Gift shopping for Christmas... you have got to do it.

Here are some ideas of how you could make a pleasurable occasion out of it and if you do it in plenty of time, take some of the stress off it too:

- The Brighton Christmas Craft & Gift fair - Brighton Racecourse - Sat 9th Nov - Click here

- Made Brighton Design & Craft Fair - Brighton Dome Corn Exchange - 21st and 24th Nov - Click here

- Artist Open Houses Christmas Festival - Weekends Nov 30th & Dec 1st, 7th & 8th, 14th & 15th - Click here

- Craftaganza Christmas Market - Fabrica Gallery - Sat 30th Nov - Sun 1st Dec , Sat 7th-8th Dec- Click here

This month we are running a 'Buy Local at Indy Shops and Stalls' campaign, and if you think that is a good idea, you can Like and Share the message via our Facebook Page here.

See below for a list of upcoming things to do in the city this week...

Friday 8th November

• Blue - Lee Ryan, Antony Costa, Duncan James and Simon Webbe are no doubt one of the most successful British acts of the last decade. 6:30pm, £18.50 - £23.50  - Brighton Centre

• Colour Out Of Space - One of the UK’s leading festivals of international, experimental music and sound. 6pm  - TOM

• James Bannon: Running With The Film - Experience first-hand what it’s like to live your life undercover. "Bannon’s simply a great storyteller." The Scotsman. 8PM £6 - The Komedia

• James Taylor Quartet - For a quarter of a century, the James Taylor Quartet have set the standard for the coolest sounds in funky acid jazz. 7pm, £12.50 In Advance - Concorde 2

• Linos Wengara & Zimbaremabwe Mbira Vibes - Traditional Zimbabwean Mbira Music plus Modern Mbira Reggae. 8:00pm-11:30pm, £6/£5 - The Brunswick

• Lunchtime Concerts - Yoshio Akiyama (baritone) will sing songs by Gerald Finzi, Franz Schubert, Reynaldo Hahn and a selection of traditional Japanese songs. 12:30pm-1:15pm, £3.50 - Brighton Unitarian Church

• Soirée Pompette - Get out your GCSE French text books and join us for magique, musique and French vocab! 7pm, £7 - The Purple Theatre

• Sugarkicks - Another night of incredible and diverse neoburlesque performances from the staff and students of Sugarkicks High School ...and an excuse to dress to impress! 10pm, £7/£10 - Latest Music Bar

• Wayne McGregor - Random Dance - Atomos - Ten incredible dancers perform McGregor’s unique style: sculptural, rigorous, jarring and hauntingly beautiful. 7.30pm, £10 - £18.50 - Brighton Dome

• Emporiumacabre - Following in the tradition of the notorious Grand Guignol Emporium's resident repertory company present a theatrical anthology of things that go bump in the night and lurk under beds to set your pulse, and imagination, racing. 7:45pm, £12 - Emporium

Saturday 9th November

• As You Like It - Shakespeare's fantastical take of love in exile is one of his most popular comedies. Rosalind and Orlando are banished from their homeland, only to find freedom and the return of friends and family in the wild depths of the forest - Brighton Dome

• Brighton Christmas & Gift Fair - Deck the halls and buy something amazing this Christmas at the Brighton Christmas & Gift Fair. 10am-5pm, £4/£3 - Brighton Racecourse

• Day of the Dead Celebrations: Latin Voices Live! - There'll be live music, food, film,talks, arts and crafts, and plenty of fun for children – from skull- and mask-making to face-painting and papelpicado (Mexico's ancient folk art). 1pm, Free Entry - Brighton Dome

• London Philharmonic Orchestra - DvoÅák Cello Concerto, Daniele Rustioni - Conductor. 7.30pm, £10 - 32.50 - Brighton Dome

• Made 4 U Craft Fair - The fair is a place where we hope sellers can make friends and network with likeminded businesses, and buyers can purchase some fantastic unique items at affordable prices. 10am, Free Entry - Central United Reformed Church

• Missing Cat Club - Music designed for the dance floor, styled from the dancehalls of Jamaica to the bedsits of Brixton and the nightclubs of Berlin! 11pm, £3 In advance £4 Before Midnight - The Komedia

• Peter Hook & The Light - Founding member of both Joy Division and New Order, the phenomenal Peter Hook and his band The Light will be coming to Concorde2 this winter. 7pm, Ticket prices to be announced - Concorde 2

• Re-Abba - A refreshing and very authentic breath of fresh air to an ABBA tribute show. 10pm, Free Entry - G Casino

• Rottingdean Craft Sale - Weekly craft sale. 9am-4pm - Rottingdean Village Hall

• Royal Pavilion's Ice Rink - The South East’s most beautiful winter ice rink will open for its fourth year on November 9 to January 19 on the Royal Pavilion’s Eastern lawns in Brighton. - Royal Pavilion

• SOURCE - New Music - Our monthly night in association with Brighton SOURCE magazine showcases the best up-and-coming bands the city has to offer. Check out Brighton Dome's SOURCE New Music Facebook page for full line-ups, updates and artist info. 7:30pm, £4 - Brighton Dome

Sunday 10th November

• All Aboard The Pirate Ship - On the first Sunday of every month, from 11am until 4pm, come and entertain the kids for free at Churchill Square Shopping Centre’s Snapper Jaxx club.  - Churchill Square

• Blancmange - 'Happy Families' Tour - Blancmange may be one of the sweetest desserts known to man, but in the world of 80s synthpop it only means one thing: pioneering synth duo Stephen Luscombe and Neil Arthur. 7pm, £20 - Concorde 2

• Brighton Dome & Strings Attached Coffee Concert Series - Baroque violinist Rachel Podger is one of the brightest talents in early music. 11am, £17.50/£15 Concessions - Brighton Dome

• KT Tunstall - Multi platinum selling singer-songwriter KT Tunstall will be touring with her highly anticipated fourth studio album Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon this November. 7pm, £17.50 - £27.50 - Brighton Dome

• Martlets Christmas Fair - Stock up on seasonal favourites from cards and decorations to preserves, crafts, and jewellery. Teas and cakes available. 10:30am-3:30pm - Martlets Hospice

• Morlington Mysteries - Enjoy supper and silly sleuthing shenanigans with 368 Theatre Company who present a murderous soap opera, challenging you to solve the crime and win a bottle of bubbly. 7.30pm, £30.00 inc. Supper & Drink on arrival - Emporium Theatre

• Minds - The Edinburgh Fringe favourites present an improvised comic adventure based entirely on audience suggestions. 8pm, £5 - Komedia

• Strange Factories - Live Haunted Cinema - This November, as part of the 'Strange Factories' tour following its London run at the Cinema Museum, Duke of York's Picturehouse, Brighton will be transformed into a dark and disturbing world. 8:20pm, £15 - Duke of York's Picturehouse

Monday 11th November

• Boy George Live - This is What I Do tour - This show is guaranteed to sell out fast so do not miss out! 7pm, £22.50 In Advance - Concorde 2

• Melting Vinyl present Laura Veirs & Special Guests - Beautiful, lush and at times deeply dark offerings from ninth album, Warp And Weft, by Portland Oregan’s Laura Veirs. 8pm, £16 In Advance - Komedia

• PixelPyros - PixelPyros is a virtual pyrotechnics display mounted onto a massive 60-foot wide screen using state-of-the-art projectors and lasers, which invites its audience to get up close and personal with digital art. 7pm, 7:45pm & 8:30pm, free - Brighton Dome

• The Butterfly Lion - From the African veld to the battlefields of First World War France, follow the adventures of Bertie and the White Lion as they strive to find sanctuary amongst devastating adversity. 7:45pm, Thu & Sat mats 2:30pm, £10-£25 - Theatre Royal

Tuesday 12th November

• Charity Chuckle - The South-East’s only regular comedy fundraiser, showcasing some of the best new live stand-up for the benefit of a different local charity each month. See website for line-up. 8pm, £9/£5 - Komedia

• Gingerbread Christmas Tree Decorations Class - In this exciting new class you'll decorate a series of gingerbread Christmas tree decorations using fondant & stencils. You will make stunning baubles, trees, stars, snowflakes including names of your family and friends! 6:30pm-9pm, £40 - Purple Heart

• Have A Word - New LGBTQ arts literary & performace event. LGBTQI and friends Arts Poetry Spoken Word Music event. Five fantastic Artists. including Poetry.Photography. Comedy. History. Politics and much more. 7pm , £6 - The Latest Music

• Bar Julia Holter & Special Guests - LA’s avant pop musician performs songs from her mesmerising third album Loud City Song. ‘Breezy, contemporarily resonant, and at all times flutteringly alive’ Pitchfork. 7.30pm, £13 In Advance - Komedia

• Julia Holter Naughty Boy - Music producer Shahid Khan AKA Naughty Boy follows his success as a producer with a UK headline tour. 7pm, £11 In Advance - Concorde 2

Wednesday 13th November

• Alex Taylor - Already compared by reviewers to the likes of Bill Withers, John Martyn, Damien Rice and Jeff Buckley, Alex Taylor is one of the shining lights of the acoustic scene and a troubadour of world class standing.  £7 - The Latest Music Bar

• Amateur Transplants: Adam Kay's Bum Notes - Amateur Transplants frontman Adam Kay sits at a grand piano and sings smutty songs. 8pm, £14/£12 - The Old Market

• Cake Covering & Decorating Class - Wow! This will be useful in the run up to Christmas! Do you want to master the skills of covering a cake with ganache perfectly? 6:30pm-9pm, £60 - Purple Heart

• The Hope Magnet Speed Dating 28-45 Years - Are you hopeful (not desperate) for romance? Then come along and experience 20 fast-moving new encounters. 8pm, £20 - Komedia

• Melting Vinyl present Colin Hay & Special Guests - Best known for his time with platinum selling Australian band Men at Work, Colin Hay’s sound is a blend of easy listening acoustic rock with a tinge of pop. 8.30pm, £20 - Komedia

• The Rifles - The Rifles are back! The band are extremely excited to be touring together with the original line-up the first time in four years in support of their new album, which is earmarked for release in October 2013.  7pm, £15 - Concorde 2

Thursday 14th November

• 3 Daft Monkeys - The Cornish indie-folk band weaves world music influences around classic folk melodies with their infectious passion, intensity and sheer musical joy! 7.30pm, £12 In Advance - Komedia

• A String Section - Five women, each with a handsaw and a chair engage in a slow dance with destruction. 8pm, £10/£8 - The Basement

• Catalyst Club - Monthly event which blends the old traditions of a French Salon with debating societies. 8pm, £5 - The Latest Music Bar

• Christmas Lights Switch On - Chirstmas lights switch on - a whole host of family entertainment to get you in the festive mood! 5.30pm, Free Entry - East Street

• Xmas Fair - Made Easy Pre-Christmas Shopping - Come along and have a drink at the bar and shop in a relaxed atmosphere with friends. 7pm-10pm, 50p donation to St Bernadette's PTA on the door - St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

• CINECITY Film Festival 2013 - Adventures in World Cinema is the theme of CINECITY, The 11th Brighton Film Festival, which opens on Thursday 14 November and runs until Sunday 1 December with a packed programme of premieres, previews and treasures from the archive - Various Venues

• K'boum & Oversees [Circus Double-Bill] - An exciting double-bill of the best of French and British contemporary circus. 7.30pm, £14/£12 - The Old Market

• Panto Costume Creation for Kids - Come and learn to sew on machines and by hand in a fun, friendly and relaxed weekly class at Brighton's Emporium in association with Emporium Youth Theatre. 3:45pm 9-12 year olds and 5:15pm for 12 years plus, £72 for 6 week term. - Emporium Theatre

• Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Steve Harley brings his full Cockney Rebel rock band to town after a summer of festivals both in the UK and Europe. The 7pm, £22.50 - Concorde 2

• The Noise Next Door’s Comedy Lock-In! - Brighton’s own comedy super-show of cutting edge improv from the guys in ties! “Hilarious.” Daily Telegraph "Sublime comedy" **** Chortle. 8pm, £19 meal deal/ £12/£10 - Komedia

   

  **Main Image: Brighton Christmas Craft & Gift Fair**