MediaCity’s popular outdoor dining concept Box on the Docks (BOTD) is back this summer with an events programme set to brighten up this season’s weekends – kicking off with a Pop-up Pride day on Saturday 15th July, 12:30pm – 6pm.
Open to everyone, the day will be packed full of immersive, fun and free activities for all ages from Drag Queen Story Time with Mama G – of Britain’s Got Talent fame, to live music, dance performances, art displays and pop-up stalls with BOTD’s first drag hosted Sassy Supper Club rounding off the day.
Manchester’s dance and visual arts company Ghetto Fabulous, a collective known for advancing education and raising awareness in equality and diversity through black led LGBTQ+ arts activities, will bring energetic dance performances to the space and will host workshops for budding dancers.
Music and entertainment throughout the day will feature northern legends Twisted Tubes, as well as DJ’s including ShimRise, who entertained crowds at MediaCity’s first cultural festival – We Invented the Weekend, earlier this summer.
LGBTQ+ art lovers will have the chance to celebrate drag culture as the second edition of Manchester-based publication HEADS Magazine – The Queens, will be on display all day, showcasing 15 of the UK’s most famously flamboyant Drag Queens, all of whom hail from the North of England.
A hotspot for emerging talent, MediaCity’s Box on the Docks will exhibit the images taken by HEADS Magazine’s founder, Manchester based photographer Liam Heeley.
BOTD will partner with Proud 2 B Parents, an inclusive organisation for all routes to parenthood who will host educational talks and workshops across the whole day. Visitors can expect to see stalls from The Lowry and The University of Salford, including a pop-up shop by the Feel Good Club selling limited edition Pride t-shirts with a percentage of sales going to the Proud 2 B Parents charity.
The day will wrap up with a Sassy Supper Club, hosted by drag legends Lady Bushra and Miss Blair who are also set to perform.
A first for MediaCity, the adult-only, drag-hosted supper club will provide 90-minutes of bottomless cocktails, including aperol spritz, mimosa, frozen passion fruit daiquiri, frozen pina colada, white peach sangria as well as any draft beer or cider and alcohol-free options and tongue-in-cheek entertainment from the drag queens.
Staying true to MediaCity’s eclectic offering, the food on Sassy Supper Club’s menu will feature cuisine from BOTD vendors, including authentic Greek chicken or halloumi gyros, homemade chorizo mac and cheese, Italian focaccia sandwich – prosciutto and vegan options available, to name a few.
Josie Cahill, Place Director for MediaCity said: “We’re delighted to bring Pop-Up Pride to MediaCity for a second year running which will also help raise awareness for some incredible causes, including Proud 2 B Parents, an organisation which is so important to LGBTQ+ parents, carers and their children. Above all, we’re really looking forward to hosting a day of celebration, awareness and acceptance.”
Matt Taylor-Roberts, Managing Director at Proud 2 b Parents added: “We at Proud 2 b Parents love Pop up Pride, what an amazing celebration of our community in the heart of MediaCity. There is so much going on throughout the day for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies. I can’t wait to see Mama G story time session too, there is nothing like a drag queen story time!”
For more details on Pop-up Pride visit Pop-Up Pride – Media City UK. Sassy Supper Club will be hosted from 5pm until 6:30pm on Saturday 15th July, tickets can be purchased from Eventbrite, £27 per person.
