Manchester unveils its first-ever Pride Fringe programme

As Manchester gears up for the return of Pride later this month, the first-ever Pride Fringe programme has been unveiled.

Running alongside Manchester Village Pride, there’ll be an array of community celebrations taking place across the city, including LGBTQ+ Film & TV Festival, SCENE, performances at HOME and Aviva Studios, family events including Proud Fest at Great Northern Warehouse, and Manchester Arndale’s Pose with Pride weekend.

Elsewhere, there’ll be live comedy, club nights, exhibitions and walking tours. Many events featured in the programme will be raising vital funds for local LGBTQIA+ charities.

Under the new community-led organisation, Manchester Village Pride launches its four-day celebration on the Main Stage on Fri 28 Aug, where you can catch the best of Manchester and the UK’s queer talent. Then Sat 29 Aug will see the beloved Pride Parade return to the city centre, with this year’s theme, “No Place Like Home”, taking inspiration from The Wizard of Oz.

The party continues through Sun 30 Aug, with queer arts, culture and performances across the Village, before a spiritual end to the weekend on Mon 31 Aug, when The Community Showcase returns to Sackville Gardens, the protected home of the Pride Vigil. Honouring representation and culture, the gathering promises to be a space for reflection, acoustic sets and community voices.

Alongside Manchester Village Pride, Pride Fringe, led by the week-long SCENE Festival, will bring a week-long festival of screenings, panels, comedy, parties and premieres to venues across the city.

Highlights include special events at AVIVA Studios, home of Factory International, with a BBC’s Traitors open night, where fans can relive the show’s most unforgettable moments with players Linda, Wilf, Maddy and Amanda. Later in the week, there’ll be appearances from Russell T Davies celebrating Tip Toe and It’s A Sin, while closing night sees an eclectic showcase of comedy, including host Chloe Petts.

Over at HOME, The House of Pantha Ferocious Cabaret will take place on Thu 27 Aug, with a vibrant evening of burlesque, boylesque and circus performance. And, on Fri 28 Aug, fans of the hit sitcom, Schitt’s Creek, can enjoy a fabulous drag tribute, as The Schitt’s Show comes to town.

For lovers of art, Manchester Art Gallery is offering a free LGBTQ+ tour, exploring artworks connected to LGBTQ+ history. The venue will also host its Music and Memory Pride Celebration, featuring live music, art, a Dementia-Friendly Disco and a guided tour of LGBTQ+-themed artworks.

Across the city, visitors can discover more of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ history on guided walking tours, taking in everything from Victorian drag balls to the birth of Canal Street. There’ll also be a self-guided Manchester LGBTQ+ Heritage Trail, as well as a 22-stop trail through Spinningfields charting more than 80 years of LGBTQ+ history.

There are plenty of shopping events taking place too, including Manchester Arndale’s Pose with Pride weekend, with live performances, mini makeovers and Pride-themed photo opportunities. In the Northern Quarter, much-loved indie institution Afflecks joins the celebration, where shoppers can pick up Pride accessories, jewellery, gifts and handmade items, or take part in a Candle Holder making Workshop on Fri 24 Aug.

Families can head to Great Northern Warehouse for Proud Fest on Sat 29 Aug, with the free event featuring live performances, arts and crafts, family entertainment, play activities and community stalls.

Aviva Studios will also host Factory Pride: Family, a free day of activities including face painting, badge making, a LEGO station and creative workshops.

There’ll be plenty going on after dark, with live comedy and club nights taking place across the city, including The Refuge’s 10th anniversary of COME AS YOU ARE, pay-what-you-can Love Party at Kampus – with profits supporting Trans Mutual Aid and the LGBT Foundation, and We Love Pop Fest at Freight Island.

Full details on the line-up at Manchester Village Pride can be found here.

The full SCENE line-up can be found here.