One of the biggest events in Greater Manchester’s cultural calendar is almost upon us, as the city gears up for Manchester Pride Festival 2024.
From the glittering parade that attracts thousands to the city centre, to the live music and performances on the stages in the Gay Village, and on to the nightlife scene that gets busier than ever for one glorious weekend, there’s something for everyone.
The Manchester Pride Festival 2024 will culminate in the touching and poignant candlelit vigil in Sackville Gardens, where people come together to remember those we have lost to HIV.
This year’s event will once again fall on the August bank holiday weekend, which means it falls between Friday 23 and Monday 26 August.
Manchester Pride Festival 2024 parade
The Manchester Pride Parade is back for 2024. Credit: Carl Sukonik
It’s probably the most popular element of the Manchester Pride Festival every year, and 2024 is set to be no different.
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This year’s parade theme is ‘Buzzin’ to be Queer – A Hive of Progress’, a nod to the city’s worker bee emblem as well as a symbol that shows how much stronger communities can be when they work together.
The parade will start at midday on Saturday 24 August and weave its way through the city centre, ending up in the Gay Village.
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It starts at the junction of Liverpool Road and Deansgate and ends on Fairfield Street, but the exact route map hasn’t yet been released. We’ll update this as soon as it is.
Tickets and wristband exchange for Manchester Pride Festival 2024
Tickets are still on sale for Manchester Pride Festival 2024. Credit: Gemma Parker
Tickets for Manchester Pride Festival 2024 are still up for grabs, and weekend tickets are great value for money.
Day tickets are priced at £41 for either Friday, Saturday or Sunday – that’s just for the Gay Village Party (the candlelit vigil, parade, and many other Manchester Pride events are free to attend).
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Weekend tickets cost £49.25 each, so you may as well go all-out and have a full party weekend. Would be rude not to, really.
Before you go to Manchester Pride Festival, you need to swap your ticket for a ‘Pledge Band’ wristband at the exchange point.
This year, you’ll find it on Aytoun Street Car Park. The opening times are below:
Friday 25 August: 12:00 – 00:00
Saturday 26 August: 12:00 – 00:00
Sunday 27 August: 12:00 – 00:00
Monday 28 August: 12:00 – 18:00
A fixed donation of £2.50 from every ticket sold goes directly to the Manchester Pride Community Fund, ensuring that LGBTQ+ causes and projects in Greater Manchester receive vital support with grants that are distributed throughout the year. Pledge Band tickets must be purchased to facilitate the event.
Who’s on the line-up at Manchester Pride Festival 2024?
Sugababes. Credit: Publicity picture
It’s another cracking line-up for the LGBTQ+ festival this year, with headliners including girlband icons Sugababes, Brit Award-winner Jessie J, two-time Eurovision champ Loreen, and Rita Ora.
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Just added to the line-up is also Gok Wan, whose DJ sets have become a Pride favourite.
Also performing are The Greatest Showman actress and singer Keala Settle, Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton with Danny Beard & Friends; and Steps’ Claire Richards over on the Alan Turing Stage, alongside Pride Divas with Misty Chance.
On Saturday, the Indoor Arena will pay homage to Manchester’s warehouse clubbing legacy and will host the Gaydio Dance Arena. Headlined by DJ Paulette, there’ll be a line-up of Gaydio DJs including Dave Cooper and Forbid.
There’ll be disco, house and funk galore at The Village Stage when Black Pride MCR takes over, while the Queer Asian Takeover returns to the Alan Turing stage.
Bimini has sadly pulled out of the festival, along with BollyWitch, Felix Mufti and Dan Chan – you can read more on that here.
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See more on the 2024 Manchester Pride Festival line-up here.
How to travel to Manchester Pride Festival 2024
By tram – The easiest way to get to and from Manchester Pride Festival is using Metrolink. The nearest stops are Piccadilly Gardens for the Gay Village Party), and Deansgate-Castlefield or St Peter’s Square (for the parade).
By train – The closest train stations to the event are Manchester Piccadilly or Oxford Road.
By bus – Take a bus to Manchester Piccadilly Gardens. From there, the Gay Village Party event site is a two minute walk and just across the road.
By plane – From Manchester Airport, you can take a train or the Metrolink tram to Manchester Piccadilly. Alternatively, you can take a bus to Piccadilly Gardens from the airport.
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By car – Manchester will be very busy with a number of road closures in place over Manchester Pride weekend, so if you really need to drive you might want to look at using a park and ride and completing your journey by tram.
Other events (Ginny Lemon’s Dog Show, Family Pride, Youth Pride, Superbia, Scene Screen thing)
It’s not just about the live music and the parade – Manchester Pride Festival is big and really does have something for everyone.
Superbia – this year-round arts and culture programme also puts on a cracking series of events each year as part of the festival, always showcasing Manchester’s queer talent. Many of these events are alcohol-free, accessible spaces and you’ll find everything from music to dance to workshops to parties. See more here.
Youth Pride MCR – this programme of events is specially designed for young people aged 14-18, and includes workshops, performances from young drag stars, a rooftop party, drag bingo, board games, and so much more. Find out more about Youth Pride MCR here.
Family Pride MCR – the best thing about family is that everyone’s looks a little different, and that’s celebrated to the max at Family Pride MCR, which has loads of events and advice for families. If you’re wanting to take your whole brood along to the festival, here’s a dedicated guide (and a few events just for you too).
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Ginny Lemon’s Dog Show – the most fabulous pups in Manchester will be strutting their stuff in this barking mad event, hosted by Ginny Lemon and Fatt Butcher. It’s billed as the ‘campest event of the Manchester Pride Festival’, which is saying something… It’s happening on Sunday in Sackville Gardens.
Candelit Vigil – of course, no Manchester Pride event could happen without taking some time to honour and reflect on those we have lost to HIV, and to stand united in the fight against the global epidemic and the persistent stigma that surrounds it. This poignant final event in the Manchester Pride Festival weekend is hosted in partnership with George House Trust, and will be live-streamed for anyone who can’t attend on Monday.
Featured image: Gemma Parker
What's On
Moovin Festival announces 2025 lineup for much-loved Stockport event
Danny Jones
The much-loved Moovin live music festival over in Stockport is back for 2025 and the lineup is looking udderly brilliant.
Sorry…
In all seriousness, the increasingly popular festival is one of the Greater Manchester borough’s biggest dates on the calendar and we can’t wait to mosey back on over to Whitebottom Farm this summer.
Set to return for it’s 11th year, Moovin Fest is shaping up to be one the best yet, as proven by every single one of the early bird tickets being snapped up in a flash – here’s the lineup:
Moovin Festival lineup 2025Last year was a stormer
Taking place at the idyllic and eco-friendly outdoor space located within Etherow Country Park in the villahge of Compstall, Whitebottom is often used for weddings and other special events – but none quite as big as Moovin.
It may have started out with a little over a few hundred people back in 2014 but since the flag-flying Stockport music festival has grown to a capacity over more than 5,000; while it’s still a fairly modest affair compared to other Northern contemporaries, its just as rich in culture and entertainment.
As you can see, the 2025 lineup is headlined by the revolutionary jazz-fusion ensemble, Ezra Collective, whose innovative sound has garnered international acclaim.
Fresh from their awe-inspiring Wembley show, a Mercury Prize win back in 2023 and a four BRITs nominations thus far, Ezra’s music is a masterful blend of jazz, afrobeat and soul, characterized by infectious grooves, intricate melodies – music you simply have to dance to.
Joining the festivities will be the French house maestro and WHP favourite, Folamour, renowned for his soulful and emotive sound, as well as his captivating onstage charisma, making his performance an absolute must-see.
The lineup continues to impress with the inclusion of drum and bass pioneers Fabio and Grooverider as well as Roni Size; local funk and soul luminary Craig Charles, Manc legends Graeme Park and DJ Paulette, hip-hop royalty in The Sugarhill Gang and MANY more.
Be it rising stars or old-school Hacienda icons doing what they’ve done best for the past few decades, there’s something for everyone.
They’ve welcome everyone from Orbital and Groove Armada to De La Soul, Basement Jaxx, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Lee Scratch Perry and countless others in the past and we’ve never heard bad word about this lively but equally family-friendly weekend.
Speaking ahead of this year’s return, the organisers said: “Moovin Festival is an exceptional celebration of sonic brilliance, eclectic music and quirkiness, all set within a beautiful and intimate environment.”
“Attendees can expect a lot of quirkiness and a host of amazing DJs and bands playing across cutting-edge sound systems alongside holistic healing treatments, yoga sessions, and captivating circus performances, all infused with a warm and welcoming vibe.”
As they go on to add: “There are no VIP areas, no overbearing security teams—just a hint of 90s free party magic and a close-knit community of music lovers who welcome everyone with open arms.”
Spread across six fantastic stages, including the aptly named ‘Barn’, the next Moovin Festival takes place from Friday, 13 to Sunday, 15 June 2025.
Meanwhile, Stopfordians are being forced to wait a little longer for their fist taste of festival season as another cult favourite has sadly been postponed.
Take a look inside the new Operation Ouch! interactive exhibition opening in Manchester tomorrow
Emily Sergeant
Fancy plunging headfirst into the incredible world of our senses?
Well now you can, as back by popular demand after a successful run over these past two years, but with a fresh new adventure lined up for 2025, Operation Ouch! has landed in Manchester once again, and this time around, you can journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
The major new exhibition for children and families, which is titled Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You, is officially opening down at the Science and Industry Museum from tomorrow.
Visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies, and You is opening in Manchester tomorrow / Credit: Science Museum Group
Mini Manc medics can explore their brilliant brains by banging on an eardrum, venturing into a massive eyeball, and even taking a whiff of a ‘smell library’ during what sounds like a properly playful and lively interactive adventure at the museum.
You’ll get to enter Dr Chris’ brain headquarters through his giant ear, making sure to dodge the earwax, before venturing through the five senses of touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste with loads of hands-on science experiences, as well as discovering some of the secret senses that help us with our balance, know when it’s time to sleep, and even when to go for a wee.
Educational as well as entertaining, you’ll even get to find out about how our sensory experiences can vary from children who are living with disabilities.
Video appearances from Dr Chris, Dr Xand, and Dr Ronx from the hit BBC children’s TV series, Operation Ouch!, will pop up throughout the exhibition to help visitors understand more about the science behind the fun.
Ahead of the opening of the exhibition, Steven Leech, who is the Curator of Exhibitions at the Science and Industry Museum, commented: “From sight and sound, to some lesser-known senses, our bodies are truly sense-sational.
Visitors can plunge head-first into the incredible world of our senses / Credit: Science Museum Group
“Our brains rely on our senses to help us understand and explore the world around us, and in this exhibition, you will take part in an epic experiment that is bursting with brilliant brain science.
“Just like our previous Operation Ouch! exhibition, Brains, Bogies and You will offer a playful experience that builds confidence in young people who want to explore science, so get ready for the trip of a lifetime and come and get stuck into the science inside all of us.”
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You opens at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester city centre tomorrow (14 February 2025) and will run right up until 4 January 2026 – with tickets priced at £10 each and now on sale.
Daisy Jackson -
14th August 2024 
