MANCHESTER GETS READY FOR A CITY-WIDE PRIDE CELEBRATION THIS MONTH
Manchester announces its first ever Pride Fringe with community celebrations for Manchester Village Parade, SCENE film and TV festival, cabaret and comedy nights, club nights, tours, hotel offers and more. It’s going to be an unforgettable month of events.
Manchester is preparing for a city-wide Pride celebration this August with Manchester Village Pride and an extensive new Pride Fringe featuring Manchester LGBTQ+ Film & TV Festival, SCENE, and performances at HOME and Aviva Studios, family events including Proud Fest at Great Northern Warehouse and Manchester Arndale’s Pose with Pride weekend.
Alongside comedy, club nights, exhibitions and walking tours, venues across the city will come together for a month-long celebration. Many of these events will be raising vital funds for local LGBTQIA+ charities, with Manchester’s hotels also joining in the celebrations with dedicated Pride packages, parties, free gifts and discounts.
Pride Fringe Events
Alongside Manchester Village Pride, a Pride Fringe led by the week-long SCENE festival will see venues across the city will hosting an exciting programme of LGBTQIA+ arts, culture, live entertainment, family events, food, drink and shopping experiences and unforgettable nights out, giving visitors even more reasons to make a weekend – or even a week – of it.
HOME
The House of Pantha Ferocious Cabaret – Thursday 27th August
The Schitt’s Show – A drag celebration of Schitt’s Creek – Friday 28th August
Manchester Art Gallery
LGBTQ+ Tour, Sunday 30th August
Head down to Manchester Art Gallery for a free tour exploring art works related to LGBTQ+ history.
Music and Memory Pride Celebration – Sunday 30th August
Celebrate Pride with an uplifting afternoon of free music, art and community at Manchester Art Gallery. The programme includes Vivian Cheung’s What Remains Dear sound installation, a Dementia-Friendly Disco featuring LGBTQ+ DJs and Pride anthems, refreshments and a guided tour of LGBTQ+ themed artworks. The LGBT Foundation will also be on hand throughout the afternoon with information and support. Events take place at different times.
Walking Tours & Trails
Manchester LGBTQ+ History Trail: Guided Tour, selected dates from Tuesday 18th – Sunday 30th August
Celebrate SCENE and Manchester Village Pride by exploring the stories that have shaped Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community with a guided walking tour led by local playwright and tour guide Chris Hoyle of What’s The Story?.From Victorian drag balls and the birth of Canal Street to the Campaign for Homosexual Equality and the city’s iconic Pride Parade, the tour uncovers the people, places and moments that have helped make Manchester one of the world’s leading LGBTQ+ cities.
LGBT Foundation Community Hub, Fairbairn House
Pride in Ageing Book Club: Monday 24th August
LGBT Foundation’s Pride in Ageing programme brings together different generations of LGBTQ+ readers together to discuss great LGBTQ+ reads.
People’s History Museum
Re/Assemble Guided Tour, Saturday 22nd August
Join a guided tour of the Re/Assemble exhibition exploring the 1988 Section 28 protest in Manchester, featuring specially commissioned artwork responding to its legacy, and looking at the unexpected ways in which Manchester people have fought to liberate LGBTQIA+ lives.
Shopping Events
Manchester Arndale
Pose with Pride: Saturday 22nd (12pm – 6pm) – Sunday 23rd August (11.30am – 5.30pm)
Head to Manchester Arndale to enjoy a pre-Pride celebration with live performances, mini-makeovers and a plethora of photo opps. On the “rainbow carpet”, watch Ghetto Fabulous premiere their new ‘Byoncé’ dance routine headed up by Coco Cannelll, with multiple high energy performances taking place each day.
Pride at Afflecks
From clothing and accessories to jewellery, grooming or gifts, pick up those last minute Pride essentials from one of the many independent retailers at Afflecks.Ahead of the annual Candlelit Vigil in Sackville Gardens on Monday 31st August, head to Afflecks to create a bespoke candle holder, giving visitors the chance to make something personal to take to the vigil, which is delivered in partnership with George House Trust.