The march route will take in much of the city centre including Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square, and will be themed around “the values of visibility, unity and equality”.
Brighton Pride
Despite being well known as one of the country’s liveliest Pride cities, Brighton’s celebrations will be more low-key than usual this year.
Plans for a parade and festival, scheduled for August 7 and 8, were cancelled for the second year running as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
A statement from organisers read: “While the vaccine rollout continues to be successful, the many uncertainties that need to be resolved to safely deliver mass gatherings and the complexities of organising Pride in our City are impossible to achieve in the time we have.” Those with tickets can choose between rolling over their ticket to the 2022 event, donating the value of their ticket to the Brighton Rainbow Fund or applying for a refund.
Instead, the Brighton Pride team is planning “smaller in-person satellite pop up community and cultural events” this summer, plus a programme of online events. Details are expected to be released soon.
Manchester Pride
Scheduled for August 27-30, Manchester’s Pride offering is set to be a large-scale affair.
The parade – with a “garden of freedom” theme – will march on August 28, with live concerts starring Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Katy B planned across August 28 and 29.
Manchester’s Canal Street will be in party mode for four days, starting on August 27, for revellers who want to get involved.
UK Black Pride
UK Black Pride will run a three-day virtual event from July 2-4 from an as-yet unconfirmed East London venue.
The theme for this year’s celebration – and protest – for LGBTQ+ people in the Black community is “love and rage”.
“We’ve seen firsthand over the past year our communities’ persistent commitment to each other; the ways we show up, in big and small ways, is nothing short of inspiring. We continue to show what it means to love, to love hard and to love against the odds,” a statement from organisers read.
“We are also raging, disappointed and tired. Our communities continue to be overlooked and undervalued, tokenised and discarded. From constant gaslighting to this country’s steadfast refusal to address and redress structural and institutional racism, we have a lot to be mad about.
“Our anger is righteous. Our love is righteous.”
The team is taking applications for performers and acts here, with more details on the event to be announced soon.
Birmingham Pride
Usually held in May, Birmingham’s Pride event will take place on September 25 and 26 this year around a “stronger together” theme.
The organisers warned against a “move towards separation of the ‘T’ from ‘LGBTQ’ by some members of the community” in a statement.
“A third of trans people have been discriminated against because of their gender identity when visiting a cafe, bar or restaurant in the last year,” they added, citing Stonewall research.
“It’s extremely evident that the fight which was started by the Stonewall pioneers 50 years ago is far from won, with some of our community still homeless, still facing discrimination and still marginalised.
“Birmingham Pride stands proudly in support of our trans family. Our wider community has won many battles; achieved as one voice, as one movement. We achieve more when we are united. We are ‘stronger together’.”
London Trans+ Pride
Trans people and allies will take to the streets for the third year running to march in support of better healthcare and protections for the community.
Taking place on June 26 and kicking off at 2pm in Hyde Park, organisers called it an “opportunity to unite our voices against the continued and increasing disregard for trans safety, healthcare, and wellbeing in the UK”. Those attending are asked to wear flowers.
They will be marching for government investment in “trans healthcare, accessible bathroom provisions and prison facilities, and to ban forced surgeries for intersex children and other pseudoscientific conversion therapies,” organisers added.
The team does not work with sponsors for the event, and is running a fundraiser which has drawn donations well over its £2,500 target.
Visit this Pride calendar to find more events – in-person and online – where you are.
