Manchester Pride announces a brand new format for 2019

Manchester Pride has today announced the brand new format for the 2019 Manchester Pride Festival!

The internationally renowned festival, which is one of the biggest in the world, has also announced Mayfield as the exciting location for its new live music element – Manchester Pride Live.

The Festival, which takes place over four days in Manchester city centre every August Bank Holiday (23 – 26 August) will be made up of six key elements: Manchester Pride Live, the Candlelit Vigil, the Superbia Weekend, the Gay Village Gathering, Manchester Pride Parade and Youth Pride MCR. This will extend the reach of the LGBT+ event even further and creating new touch points for all LGBT+ people across Greater Manchester and beyond.

Manchester Pride Live at Mayfield will take place over two days – Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 August – and will host about 30 artists across two stages in and around the Mayfield Depot. The event will transform the mainly disused space and railway arches as it welcomes LGBT+ people to the depot as well as other previously unused spaces within the former Mayfield rail station. World class acts will perform each day in a ticket-only party, the like of which has never been seen before at the festival.

Manchester’s Gay Village always has and always will be the heart of the Manchester Pride Festival and 2019 will see the creation of the ultimate street party – the Gay Village Gathering. With community performances in Sackville Gardens, plus markets and parties across the village’s venues, it will continue to be home to the hub of the festival’s LGBT+ celebration, and will remain a ticketed part of the festival as well as a focal point for the huge celebratory weekend.

The Manchester Pride Parade will remain the same as it welcomes hundreds of thousands of revellers to witness the spectacle of LGBT+ people marching across the city centre on Saturday afternoon. The Parade, which was bigger than ever before in 2018, features 150 entries, equating to just over 10,00 participants in floats and walking entries from businesses and community groups across the region.

The Candlelit Vigil will continue to close the four days with a moment of reflection in Sackville Gardens. The home of Alan Turing and the Beacon of Hope will again be turned into a sea of flickering candles as the party calms and people take a minute to remember those lost to the HIV virus as LGBT+ people join together to fight the epidemic worldwide, and the stigma that still exists. The Candlelit Vigil also provides a space to remember those who are suffering and those who are persecuted and presents an opportunity to stand together in a united front as we recognise the many challenges that are still faced by LGBT+ communities, both here in the UK and around the world.

The Superbia Weekend is the festival’s alcohol-free space offering a weekend of premieres, firsts, new work and LGBT+ celebrations as a culturally rich alternative to the hedonism of the other elements of the festival. Its free-to-attend programme includes film screenings, cabaret, conversation, community workshops, new art and a free post-Pride Parade party. The events, which were last year hosted at 70 Oxford Road and HOME, will also have a home in the Gay Village in 2019.

Youth Pride MCR will be a free-to-attend event for 16 to 25-year-olds. It will be developed through engagement with young people from across Greater Manchester at focus groups which will be held in February.

Mark Fletcher, chief executive for Manchester Pride, said: “This is a huge announcement for us and something we are extremely proud of. We have spent the past three years listening to our audiences and have curated these new elements of the festival to connect with as many LGBT+ people as possible.

“Manchester Pride Live will be one of the most innovative projects that we have delivered to date and our intention is to make it a world leading live event. The venue, much like us, is part of the foundations of our city and will provide a spectacular backdrop to what will be a uniquely inclusive experience where the LGBT+ people of Manchester can truly celebrate their culture in a safe and welcoming environment.

“The Mayfield Partnership is the perfect partner for Manchester Pride. Its commitment to creating an accessible and inclusive new neighbourhood in the city and the values it espouses are in perfect synergy with everything we hold close as an LGBT+ campaigning charity. We are excited to deliver great things together.”

James Heather, Development Director for U+I, said: “It is a privilege to be able to provide a new home for such an iconic, ground-breaking and purposeful festival and we are delighted to be working with Manchester Pride to help create what will be a stunning weekend in a stunning location.”

“Manchester Pride Live will introduce a whole new audience to Mayfield and is another important step for us as we re-introduce a long hidden and under-used asset to the people of Manchester and beyond and as we progress the partnership’s long-term vision for the site. “

Tickets for the Manchester Pride Festival will be available on 31 January 2019. Visit our event listing page to keep updated on booking details.

For more information visit ManchesterPride.com.