What's On

Manchester Pride Festival 2023 – parade, tickets, line-up, and travel advice

Here's everything you need to know.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 25th August 2023

The time has finally come for the return of the much-loved Manchester Pride Festival 2023, with the city ready to welcome a huge parade, a line-up of massive music, and loads of celebrations across the Gay Village.

The charity’s annual LGBTQ+ celebration is one of the highlights of Manchester’s events calendar, drawing thousands into the city.

This year, there’ll be the Gay Village Party, the parade, and loads of smaller events like Superbia Weekend, Family Pride, and more.

If you’re heading down to Manchester Pride Festival 2023, here’s everything you need to know, from travel to tickets and more.

Manchester Pride 2023 Parade

The Manchester Pride 2023 parade route
The Manchester Pride 2023 parade route. Credit: Supplied

This is arguably the most popular and well-attended part of the entire Manchester Pride Festival weekend – the parade.

ADVERTISEMENT

Thousands will take part in the march through the city centre, with tens of thousands usually coming to watch.

This year’s theme is Queerly Beloved, marking 10 years since gay marriage was legalised in England and Wales.

ADVERTISEMENT

The parade will set off at 12pm from Liverpool Road, navigating its path through the city centre via Deansgate, Peter Street, Oxford Road, Portland Street, Princess Street, Whitworth Street.

It’s expected to wrap up on Fairfield Street around 3pm.

Manchester Pride Festival tickets and wristband exchange

Manchester Pride Parade. Credit: Supplied

Manchester Pride Festival will run from Friday 25 August until Monday 28 August, with all events apart for the Gay Village Party free to attend.

ADVERTISEMENT

Weekend and day tickets are still on sale with Ticketmaster, though VIP and low income tickets have sold out.

Manchester Pride ticket prices are as follows:

  • Saturday day tickets – £33.85
  • Sunday day tickets – £33.85
  • Monday day tickets – £2.50
  • Weekend tickets – £41

You’ll need to swap your ticket for a Pledge Band at the Pledge Ban Exchange Point before heading into the Gay Village Party. You can find the exchange point at the Aytoun Street Car Park, with the opening times below.

  • Friday 25 August: 12pm – midnight
  • Saturday 26 August: 12pm – midnight
  • Sunday 27 August: 12pm – midnight
  • Monday 28 August: 12pm – 6pm

Manchester Pride Festival line-up

This year’s line-up is Manchester Pride’s most diverse to date, with 96% queer performers; 54% women, 51% people of colour and over 42% from trans and non-binary communities. 

The music will take place across three stage; The Village Stage, MancUnity, and the Alan Turing Stage.

ADVERTISEMENT

Headliners include drag sensation Pabllo Vittar, singer-songwriter and Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard, and electronic music icon Alison Goldfrapp.

The full stage splits and set times are on the Manchester Pride website, but there’s a tidy summary below too.

Alison Goldfrapp
Alison Goldfrapp. Credit: Publicity picture
BIMINI. Credit: Publicity picture
BIMINI. Credit: Publicity picture

Friday

  • The Village Stage: Trans Filth & Joy, hosted by Milk Presents and Trans Creative. Featuring BIMINI, Tito Bone, Cyro, The BollyWitch, and more. 18:30-23:00.
  • MancUnity: Celebrate Fat Pride, in partnership with Gaydio, with artists including The Niallist, Ivy Profemme, The Fat Britney, and Miss Lei-Lei. 18:30-00:00.
  • The Alan Turing Stage: Hosted by Donna Trump, and includes the Human Rights Forum, La Discothèque Orchestra, Queeriosity Cabaret, and more. 17:00-23:00.

Saturday

  • The Village Stage: Notable appearances by Alison Goldfrapp, Pabllo Vitar, Jodie Harsh, and more. The stage will open from 12:00 with a Parade screening, with main acts from 16:30-23:00.
  • MancUnity: Black Pride MCR / Swagga, headlined by Raven Mandella. 13:30-00:00.
  • The Alan Turing Stage: Queer Asian Takeover, hosted by Lucky Roy Singh, featuring Gok Wan, Gracie T, and more. 12:00-23:00.

Sunday

  • The Village Stage: Join Danny Beard and Friends, Jake Shears, Natasha Bedingfield, Lisa Scott-Lee, and more. 12:00-23:00.
  • MancUnity: Queer Women’s Takeover, with Monki, Blasha and Allatt, Mix-Stress and Friends, and more. 13:00-00:00.
  • The Alan Turing Stage: Cutie-poc Cabaret, hosted by Rikki Beadle-Blair, with Oneda, Angie Brown, and more. 12:00-23:00.

Monday

  • The Village Stage: Revel in community collaboration and enjoy performances from George the Dragon Disabled Queer Joy Cabaret and Cuppa T. 12:00-18:00.
  • MancUnity: The Runway by Manchester’s own 7ft drag artist Banksie, 14:00-17:00.
  • The Alan Turing Stage: Enjoy the melodies of the Disney Orchestra. 12:00-16:30.

Family Pride

Family Pride 2023.
Family Pride 2023.

Family Pride is the part of Manchester Pride Festival that aims to provide an exciting, inspiring and celebratory day for LGBTQ+ families, parents/carers, and children alike.

The completely free event will be held at the Great Northern Warehouse on Saturday 26 August, between midday and 6pm.

The programme includes music, crafting, party games and sing-a-longs, as well as a rainbow disco, showcasing performances and artists that champion love, self-expression and individuality.

ADVERTISEMENT

You can find out more here.

Travel advice

There’s a rail strike on this weekend… yep, again. Oh, and there’s a First Bus strike on too.

So if you’re planning to get public transport in to town, you’ll need to plan carefully, especially as the Manchester Pride Festival is on at the same time as a Manchester United game and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ gig at Wythenshawe Park.

Mancs are being urged to leave their cars at home due to the road closures and diversions around the city centre.

The tram will be your best port of call. Here is the latest travel advice from TfGM.

ADVERTISEMENT

Weather forecast

As per the weather forecast for the entire summer so far, it’s not looking like a heatwave is imminent.

According to the Met Office, Friday will have highs of 17 degrees and lows of 12 degrees, and will be cloudy but dry.

On Saturday, there’s a 60% chance of a thunderstorm at 12pm (right at the time the parade starts, which is nice), then it will be cloudy with sunny spells after that.

Temperatures will reach 18 degrees, with lows of 11 degrees on Saturday.

On Sunday, there’s again highs of 17 degrees and lows of 12 degrees, with a chance of rain showers in the afternoon.

ADVERTISEMENT

And for the Candlelit Vigil on Monday, it’s cloudy and 18 degrees all day.

Featured image: Manchester Pride

What's On

Colourful new SmileyWorld art trail to take over Stockport town centre this summer

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant SmileyWorld® Art Trail

Stockport will transform into a playful outdoor gallery this summer as a colourful new art trail takes over the town.

Following huge success in London and North Tyneside, Stockport visitors are being told to get ready to explore a full spectrum of emotions this summer, as the SmileyWorld® Art Trail takes over the town centre with a colourful collection of quirky, fun, and exciting sculptures each inspired by the SmileyWorld icons.

Kicking off from the start of next month, the trail will be making its North West debut in Stockport, and organisers say it’s guaranteeing family fun during the school summer holidays.

Oh and best of all, it’s completely free to attend. 

Created by the trailblazing global arts producer, Wild in Art, in partnership with Totally Stockport BID and SmileyWorld – a lifestyle brand that’s dedicated to true emotional expression – the trail will feature 15 playful sculptures, each reimagined by a different artist to reflect the full range of human emotions including joy, pride, surprise, anxiety, and lots more.

Colourful new SmileyWorld art trail is taking over Stockport town centre this summer / Credit: Scott Kershaw Photography

Perfect for all ages, the trail will be spread across the town centre, with sculptures featured everywhere from the Merseyway Shopping Centre, to Stockport Underbanks, Viaduct Park, The Plaza, and more.

Designed as a self-guided experience, the sculptures will reflect a broad range of human feelings and will invite people to connect as they explore Stockport’s key locations and landmarks using free trail maps, complete with games, puzzles, and doodles for kids, all of which will be available to download ahead of time.

Printed copies will also be available for pick up in local businesses and public venues.

“We are delighted to be able to bring the SmileyWorld Art Trail to Stockport,” commented Charlie Langhorne, who is the Managing Director and co-founder of Wild in Art.

Read more:

“Exploring the trail is a fun activity to do with friends and family and it’s free to visit. It’s a great opportunity to get out in the fresh air and take a stroll around Stockport town centre while discovering some truly unique and inspiring art.”

The SmileyWorld® Art Trail is taking over Stockport from 4 July through to 15 September 2025, and you can find out more here.

Featured Image – Scott Kershaw Photography

What's On

Manchester Day is back with a ‘mammoth day’ of music-themed FREE fun next month

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Manchester Day is making a grand return for 2025 this summer, and you can expect a day filled with loads of music-themed fun.

Oh, and it’s free fun at that… doesn’t get much better.

With a whopping 1.3 million music tourists expected in Manchester this summer – apparently a little band called Oasis is performing or something? First we’ve heard of it – and a massive lineup of live music legends set to take over venues and parks across the city these next couple of months, this year’s Manchester Day is aiming to get everyone ‘in the groove’.

Manchester City Council is working with outdoor arts specialists Walk the Plank on a programme that promises something for music fans of all ages and all musical abilities.

From the English National Opera teaming up with Manchester’s football fans, to community choirs, West End show tunes, juggling drummers, hip-hop wrestling, and loads more, this year’s Manchester Day has got all musical tastes covered.

As always, activities will be taking place right across the city centre – from St Ann’s Square to Cathedral Gardens, and everywhere in between.

Organisers say there will be plenty of chances throughout the day for visitors, both young and old, to get stuck in, try their hand at making music and maybe even uncover a hidden musical talent they didn’t know they had.

You can expect strum-along ukulele sessions, spontaneous sing-alongs, dancing to a steel pan band or some surprising Ska, and the stand-out music parade event travelling from St Peter’s Square to the Cathedral, with families invited to take a ‘musical meander’ through the city streets.

Manchester Day is back with a ‘mammoth day’ of music-themed free fun next month / Credit: Manchester City Council

“We’ve got a mammoth summer of live music coming up in the city this year, which means it’s only right that we max out on the music for Manchester Day,” commented Councillor Pat Karney, who is the Chair of Manchester Day, as this year’s theme was announced.

“Everyone in Manchester loves music, Mancs have music in their bones, there’s so much talent here – we’re either making it or playing it, and that’s why everyone’s on the guest list for this year’s Manchester Day to help us celebrate the music that Mancunians make best.

“We’ve got a fantastic day lined up, so loosen up those vocal chords, grab a guitar, grab your granny, all the family, and don’t miss it.”

Read more:

Manchester Day is taking over the city centre on Saturday 15 July, and will be kicking off at midday right through to 5pm that same evening.

Featured Image – Manchester City Council

More What's On

CLINTS streetwear festival Manchester info

Art & Culture

A popular Manc streetwear brand is hosting a big festival to mark their fifth birthday

Art & Culture

The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 2 – 8 June 2025

Audio

A huge Irish festival with iconic music stars, markets, food and more is coming to Greater Manchester

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches