Manchester Pride has unveiled further details of its 2023 line-up for the festival that will take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Co-created with Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community, this year’s roster puts representation and inclusivity at the forefront.
The Gay Village Party boasts its most diverse line-up to date, as 96 per cent of performers are queer, 54 per cent are women, 51 per cent are people of colour and 42 per cent are from trans and non-binary communities, according to the event’s organisers.
Headline acts include Brazilian drag icon Pabllo Vittar, Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears and Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard.
Manchester Pride organisers have also teased “another top-tier act” that will deliver a headline performance on Saturday (in addition to Pabllo’s) and is yet to be revealed.
Takeovers include the Queer Asian Takeover, Trans Filth & Joy, Black Pride MCR and the Queer Women’s Takeover.
READ MORE: Manchester Pride 2023: How to get tickets for this year’s event
The weekend’s breakdown is as follows:
- Friday (25 August): Bimini / La Discothèque Orchestra / Trans Filth & Joy / Tito Bone / Midgitte Bardot
- Saturday (26 August): Pabllo Vittar / Special Guest TBA / Jodie Harsh / Gok Wan / Gracie T / Black Peppa
- Sunday (27 August): Jake Shears / Natasha Bedingfield / Lisa Scott-Lee / Danny Beard / Monki
- Monday (28 August): The Runway by Banksie and Firehouse with Dakota Schiffer / Disabled Queer Joy Cabaret
Closing the four day festival will be the Candlelit Vigil with George House Trust, a moment of reflection in Sackville Gardens.
“We have worked closely with our communities to offer a line-up that is for the community, by the community,” said Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride.
“As a world leading city and an organisation that is spearheading the global Pride movement, our aim is to provide a platform which elevates and showcases local queer performers alongside renowned international LGBTQ+ talent, with a little support from our allies. This is Manchester and this is how our communities want us to celebrate our Pride.”
“Significant” changes have been made to Manchester Pride
Last year’s Manchester Pride marked the first time that the event took place since “significant” changes were made to the organisation following a six-month review.
This came after backlash from members of the LGBTQ+ community who felt that the city’s Pride was becoming too commercialised.
READ MORE: Manchester Pride: 5 of the campest moments from 2022’s celebrations
As part of the changes, MCR Pride Live, which has seen stars like Ariana Grande and Olly Alexander perform, did not go ahead as part of a wider effort to “refocus its efforts back onto its activist roots”.
Manchester Pride 2023 will take place from 25 to 28 August and all events are free to attend, with the exception of the Gay Village Party.
Tickets for Manchester Pride 2023 are available here.
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