Manchester Pride Festival, winner of ‘Best Large Festival’ at the UK Festival Awards 2022, is set to transform the city into a vibrant celebration this weekend (Friday 25th – Monday 28th August). In partnership with Booking.com, Manchester Pride charity’s festival invites everyone to celebrate and advocate LGBTQ+ equality with an exciting line-up of local and international artists.
ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL INFORMATION
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Dates: Friday 25th – Monday 28th August
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Tickets: Weekend and day tickets are still available from Ticketmaster. Please be advised that all VIP and low income tickets are sold out.
DETAILED EVENT SCHEDULE
The events of Manchester Pride Festival 2023 are free to attend with the exception of the Gay Village Party.
THE GAY VILLAGE PARTY
Co-created by charity Manchester Pride and Manchester’s queer communities, this event stands as the heartbeat of the festival. The line-up is the festival’s most diverse to date, featuring 96% queer performers; 54% women, 51% people of colour and over 42% from trans and non-binary communities.
Here’s a breakdown of the performances across the three stages: The Village Stage, MancUnity, and the Alan Turing Stage.
FRIDAY
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The Village Stage: Trans Filth & Joy, hosted by Milk Presents and Trans Creative. Featuring BIMINI, Tito Bone, Cyro, The BollyWitch, and more. 18:30-23:00.
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MancUnity: Celebrate Fat Pride, in partnership with Gaydio, with artists including The Niallist, Ivy Profemme, The Fat Britney, and Miss Lei-Lei. 18:30-00:00.
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The Alan Turing Stage: Hosted by Donna Trump, and includes the Human Rights Forum, La Discothèque Orchestra, Queeriosity Cabaret, and more. 17:00-23:00.
SATURDAY
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The Village Stage: Notable appearances by Alison Goldfrapp, Pabllo Vitar, Jodie Harsh, and more. The stage will open from 12:00 with a Parade screening, with main acts from 16:30-23:00.
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MancUnity: Black Pride MCR / Swagga, headlined by Raven Mandella. 13:30-00:00.
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The Alan Turing Stage: Queer Asian Takeover, hosted by Lucky Roy Singh, featuring Gok Wan, Gracie T, and more. 12:00-23:00.
SUNDAY
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The Village Stage: Join Danny Beard and Friends, Jake Shears, Natasha Bedingfield, Lisa Scott-Lee, and more. 12:00-23:00.
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MancUnity: Queer Women’s Takeover, with Monki, Blasha and Allatt, Mix-Stress and Friends, and more. 13:00-00:00.
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The Alan Turing Stage: Cutie-poc Cabaret, hosted by Rikki Beadle-Blair, with Oneda, Angie Brown, and more. 12:00-23:00.
MONDAY
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The Village Stage: Revel in community collaboration and enjoy performances from George the Dragon Disabled Queer Joy Cabaret and Cuppa T. 12:00-18:00.
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MancUnity: The Runway by Manchester’s own 7ft drag artist Banksie, 14:00-17:00.
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The Alan Turing Stage: Enjoy the melodies of the Disney Orchestra. 12:00-16:30.
The full line up and day splits can be found on the website.
MANCHESTER PRIDE PARADE
‘Queerly Beloved’, Manchester Pride Festival’s Paradetheme for 2023, reflects on 10 years of marriage equality in the UK. Taking place on Saturday 26th August through Manchester city centre, the parade commences at 12:00 from Liverpool Road, navigating its path through the city centre via Deansgate, Peter Street, Oxford Road, Portland Street, Princess Street, Whitworth Street, and concluding on Fairfield Street around 15:00.
An accessible viewing area is located on the junction of Deansgate and Peter Street, and a screen viewing will be shown at the Village Stage.
FAMILY PRIDE MCR
Saturday 26th August, 12:00 – 18:00, at Great Northern Square, Amphitheatre, and inside Great Northern Warehouse.
Ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for all ages, Family Pride MCR, co-designed by Manchester Pride charity with Fatt Projects, promises a day packed with festivities, including engaging play areas, captivating performances, music, crafting, party games, sing-a-longs, and a rainbow disco.
Supported by TUI and in partnership with Proud 2 b Parents, Family Pride MCR accentuates the importance of LGBTQ+ families and allies.
YOUTH PRIDE MCR
Sunday 27th August, 12:00 – 19:00, at Circle Square, Symphony Park, in partnership with akt and The Proud Trust.
Designed for young individuals aged 14-18, Youth Pride MCR provides a safe space for young LGBTQ+ people to discover their identities, form lasting bonds, and authentically express themselves.
Highlights include:
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Performance from Danny Beard
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Being Your Authentic Self with Ben Pechey
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Tutorials and performance from Ghetto Fabulous
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Crafts including screen printing and pacard making
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Wellbeing Zone
More information can be found at: www.manchesterpride.com/youth-
SUPERBIA WEEKEND
Wednesday 23rd August – Monday 28th August, various locations.
This year, we’re celebrating Superbia Weekend by showcasing a calendar of fantastic queer events around the city. From events designed to help you prepare for Pride, to celebrations of queer life and love and opportunities to connect with your local community; there really is something for everyone. Events will be taking place across the city to showcase some of Manchester’s incomparable LGBTQ+ talent. Many events in the programme have been funded through Manchester Pride’s Superbia fund.
All event details are here: https://www.manchesterpride.
HUMAN RIGHTS FORUM
Set for Friday 25th August, from 18:00 – 19:00 at the Alan Turing Stage, this event serves as a poignant reminder of Pride’s roots: a protest, a demonstration against systemic issues, and a catalyst for change.
The 2023 theme, “Stop the Hate,” commemorates the 20th anniversary of the repeal of Section 28. The Forum intends to spotlight ongoing LGBTQ+ struggles, particularly spotlighting the rights of the trans community.
After the event attendees will be encouraged to head to the Activism Hub, found on Community Lane throughout the weekend. There people can find practical resources to help take action and write to MPs to ask for them to advocate for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to implement an independent panel of trans and non-binary people. The ‘nothing about us without us’ principle ensures policies are crafted with a deep understanding of trans identities and issues.
CANDLELIT VIGIL
On Monday 28th August, from 21:00 – 22:00 and in partnership with George House Trust, the festival concludes on a contemplative note at the Alan Turing stage. The gardens will be illuminated with candles, honouring those we’ve lost to HIV and standing in solidarity with those living with it.
Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, said: “This year’s Manchester Pride Festival is not just a celebration, but a reflection of our journey over the decades. We honour our past, celebrate our present, and look forward to a future of unity and equality.”
Join us for a weekend of celebration and reflection at Manchester Pride Festival. For more information and to purchase tickets for the Gay Village Party, visit www.manchesterpride.com/
