joins us on a temporary part-time basis as Client Relationships Manager and will be our eyes...