Manchester Pride Festival has just revealed its 2023 line-up, promising the most diverse and representative bill of performers to date across the city’s world-famous Gay Village.
The beloved LGBTQ+ celebration will be back in the city over the August bank holiday weekend, shining a spotlight on local and international queer talent.
The Gay Village Party will have a line-up that’s 96% queer, with 54% of performers women, 51% people of colour, and more than 42% from trans and non-binary communities.
Headlining will be Brazilian drag sensation Pabllo Vittar, international pop star (and former Scissor Sisters vocalist) Jake Shears, and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard.
They’ll be joined by pop performances from Natasha Bedingfield, and Lisa Scott-Lee from STEPS.
The line-up has been co-created with Manchester’s queer communities, and will span four days and multiple venues and stages.
Manchester Pride Festival. Credit: Supplied
Manchester Pride Festival will once again host takeovers, including the Queer Asian Takeover, Trans Filth & Joy, Black Pride MCR and the Queer Women’s Takeover.
The main performances will take place on three stages; the Village stage, the Mancunity stage, and the Alan Turing stage.
Takeovers this year include the Queer Asian Takeover, Trans Filth & Joy, Black Pride MCR and the Queer Women’s Takeover.
Back to that line-up then, and Pabllo Vittar is the most-followed drag queen in the world, with a social following of 34.8m and 4m monthly listeners on Spotify.
The Manchester Pride march. Credit: SuppliedManchester Pride Parade. Credit: SuppliedManchester Pride Parade. Credit: Supplied
Meanwhile Jake Shears has dominated the charts while part of the Scissor Sisters with hits including Filthy/Gorgeous and I Don’t Feel Like Dancing. He’s now pursuing a solo career with a new album due to be released later this year.
Local drag star Danny Beard is also back on the line-up hosting Danny Beard and Friends for the fifth consecutive year.
Also returning to Manchester Pride Festival is multidimensional cultural icon Cheddar Gorgeous, who placed as runner-up in last year’s RuPaul’s Drag Race UK (beaten only by Danny Beard).
They’ll be joined by season four Drag Race UK stars Black Peppa and Dakota Schiffer.
The festival’s first Queer Asian Takeover will celebrate queer brown joy, headlined by international DJ Gok Wan, who will be joined on stage by local talent including The Bitten Peach, a gender-diverse, pan-Asian collective showcasing joy and excellence, Gracie T, who runs a South Asian creative collective and platform for unrepresented artists, and House of Spice, an LGBTQ+ South Asian and Middle Eastern performance house.
Trans led and curated event Trans Filth & Joy, hosted by Milk Presents and Trans Creative, returns for 2023 where party-goers can expect to be entertained by a night packed with DJs, drag, burlesque, cabaret, activism and music. Headlining Trans Filth & Joy is British drag queen BIMINI, who is best known for competing on the second series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, and has since been awarded ‘Drag Hero’ by Gay Times magazine.
Black Pride MCR will take festival goers on a musical journey, celebrating the black roots of house music, disco, funky house, vocal and tribal, all brought together by exceptional DJs and iconic dancers.
Fat Pride also returns, celebrating big bodies with an evening of dancing, partying, showing off and feeling good.
The Cabaret Stage will again host The Enby Show, described as an ‘electric, unique and vibrant’ gender-bending variety show that ‘bins the binary and crashes the cis-tem’.
This stage will also host Pecs Drag Kings, a female/non-binary theatre and cabaret company who’ve been creating critically acclaimed shows for the LGBTQ+ community since 2013.
Manchester Pride Parade. Credit: Supplied
Festival goers can also expect exciting and diverse performances from Queeriosity Cabaret, Cutie-POC Cabaret, and Disabled Queer Joy Cabaret.
Other events announced as part of the Pride celebrations include Youth Pride MCR and Family Pride MCR, where young people and families will be able to join in the celebrations with a series of performances and events, such as Ginny Lemon’s Dog Show, an unmissable doggy extravaganza, and Disney Classics performed by The Untold Orchestra.
Other performers include Kelly Llorenna from N-Trance (Set You Free), Jodie Harsh, Misty Chance and Friends, Lucky Roy Singh, Queen Bayard, La Discothèque Orchestra, Manchester Residents Blasha and Allatt (Meat Free/Frixxxion), Kim Lana, Mix-Stress and Friends, SWAGGA, Monopoly Phonic, Kele Le Roc, and Tom Aspaul.
Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, said: “We have worked closely with our communities to offer a line-up that is for the community, by the community. 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.
“We are so proud to announce that our line-up consists of 96% queer performers, 54% female performers, 51% people of colour, and over 42% trans and non-binary performers.”
Manchester Pride Festival, in partnership with Booking.com, takes place over four days in Manchester city centre on August bank holiday weekend (25 – 28 August) and is made up of several fringe events.
The events of Manchester Pride Festival 2023 are free to attend with the exception of the Gay Village Party, tickets for which can be purchased through Ticketmaster now. £2.50 from every ticket will be donated to the Manchester Pride Community Fund, with the money going directly to LGBTQ+ causes and projects in Greater Manchester through the distribution of grants.
The Manchester Pride Festival 2023 Gay Village Party line-up in full
Pabllo Vittar | Jake Shears
Natasha Bedingfield | Danny Beard | Jodie Harsh | Gok Wan | BIMINI |
Lisa Scott-Lee | Cheddar Gorgeous | Black Peppa | Jonbers Blonde | Monki | Gracie T | Angie Brown | La Discotheque Orchestra | Kelly Llorenna (N-Trance) | Dakota Schiffer | Ginny Lemon’s Dog Show | Blasha and Allatt (Meat Free/Frixxxion)
Kim Lana | Mix-Stress and Friends | The Bitten Peach | House of Spice | The Enby Show | Queeriosity Cabaret | The Noirtones | Queer Women’s Takeover | SWAGGA | Black Pride MCR | Danny Beard and Friends | Fat Pride | Cutie-POC Cabaret | Queer Asian Takeover | Disabled Queer Joy Cabaret | Trans Filth and Joy | Misty Chance and Friends | Your Manchester | Monopoly Phonic | Kele Le Roc performing Basement Jaxx ‘Romeo’ | Val The Brown Queen and Blaq Ivory presents | The Runway by Banksie | DJ Stacy Bee | Tom Aspaul | Violet Blonde | Lucky Roy Singh | Jsky | Reeta Loi | Queen Bayard | Barb | Lady Bushra | Misty Chance | The BollyWitch | Lill | Banskie | Joanna Cuddle | Sam Buttery | Ivy Profemme | Leila Rafoui | Joe Spencer | The Niallist | Minara ‘El Waters | Club Clam | What She Said | Vanilla Girls | FATCAMP | Pecs Drag Kings | The Fat Britney | | Ghetto Fabulous | Donna Trump | DJ Nkay | DJ KL | Carrot | Flick | Queens in Kicks | Frequency 3 | DJ Klitbait | Cyro | Club Zindagi | Belinda Scandal | Disney Classics with The Untold Orchestra | DJ Billy Andrew | DJ Callum Parr | Duniya Dhoom | Shanika Sunrise | Immy Terial | Jason Patel | Rikki Beadle-Blair |
Beat-Herder Festival 2025 – a magical weekend of music, madness, miniature worlds and more
Emily Johnson
Some festivals give you good music. Some give you great crowds. And a very rare few create a world so immersive, you forget you’re even at a festival; the cult favourite Beat-Herder Festival does it all – and then some.
Tucked into the Ribble Valley countryside in the Lancashire town of Clitheroe, The Beat-Herder Festival isn’t your average weekend of tents and tunes.
It’s a handcrafted, mind-bending wonderland built by a small crew of dreamers who clearly love what they do and want you to feel the same.
Whether it’s your first time or your fifteenth, the moment you step through the gates, you know you’re in for something special
Then there’s Hotel California, not just an Eagles reference but a site where you could catch a full-on rave in a wild west saloon, as well as The Parish Church: a gothic fairytale where choirs turn into choons and the altar doubles as a DJ booth.
One of the weekend’s highlights came tucked inside The Beat-Herder Working Men’s Club, where The Clone Roses had the entire crowd bouncing with their uncanny tribute to The Stones.
When ‘I Am the Resurrection’ dropped, it was hands-in-the-air euphoria; a true pinch-me moment. Ian Brown might as we have been on the stage, the way the crowd were going wild.
And it wasn’t just music. The Working Men’s also hosted ‘Beat-Herder’s Got Talent’, which is a chaotic and charming mix of poetry, dragon dancing, comedy sketches and more. Heartfelt, hilarious and very Beat-Herder.
Truly immersive worlds
Venture deeper into the wonderful world of Beat-Herder and you’ll find entire miniature towns within the festival. There’s a literal high street, complete with its own tattoo parlour, barbers, a swap shop and even a secret swimming pool.
We’re not going to disclose its location, but let’s just say if you find a dodgy-looking wooden gate and hear splashing on the other side – knock twice and bring a towel…
Late-night mayhem
As the sun went down, the party really came to life. The Beyond Tunnel was your portal to new dimensions, opening out into a maze of secret stages and psychedelic visuals.
From psytrance at The Sunrise Stage, to bassline chaos at The Laundrette and candy-coloured chaos at Bubba Gumma, it was a rabbit hole of sound you never wanted to leave.
Then there was The Temple – a fire-breathing stage that became a haven for breakbeats, jungle, techno and house. Tim Reaper’s set here was a standout for us – fast, furious, and euphoric.
And just when we thought the night was over, we found ourselves at a secret 3am b2b set with Tim Reaper and Samurai Breaks that blew us away – two talented DJs that had the crowd wanting even more despite the sun quite literally rising on the next day.
Another hidden gem was The Ring, an intimate open-air arena where we caught Jungle pioneer Goldie, alongside Sheffield’s own Silva Bumpa and Soul Mass Transit System for a bass-heavy b2b set that rattled your bones and lit up the crowd.
Then there’s The Factory – a steel-clad rave bunker pumping out electro, acid and heavy techno deep into the night. Dancing inside while the rain pelted the tin roof added a layer of gritty industrial magic – proper spine-tingling stuff if you’re into that sweaty, underground energy.
And just when you think you’ve seen it all, along comes Fowler’s Garage: a chaotic, petrolhead fever dream of a stage where you can literally dance on top of cars. DJs spin sets from inside the vehicles, cooking up a storm from the front seat while the crowd parties on the roof.
It’s unhinged in the best way possible and one of the most unique spaces you’ll ever rave in.
Power and the people
What really makes Beat-Herder feel different is the people. There’s an unspoken code of friendliness here – everyone’s up for a chat, a laugh, or a spontaneous dance. You could spill your pint and end up making a friend for life. That kind of energy is rare, and Beat-Herder wears it like a badge of honour.
The merch stand has that signature hand-crafted feel. All of the merch is hand-printed, with designs that feel like proper collector’s items rather than throwaway souvenirs. We spotted punters proudly repping Beat-Herder tees from as far back as 2012 – testament to how deep the community pride runs here.
Even on the way out, with vans and cars getting stuck in the mud, everyone mucked in to help push – proof that the Beat-Herder spirit sticks with you long after you’ve left the gates. Just a bunch of lovely people all getting together to have a good time and make memories for life.
Credit: Andrew Whitton
Fantastic fancy dress
Saturday brought the iconic fancy dress theme – this year, the letter G. And wow, did people go for it. Giraffes towered above the crowd, Gnomes danced in groups, Gardeners handed out seed packets, and one hero turned up as ‘Garbage’, wearing an actual dustbin with a lid strapped to his head. We laughed for a full five minutes.
Final thoughts from the fields
Even though Beat-Herder was slightly scaled down this year due to budget cuts, it never once felt like anything was missing. If anything, it brought a tighter, even more magic-filled experience. The attention to detail, the creativity, and the atmosphere are still unmatched – a reminder that this isn’t just a festival. It’s a fully fledged world of its own.
If you’re looking for something different – stick this one at the very top of your list. But be warned: once you’ve been, you’ll never stop going back.
Tickets for next year go on sale on Thursday, 31 July, and you can be ready to grab your tickets HERE.
You can guarantee you’ll see us at back-to-back Beat-Herder Festivals again in 2026.
Classical musician Hauser announces huge arena gig in Manchester later this year
Thomas Melia
Croatian cellist and former member of classical band 2CELLOS, Hauser, has announced a tour including an arena date in Manchester this year.
World-class musician Stjepan Hauser, known professionally as Hauser, is getting ready to pack his cello and cheeky smile as he embarks on ‘The Rebel Is Back’ tour.
Hauser has amassed a worldwide cult following of classical music lovers, by not only respecting the genre, but evolving it too by intertwining his cello skills into modern day pop hits.
The cellist has covered lots of current pop songs while part of musical duo 2CELLOS like ‘We Found Love’, ‘Despacito’, and ‘Viva La Vida’.
You can also expect to hear covers of some of music’s greatest compositions, including the timeless opera classic ‘Nessun Dorma’, and highly-adored ballet piece ‘Swan Lake’.
Recently, Hauser has teamed up with London Symphony Orchestra to reimagine Ennio Morricone’s ‘Le Vent, le cri’, taken from the 1981 French film Le Professionnel.
Hauser has performed in over 40 countries and played at some of the most prestigious venues across the world – including Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House.
He’s also become a social media sensation, capturing people’s attention via his videos playing his cello in a variety of interesting locations like a swimming pool, at the desert, and even on the famous Brooklyn Bridge.
Classical musician Hauser announces huge arena gig in Manchester later this year / Credit: Stefan Brending (via Wikimedia Commons)
You’ll be able to identify a lot of the tracks played out when Hauser visits AO Arena, as his upcoming album titled Cinema, features a wide variety of soundtracks and film theme tunes.
The highly-anticipated LP from Hauser contains ‘What Was I Made For?’ from Barbie, ‘Mission: Impossible’, ‘A Time For Us’ from Romeo and Juliet, alongside lots more motion picture melodies.
The musician is quite familiar with Manchester city city centre too, Hauser studied at Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester before taking the classical world by storm.
Daisy Jackson -
30th March 2023 
