ONE of the most visited attractions outside London is set to reopen on July 4.

The Brighton Palace Pier welcomes about four to five million people a year and will be opening its gates once more as lockdown restrictions are eased.

Visitors will be able to experience all of the attraction’s rides with only the soft play area closed until further notice.

Pier boss Anne Ackord said: “We are delighted to be opening the pier again on the July 4.

“We have done a tremendous amount of work to ensure that our visitors can be welcomed back safely and look forward to seeing all of Brighton spring back to life.”

The i360 will also be welcoming people “back on board” from next weekend.

The 450ft attraction will go through enhanced cleaning and social distancing signs will be outlined on the floor.

An air conditioning system will be continuously bringing fresh air into the pod and people will be urged to use contactless payments where possible.

Other key attractions will be waiting a little longer to reopen.

The Royal Pavilion aims to reopen for visitors in late July or early August.

Brighton Museum and Art Gallery is set to reopen late in August and Preston Manor in September.

“We are currently still installing new safety measures and preparing for safe visitor flow around the building,” the attraction said.

“In addition, we will be undergoing retraining of staff to ensure they are able to work safely and to ensure a safe environment for all our visitors.”

​When it does reopen, visitors will be pre-booked to limit numbers, hand-sanitiser stations will be placed at entry points, perspex screens and barriers will be installed and a one-way system will guide visitors around safely.

Royal Pavilion and Museums said: “Throughout the closures we have been working with Public Health England, Brighton and Hove City Council, the Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust and unions to ensure the buildings and work environments are safe for both visitors and staff.”

Bluebell Railway has also announced that it is set to reopen, however not until August 7.

A spokesman said: “As you know this also happens to be our 60th anniversary and what better way to celebrate that milestone than to reopen for business.

“We will release details in due course.”

Although some Sussex attractions will be waiting to open their doors, many pubs are set to pull their first pints around July 4.

This includes the Caxton Arms in North Gardens, Brighton.

Manager Brett Mendoza said: “It’s exciting but it’s just the first step.

“We will have one side of the pub for one household and the other side will be for many households with chairs spaced one metre apart.

“We won’t make any profit, we will just be surviving and feel like we’re going back to normal.

“There’s been mixed reaction to news from pubs I’ve spoken to.

“Some of the smaller pubs can’t open because of the distancing.”

Barbers who have been unable to work due since lockdown are thrilled to be getting customers back into the chair on July 4.

Cyrus Shabini from CJ Barbers in St James’s Street, Brighton, said: “We are very excited and looking forward to going back to work.

“We have ordered operational masks that come right over your head and we have masks for the clients as well.”

Restaurants are also set to make a return.

Michelin Starred Restaurant Interlude in Brighton Road, Horsham, will be serving dishes from July 10 onwards