Bristol Pride has revealed their full line up for events for this year’s festival, which takes place from 28 June – 13 July. Over 40 events will be taking place this year across two weeks in the city as the team marks their 15th Anniversary in delivering the festival.
This year’s Festival Guide is now available to read online and collect for free, from venues and spaces across the city and features all the information on events taking place this year, as well as the Pride Day info, acts, and those all important stage times.
The award-winning LGBTQ+ festival will see the city come alive with Pride with events including theatre, music, boat tours, circus, comedy, talks, cinema and more. This year will also see the first ever Pride Ballroom event taking place with Bristol Ballroom Community. The Pioneers of Pride Kiki Ball will be on of the opening events for the festival on Saturday, 29 June at St George’s Bristol and will pay homage the rich history of Ballroom and Pride and trailblazing icons as members of the community compete for the grand prize.
Bristol Pride Circus Night will take place on Thursday, 4 July, hosted at Circomedia. A spellbinding fundraiser brings dazzling contemporary circus skills and performances from talented LGBTQ+ performers.
The Pride Dog Show returns on Saturday, 6 July in Castle Park. The relaxed and fun event will see canine companions compete in rounds such as waggiest tail and musical sit. Also taking place on Saturday, 6 July is a special 30th anniversary screening of Priscilla, Queen of The Desert which will be taking place in the former Bristol Imax and includes a bus ride to the venue on the special Pride branded First Bus service.
A host of theatre events will be taking place including Wreckage at the Wardrobe Theatre on Tuesday, 9 and Wednesday, 10 July. Winner of the Lustram Award at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022 this piece by Tom Ratcliffe was also directed by the incredible Rikki Beadle-Blair. The Wardrobe Theatre will also host a week-long edition of Murder, He Didn’t Write, a special Pride twist of the Edinburgh Fringe hit sell-out improv murder mystery show Murder, She Didn’t Write from Bristol-based theatre troupe Degrees Of Error.
One of the festival’s most popular events, the Pride Comedy Night, takes place on Thursday, 11 July at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre. Hosted by Bristolian comedian and TV star, Jayde Adams, the comedy night includes Chloe Petts, James Barr, Louise Davis and Celya AB. Tickets available from £15.
Bristol Pride’s film festival Queer Vision brings a bumper run of screenings across the two weeks of Pride this year with screenings at Watershed and The Cube as well as the former IMAX. Presenting a diverse programme of UK and international LGBTQ+ films, including independently-made feature, animation and shorts – including The South West Shorts programme on Sunday, 7 July. This event sees the team present a shortlist of submissions from South West-based LGBTQ+ filmmakers as part of the IRIS Prize Best of British category, which will see the winning selection entered into the finals with a chance to win a coveted £30,000 prize.
Photo by Dan Regan.
The culmination of the two weeks of events is the Pride Day festival on The Downs on Saturday, 13 July and over the last 15 years Bristol has grown to be one of largest Pride events taking place in the UK and has won multiple awards as well as being named in the Top 30 global Pride events. Organisers expect to welcome over 40,000 people to this year’s festival. Kicking off the day is the Parade March, which departs Castle Park in the morning and will see an expected 25,000 people march for equality and diversity, showcasing the power of community while also keeping to the protest roots of Pride as the community continues to need to stand up and call for an end to prejudice and hate.
The main festival on The Downs opens at 12pm and this year will be headlined by The Human League. Also announced on the line up are dance star Georgia, ’90s legend Rozalla, MantarayBryn, synth band CatBear, Basement Jaxx singer and Ronnie Scott’s resident Vula Malinga, Sing Out Bristol, Swedish pop royalty Charlotte Perrelli and BBC Project Ikon winner Dylan and The Moon. Bringing euphoric pop to the stage, Claire Richards from Steps also joins the festival this year along with global icons and electro band Ladytron.
Over 200 artists will be performing at the festival across 5 stages with their newly named Uplift Stage, Dance Performance Stage, Circus Tent and Cabaret Stage, which will be headlined by RuPaul’s Drag Race star Heidi n Closet and Pixie Polite. The day also features a dedicated Family Area and Youth Area, Community Area, Silent Disco and multiple bars and food stalls.
The evening sees the Official Afterparty taking place at the O2 Academy as Pride takes over over the venue for three rooms of local and international DJs with headline set by Confidence Man DJs with DTYM, ’90s and ’00s party One More Time plus Bristol’s own Jersey The Devil and Macha Zu takeover room 1. There’s also special performances from aerial hoop artist Alexa, Streetenvy Dance, drag gogo dancers and more.
Bristol Pride Day remains donation entry, ensuring that it remains financially accessible for everyone who wants to attend Pride, however, Supporter Wristbands for this year’s festival are available online and are on sale from £9. Not only do they support Pride happening and help enable future events, they offer great rewards including free bus travel all day on Pride Day via First Bus and Pride’s dedicated shuttle service to The Downs, 50p off bar prices at the festival, dedicated quick access entry to the festival and discounts or freebies with the onsite food traders.
For more information about Bristol Pride, CLICK HERE