PUTTING PRIDE ON PARADE

JENNA CAMPBELL RUNS DOWN THE ITINERARY FOR THIS YEAR’S PARADE THROUGH CITY CENTRE

- JENNA CAMPBELL

IT'S one of the highlights of Manchester Pride and this Saturday, crowds will line the streets as the huge Pride Parade makes its return in what is set to be a showstopping spectacle of colour, celebration and activism.

Taking place on Saturday, 26 August, this year's theme is 'Queerly Beloved, and organisers say it will be a 'celebration of love, community, self-expression, and the transformative power of dance!

While most of the festivities will be taking place within the Gay Village, with a variety of stages with headline performances from the likes of Danny Beard, Conchita, Lady Bushra, Natasha Bedingfield, Gok Wan, Cheddar Gorgeous, and Jodie Harsh, Saturday lunchtime is all about the parade, followed by a number of family-friendly events.

The first Manchester Pride Parade was held on 20 February 1988, when a huge anti-Section 28 protest was held in the city centre. At the time, it was one of the largest LGBTQ+ demonstrations ever to take place in the UK, paving the way for the Pride Parades we see around the world today.

Fast forward to present day and this year's flamboyant parade will feature tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ people and allies both marching and riding floats throughout the streets of Manchester as thousands cheer them on with flags and some equally brilliant outfits.