Parade and Events

The theme for this year's Manchester Pride Parade is Love!

Love has long been a source of strength and resilience for LGBTQ+ people. In the face of historical and ongoing discrimination, love has helped queer people have the courage to be themselves.

Manchester has always been a trailblazer for LGBTQ+ equality. In 1964, the North West Homosexual Law Reform Committee set the stage for LGBTQ+ liberation, led by Allan Horsfall, the group eventually became the national Campaign for Homosexual Equality and were instrumental in the decriminalisation of homosexual behaviour between two consenting males.

Fast forward to 1988 and again Manchester demonstrated its power in coming together. Over 20,000 voices resonated through the streets of Manchester in a historic protest against Section 28, marking one of the largest LGBTQ+ demonstrations in the UK.

If you have any questions, please email lgbt@manchester.ac.uk.

Get involved with the parade

The University will once again be entering the Manchester Pride Parade on Saturday 23 August. The focus will be on our unwavering support for our LGBTQ+ community, and in particular trans+ and non-binary members of our community, which is more important than ever in light of recent events in the UK and across the world.

We will once again have a combined float and walking entry, and the design is currently being finalised. Visit the Pride webpages to see how you can get involved!

Want to join the University’s entry to the Parade?

Sign-up to be part of the Parade here!

Other events

Pride isn't just the Parade - find out what else is going on:

A Screening of Love Bound

Saturday 2 August 2025 / 2pm - 4pm

The Manchester Museum, in partnership with Queer East, are showing a free screening of Love Bound in the museum’s Kanaris Lecture Theatre. The screening is to be followed by a discussion by director and representative from Queer China UK, Shanshan.

Curator tour: The Secret Public LGBTQ Pop 1955-1985

Thursday 7 August 2025 / 3pm – 3.30pm

Thursday 11 September / 3pm – 3.30pm

Take a free tour of the new exhibition, The Secret Public: LGBTQ Pop 1955–1985, with curator Mat Bancroft. Based on a book by Professor Jon Savage, it shows how LGBTQ artists and activists helped shape pop culture, using material from his archives and the University of Manchester’s British Pop Archive.

Lunchtime Drop-In Session with the Committee Chairs 

Friday 8 August 2025 / 12.00pm - 1.00pm 

The two chairs of this year’s Pride Committee have heard concerns about what our parade entry is going to look like this year, and so they will be available on Teams for an hour to answer any questions! You don’t have to stay for the full session if you don’t want to; you can pop in at any point and ask a question.   · Sign up

Pride Parade ‘Construction Evening’

Thursday 14 August, 4:30 - 6:30pm

B15 George Begg Building (Building 17 on Campus Map)

Come and meet this year's Pride Committee in an informal session to start the festivities! We’ll provide the materials and refreshments; all you need to do is turn up prepared to create artwork for the float and placards which will show your pride and the message you want to share with the community on parade day. Arrival at any point, stay as long or as little as you like.

Sign up for the Construction Evening

Allies Training

Wednesday 20th August 2025 / 2pm – 4.15pm (Online – Currently full but can request to be added to the Waiting List)

Tuesday 23rd September 2025 / 10am – 12.15pm (In-Person)

We would like to encourage as many people as possible to become Allies. More details on becoming an Ally can be found here. Training sessions have been organised to explain what it means to be an LGBT+ ally, why we have allies and how you can maximise your time as an ally. · Book a place on one of the next Allies Training Sessions.

Drag and Draw: Life Drawing Pride Edition

Thursday 21 August 2025 / 6pm – 8pm

The Whitworth Art Gallery are hosting DRAG & DRAW, an event that blends art and drag in the most spectacular way! This Pride edition will be hosted by InDemand and the model will be none other than local legend Liquorice Black.

For more details and to book your tickets, head to Eventbrite


The Grey Area Writing Group & Book Club

Thursday 28 August 2025 / 6.30pm - 8.30pm

A new trans and queer writing group and book club in Manchester for writers and book lovers to get the chance to meet, share work and find like-minded people.

Pride Dates in Greater Manchester

There are still plenty of local Pride events for you to add to your calendars:

Pride Date
Trans Pride Manchester Saturday 2 August
Levenshulme Pride Saturday 2 August
Prestwich Pride Thursday 7 August - Monday 11 August
Wigan Pride Saturday 16 August 2025
Manchester Pride Friday 15 August - Monday 25 August
Didsbury Pride Saturday 30 August
Bury Rainbow Train Date to be Confirmed
Chorlton Pride Saturday 13 September

Useful links