Brighton Pride is back!
Brighter and bigger than ever before…
Brighton Pride is the UK’s biggest LGBTQ festival. The event raised £946,000 this year and was awarded 100 grants. As a result, it brings to the Brighton economy, boosted just over the Pride weekend.
We Are Fabuloso is the Brighton & Hove Pride official fundraiser for the Brighton Rainbow Fund. A glittering and truly inclusive community celebration that delivers an unforgettable day of Pride, it is unique community fundraising event that has enjoyed amazing performances from international stars including Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Dua Lipa, Jessie J, Nile Rogers & Chic, Jess Glynne, Clean Bandit, Pet Shop Boys, Years and Years, Sister Sledge, Carly Rae Jepsen, Fatboy Slim, Paloma Faith, The Human League, Boy George, Ella Elre, and Ms Dynamite amongst others.
Described by The Guardian as “the country’s most popular LGBT event,” the Brighton & Hove Pride Festival is a vibrant celebration of all that is wonderful about our city’s diverse community, with visitors from across the globe enjoying its spectacular celebrations.
To find out more about the event, visit the website here: https://www.brighton-pride.org/
Interview with Laura Bossom, Gig Buddies Marketing Coordinator
Laura, it was your first time experiencing Brighton Pride this year. We wanted to find out more about your time there.
Q1: After going to Pride this year, would you go back again?
I had a brilliant time and totally would go back again! I only made it for Saturday and I went with a group of friends. One day I felt it was enough as it was a long day where we walked around town to see all the celebrations.
Q2: What was your favourite part?
The parade at noon was amazing. I could not believe how many floats there were. The procession was two hours long and there were thousands of people. It was great to see local organisations and charities who had joined in with colourful moving parts, for example a giant elephant which was blown up and carried through the streets off string.
I was particularly impressed by the education institutions such as Brighton College and Sussex University who were involved, as well as the public services who were received by huge cheers by the crowd in honour of all their efforts throughout the pandemic and the relentless work they do for our society and local city.
Furthermore, there was also a strong emphasis on mental health with many charities, including even Gig Buddies who came through the streets with fantastic pride. I actually felt quite emotional at one point as it felt like a rare and special moment to see so many people in one place celebrating love and inclusivity.
Q3: What else did you do in town?
I bought a ticket to the street party in Saint James Street where I met some other friends. I liked the fact that I kept bumping into friends throughout the day as you feel like the entire town has come out to take part. We found the street party quite crowded at times but carried on moving around the road to see different stages. My favourite part was looking up to see people dancing on their window balconies and traffic lights, it has a wonderful atmosphere. By this point, my friends and myself had a dance in the road, feeling rather free.
Q4: Do you have any tips for people who may go for their first time next year?
Unfortunately I missed the tickets to the main stage at Preston Park but I was told that the performances from Christine Aguilera and Paloma Faith were exceptionally good. I recommend going along to any Pride events with a small group of friends. If there are too many of you, it is easy to split up and lose each other. This can sometimes make it difficult to move around busy places as you spend a lot of time trying to regroup.
I would also recommend having a planned break in the middle of the day. We went to sit on the beach after lunch on the seafront. We decided to leave the parade which finished about 2pm and move into town to take a break from the amount of people that were around as it felt overwhelming at times. It was a lovely hot day so we went for a swim in the sea to cool off. Some people go home at this time to eat and to get ready for the evening.
The great point about Pride in Brighton is there are many events happening around the entire city. If you are someone who would rather do something low key, you can also find this. There are many free events too which means you don’t miss out if you don’t buy a ticket in time for the main events. I truly enjoyed my experience at Pride and highly recommend anyone to give it a go.
If you missed the parade, here is a chance to see it again!
