Manchester Pride

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Manchester Pride
Flag Party (7889853432).jpg
Manchester Pride Parade
Genre, Gay pride, LGBT
FrequencyAnnually - August Bank holiday
Location(s)Manchester, England
Years active1985–present
FoundersVillage Charity
Most recent23 August 2019 (2019-08-23) – 26 August 2019 (2019-08-26)
Next event27 August 2021 (2021-08-27) – 30 August 2021 (2021-08-30)
Attendance170,000
Websitehttps://www.manchesterpride.com/

Manchester Pride is one of the UK's leading LGBTQ+ charities. It campaigns for LGBTQ+ equality, celebrates LGBTQ+ life and creates opportunities that engage LGBTQ+ people in Greater Manchester so that they can thrive. It is dedicated to promoting and raising awareness for LGBTQ+ issues in the fight for equality.

Manchester Pride Festival is its flagship event that takes over the city every year across the August bank holiday weekend in celebration of LGBTQ+ life. It takes place in the Canal Street area and fringe locations around the city, while the parade occurs through Manchester city centre. It is one of the longest running in the country and attracts thousands of visitors to the city's gay village each year and which is made up of MCR Pride Live, the Superbia Weekend, the Gay Village Party, Manchester Pride Parade, Youth Pride MCR, Family Pride, The Human Rights Forum and the Candlelit Vigil. The parade features various supporting organisations and charities, as well as representative floats from the ten metropolitan boroughs of Greater Manchester.

History[]

The event commenced August bank holiday 1985 in the Gay Village, with the support of a new batch of Labour Party (UK) Councillors, elected 1984 who gave the gay community their support and appointed a Lesbian and Gay officer, a move inspired by Ken Livingstone.[1] By 1986 Manchester City Council had provided £1700 in funding to hold an event at Oxford St, the bars got together to raise money for AIDS organisations in the city with a lot of support from the gay community, it started as a very small event that people put their efforts into, it was the start of a more organised gay community, in a time of hostility from Police. In 1989 events were for fund raising to provide soft furnishings for the ward at Monsall Hospital where people received treatment for HIV / AIDS, by 1991 the Village Charity was established and ran the festival then known as Manchester Mardi Gras, 'The Festival of Fun' it raised £15,000.[1][2] By this time it had expanded to include a full programme of activities from Friday to Monday with a market held in Sackville Park and a fireworks display, funds came from the North West Development Agency. By 1997 the event was notably popular with people of all backgrounds in society,[3] and by 2002 there were 100,000 in attendance.[1][4]

Since 2003 the Gay Village becomes an enclosed event space across the Manchester Pride weekend and patrons are asked to purchase a pledge-band to access some programmed events and selected Village venues. The enclosure provides extra security for those attending and became essential as the number of people celebrating Manchester Pride grew year on year. Pedestrian right of way through the Village streets is still allowed but no unauthorised vehicles can pass through while the road closures are in place. The funds raised from the sale of pledge-bands helps Manchester Pride achieve its charitable objectives which includes celebrating LGBTQ+ life while providing a platform and employment for local LGBTQ+ people.

In 2003, Manchester hosted ‘EuroPride’. A ten-day event consisting of sports, music, dance and other cultural activities all culminating in the August bank holiday termed as ‘The Big Weekend’. Later, Manchester Pride continued to organise ‘The Big Weekend’ and became a registered charity outfit in 2007 (charity number 1117848). Today, Manchester Pride organises an annual program for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans-genders and queers.

In 2013 the charity had loss of more than £16,000 and in 2014 Manchester Pride invited people from the LGBTQ+ community to help shape the way the organisation is run.[5] by 2016 the event raised £149,000 for the Manchester Pride Fund, with The Big Weekend drawing over 170,000 visitors.[6] The parade can be watched by any spectator as it travels from Deansgate.[7] In 2017 the event raised £161,000 for LGBTQ+ charities in Greater Manchester.[8] The parade had over 4,000 participants and nearly 150 entries and attracted tens of thousands of spectators to the city centre.[9] Manchester is the first such parade to include the police, the army and the NHS among its floats.[1] In 2019, it was estimated that 170,000 visitors would attend during the weekend.[10]

MCR Pride Live[]

A new addition to the 2019 Pride Festival, MCR Pride Live features the biggest pop and dance artists performing on various stages. The first MCR Pride Live was headlined by Ariana Grande, marking her return to the city since One Love Manchester, and Years & Years.[11][12] The second Manchester Pride Live was due to be headlined by Adam Lambert but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] The line-up for MCR Pride Live 2021 was announced on 30 April 2021.[14]

2019 2021
Saturday 24 August Sunday 25 August Saturday 28 August Sunday 29 August
Years & Years Ariana Grande Sigala Zara Larsson
Emeli Sandé Cheryl Yungblud Ella Henderson
Kim Petras Bananarama Katy B Gabrielle
Basement Jaxx Faithless Annie Mac Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Lady Leshurr Becky Hill Lucy Spraggan
Louisa Johnson Pixie Lott Mykki Blanco Jodie Harsh
Nicky Siano Tulisa Vula Malinga The Vivienne, Tia Kofi & Veronica Green
Kings of Tomorrow Hercules and Love Affair Karen Harding Shura
Freemasons ft. Katherine Ellis Four of Diamonds Anton Powers A Gay and a Non-Gay
Gok Wan Chelcee Grimes Artful Dodger Jessie Brooke

Criticisms[]

Ticket price[]

The 2019 event has attracted some criticism over the cost of entry to the live music area and also an entrance fee.[15] Standard entry cost in 2018 was from £12.50 for the Monday, a one-day ticket was £20 plus booking fee for Saturday or Sunday or £18.50 for Friday. A weekend ticket was £28. Elite tickets were £150. including three drinks per day from Saturday to Monday, Clubhouse bottle of bubbly, access to the parades VIP viewing stand plus lunch vouchers and priority entry.[16] 'The Big Weekend' has been replaced by a ticketed event for 2019, with a weekend ticket fee of £64.50 plus booking fee.[17][18] There are three types of ticket for 2019. The concerts will be held at the Mayfield Depot, a 10,000-capacity venue with performances by Ariana Grande, Years & Years, former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl and N-Dubz singer Tulisa.[19][20] The Rainbow Pass for over 18s gives access to the concert and the Gay Village Party, the Gay Village Party at Canal St is without age restriction and weekend tickets are £15 plus booking fee, a family ticket for two adults and two children for £20 plus booking fee and day tickets. There are also VIP tickets, giving access and perks, priced from £200 to £275 plus booking fee.[20] QZ Magazine has stated the events pricing is consistent with rising costs of concerts held in the city and that ticket prices for the live event caters to the privileged.[21]

Image gallery[]

  • Manchester Pride, 2006

  • Manchester Pride, 2008

  • Manchester Pride, 2009

  • Manchester Pride, 2010

  • Manchester Pride, 2011

  • Manchester Pride, 2012

  • Manchester Pride, 2016

  • Manchester Pride, 2016

See also[]

  • Canal Street
  • Gay community
  • LGBT pride parade

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Jennifer, Williams (27 August 2016). "What is the point of Manchester Pride? Thirty years of partying and politics... but the battle isn't over yet". Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Manchester LGBT History". Manchester City Council. Manchester City Council. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  3. ^ Tony, Naylor (17 August 1997). "Manchester's Mardi Gras festival next weekend, and the Canal Street 'gay village', testify to a vibrant hedonism". The Independent. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  4. ^ "Mardi Gras show goes on". BBC. BBC News. 22 August 2002. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Manchester Pride Invites People To Shape How Organisation Is Run". Manchester Gazette. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Report for Greater Manchester Police" (PDF). 15 June 2017.
  7. ^ Evans, Denise (24 August 2012). "Manchester Pride: Your guide to the 2012 festival". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  8. ^ O'Rourke, Holly (29 January 2018). "Manchester Pride Festival smashes records in 2017". men. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Manchester Pride Festival - Black History Month 2018 | Black History Month Celebrating the Great Black British Achievers". Black History Month 2018 | Black History Month Celebrating the Great Black British Achievers. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  10. ^ "Does a Pride event need Kylie or Ariana Grande?". BBC News. 23 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Ariana Grande and Years & Years to Headline Manchester Pride Live". Manchester Pride. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  12. ^ "High ponies and high glamour at Manchester Pride 2019. Who's on the line-up?". Metro. 24 August 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  13. ^ Jackson, Daisy (4 February 2020). "Adam Lambert announced as first MCR Pride Live 2020 act". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Zara Larsson and mystery act to headline Manchester Pride". NME. 30 April 2021.
  15. ^ Hunt, El (February 2019). "Priced out of Pride: why the Manchester event's ticket hike is just the tip of the money-making iceberg". NME. NME. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  16. ^ Jackson, Daisy (22 August 2018). "Manchester Pride 2018 tickets - prices, what they get you and where to book". Manchester Evening News. Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  17. ^ Parkinson, Hannah Jane (4 February 2019). "Manchester Pride is charging £71 a ticket this year. That's a bit rich". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  18. ^ "Pride 2019". Manchester Pride. ManchesterPride. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  19. ^ Jackson, Daisy (27 June 2019). "Manchester Pride adds Cheryl and more acts to 2019 line up". Manchester Evening News. Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  20. ^ a b "Tickets 2019". Manchester Pride. Manchester Pride. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  21. ^ Pometsey, Olive (31 January 2019). "Ticket prices show how live events now cater to the privileged". QZ. Retrieved 29 June 2019.

External links[]

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