The best: Alternative Pride Weekend fun in Manchester

Promising the biggest free Pride programme in the city, Kampus’ three-day weekender returns with a sparkling lineup of family-friendly, live DJs, maker’s markets and its iconic Love Party.

On Friday, the Nell’s X House Rules DJ Collective takes over the garden for an evening session, bringing the best bank holiday beats to raise money for the LGBTQ+ Foundation.

Saturday sees the return of the famed Kampus Love Party, the original ‘disco with heart’ that operates a pay-what-you-can policy to guarantee a day of floor-filling fun without breaking the bank (2-11pm).

On Sunday morning, a pop-up market features artisanal wares spanning household ornaments, artworks and jewellery by queer creators from around the region.

That night, the Red Light Party keeps the revelry going with a street soiree lasting from 3pm until late.

Find out more via the Love Party Instagram below.

Ducie Street Warehouse cranks up the volume for Pride 2025 with three nights of free queer DJ sessions in the Lounge. On Friday 22 August, David James opens the weekend with an uplifting house set, before Saturday brings transforms the venue into ‘a queer disco-house haven’ with Luz and Mix-Stress.

The celebrations peak on Sunday, as SEZBENNY closes the weekend with a feel-good blend of beats precision engineered for liberated movement and soulful connection from 6pm.

Click below for more.

From bottomless brunches to free family activities, Great Northern offers a vast array of Pride-themed entertainment throughout the bank holiday weekend.

Proud Fest 2025, a joyful free celebration for LGBT+ families and their allies, returns to the Great Northern Warehouse this Saturday (12-6pm).

Created in response to requests from the community, Proud Fest offers a space where LGBT+ families feel seen, celebrated, and welcomed. Running alongside Manchester Pride, the event gives families a chance to join in the city’s celebrations in a way that feels accessible and inclusive.

Visitors can look forward to a sand pit and play area, bouncy castles, crafts and creative workshops, Pride-themed Mickey and Minnie characters, live acts and performances, and plenty of stalls and information stalls for grown-ups.

On Sunday, Pong & Puck join forces with Malibu Beach Club for a riotous bottomless brunch hosted by Miss Ginger Hunter. From 12-4pm, guests can enjoy a vibrant afternoon of free-flowing prosecco, cocktails and beer alongside bingo, games and unapologetically cheesy hits, book-ended by welcome and farewell Malibu drinks to keep the energy high throughout the day.

On Fri 22 Aug, talk-of-the-town hotspot Amber’s unites with trailblazing collective HE.SHE.THEY. for a blockbuster showcase starring some of the most exciting names in music and performance, headlined by genre-defying artist and undisputed drag royalty, Bimini, with support from dynamic selectors Reenie and Pearlz.

Unfolding amidst the radical inclusivity and innovative spirit of Manchester’s pioneering electronic nightclub, this hotly anticipated special delivers a charged night of music, fashion and triumphant queer joy that embodies the beating heart of Pride.

For Pride partygoers looking for an early start to their bank holiday merriment, Bootle Street cocktail bar and coffee joint Grind teams up with Gaydio for a bottomless brunch in support of LGBTQ+ youth charity, akt.

Choose between bottomless prosecco with a dish from the reduced brunch menu or a full dish paired with an endless supply of Aperol Spritz or Tommy’s Margaritas, while a live DJ brings a dose of morning magic throughout the session.

For one day only, sumptuous Spinningfields seafood haunt Sexy Fish partners with House of Trash for an unmissable pride party led by the legendary Bimini Babes.

As well as rambunctious drag performances and irresistible DJ sets, the afternoon features limitless Hendrick’s cocktails (additional £30pp) and the full Sexy Fish a la carte experience.

Book below.

If you’re still looking for a Manchester Pride base where you can relax, recharge and sample world-class luxury before heading out into the festivities, look no further than the Hyatt Regency, which offers an assortment of incredible benefits throughout the weekend.

Guests booking with the promo code PRIDE can enjoy an exclusive 20% discount on rooms across the weekend, as well as revitalising wellness yoga session on Bank Holiday Monday as part of the exclusive Wellness Package. The offer also includes 24-hour access to the hotel’s fully equipped gym, and leisurely extended breakfast times, so you can enjoy a well-earned lie-in after a night of dancing on Canal Street.

Billed as a weekend of ‘joy, solidarity and all the hedonism you’d want under one roof’, MAYA presents a dazzling Pride programme featuring outdoor BBQs, bottomless brunches and elegant speakeasies.

The programme begins on the cobbles of Canal Street with a barbecue featuring an extensive selection of fresh grab-and-go fare, including chilli and garlic chicken, lamb shawarma, brisket flatbreads, harissa corn ribs and cheesy fries.

From Thursday through to Sunday, DJs infuse the bar, the temporary Pride Speakeasy and the underground Pump Room with unbridled sonic abandon, delivering sets packed with disco, funk, house and queer anthems running day and night.

On Saturday and Sunday, the famous MAYA Bottomless Brunch gets a Pride twist with 90 minutes of free-flowing drinks and seasonal plates for £49.99pp. Entry requires Village wristbands.

MAYA rounds off the celebrations with a show-stopping finale on Sunday night, as the Pump Room turns into a high-octane rave playground, where ASHTYLR, Princess Elf Bar and ANOP unleash Charli XCX, SOPHIE and PC Music classics in a maelstrom of dynamic chaos at HYPERPOP.

See the full programme below.

Ancoats favourite Canto presents a one-off Pride Weekend addition of its Tipsy Tapas, refashioned as an unabashedly camp Drag Brunch on Sat 23 Aug with live performances from RuPaul contestants The Real Banksie and Lill.

Across two sittings (12-1.30pm, 2.30-4pm), guests can delight in 90 minutes of limitless drinks including Strawberry Bellinis, Limoncello Spritz and Aperol Spritz, as well as three small plates each, while DJ The Niallist spins sing-a-long hits ranging from Britney to Beyonce.