Manchester Pride Festival 2024 – parade route, line-up, tickets and more

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

It’s probably the most popular element of the Manchester Pride Festival every year, and 2024 is set to be no different.

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.

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 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).

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?

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.

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.

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.

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).

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