Pride guide: Everything you need to know about Manchester Pride 2019

Manchester Pride has become a staple in the summer calendars of not only the LGBT+ community, but vast numbers of those in and around Manchester who are eager to show their support for this growing section of society. August Bank Holiday between 23-26 Aug is the weekend where Manchester will be well and truly decked out in rainbow and sparkles, promising to top previous years that have already put Manchester on the map in terms of Gay Pride. Below, we’ve pulled together a run-down of what not to miss over Manchester Pride 2019…

Manchester Pride 2019 Live
Manchester Pride Live will showcase extraordinary talent from household names everyone would be impressed by, including Manchester’s favourite American Ariana Grande, gay icons Years & Years and the one and only Cheryl. There will also be DJ sets from the likes of Basement Jaxx and Faithless all being held in Mayfield Depot, just across from Piccadilly station, Manchester Pride Live’s new home, which is also preparing to hold the upcoming legendary Warehouse Project events in the Autumn. Musical performances have always been part of Pride in Manchester but never on this scale, with the line-up getting bigger and a dedicated venue being allocated just specifically for it. Weekend tickets are still on sale, but you’ll need to be quick as Sunday day tickets have already sold out and it’s only a matter of time before Friday, Saturday and Monday follow suit.

The Superbia Weekend
The Superbia Weekend provides, according to the Manchester Pride website, an “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”. Think film screenings, art exhibitions, performances from DJs and wholesome bonding as this Pride weekend event offers some respite from the loud, proud, and often drunk, atmosphere of the main events, and best of all its almost completely free of charge. Venues supporting this event include The Refuge bar in the Principal Hotel, and Manchester Metropolitan University’s No.70 Oxford St building just across the road, promising to provide the intimate and cosy atmosphere the event strives to achieve.

Manchester’s Gay Village
The heart of Manchester’s gay community, the Gay Village on and around Canal Street, will obviously be heading up a HUGE party during Pride weekend, including local performers in Sackville Gardens and markets and parties spread across venues in the Village. Families are welcome and the festival is striving to create a safe and inclusive environment so that everyone will feel at home, after all – this is what Pride is all about. Tickets remain on sale for individual days and also for the whole weekend, including family tickets that can save you a whole lot of money and maybe buy you that extra drink? The dynamic of the Gay Village is like no other and when Manchester Pride 2019 comes around expect nothing less than absolute euphoria.

Manchester Pride Parade
Sat 24 Aug will host the highly anticipated Manchester Pride Parade, one of the biggest and brightest parades to walk the streets of Manchester. The theme this year invites us to think about Gay Pride in the future, “Deep Space Pride: A Future World of Equality”, so expect visuals throughout the parade to reflect this but also on the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which undoubtedly kick-started freedom in marching with Pride and for equality, this year’s parade is bound to be emotional. The parade is understandably full to capacity but a waiting list is in place in case space becomes available, and the parade is always something to behold from the sidelines, so supporting from the pavement is always a viable option!

Candlelit Vigil
As the party comes to a close on the Monday, attendees are invited to a candlelit vigil in Sackville Gardens. The vigil will remember those lost to HIV as LGBT+ people join together to fight the epidemic, those who are still suffering and the persecuted, and LGBT+ trailblazers especially in the North such as Alan Turing who proved to the world that LGBT+ people are powerful when they are given a voice and will continue to fight for equality. The vigil will no doubt be emotional and a fitting close to a wonderfully proud weekend.