Manchester's Gay Village is set to host the first-ever Manchester Village Pride, a community-led event created after the voluntary liquidation of the company behind Manchester Pride last October. The new event, backed by around £120,000 from Gay Village venues alone, aims to rebuild trust and reconnect with the origins of Pride.
Community Takes Control
The bars and venues of the Gay Village, alongside partners including Manchester Council and the Equity union, formed a Community Interest Company (CIC) to ensure the celebrations continued. The CIC's board of directors are unpaid, with wristband sales covering security, artists, and welfare costs. All profits are reinvested into grassroots grants for local queer groups including AKT, George House Trust, LGBT Foundation, The Proud Trust, and Sparkle.
Tracey Walsh, owner of New York New York on Bloom Street, has been part of the Village for around 37 years. She said: "I absolutely love Pride. I still get goose pimples every year when I see the familiar faces who visit from Holland or Ireland just to celebrate Pride in Manchester. It’s a very special event to so many people." She added: "I feel like this year is a big restart for many of us. It’s very much more community based."
Venues Unite After Financial Collapse
The company behind Manchester Pride went into voluntary liquidation last October, owing around £1.3m to artists, suppliers, and staff. Nick Curtis and Andrew Underwood, owners of The Eagle on Bloom Street, said businesses quickly came together to plan. Nick said: "It has really shown us what people are willing to do to bring the community together. As businesses in the Village, it’s brought us all a lot closer together."
Liam Martyn, Area Manager for VIA on Canal Street, said: "I think having the Village venues collectively supporting Pride sends an incredibly powerful and positive message. Pride gives us an opportunity to put that competition to one side and recognise that we are all custodians of something much bigger."
A Weekend of Celebration and Reflection
Manchester Village Pride runs from August 28 to 31, featuring a city centre parade on Saturday with a No Place Like Home theme, a Candlelight Vigil on Monday, and performances from Nadine Coyle, Danny Beard, Kate Nash, Cascada, and more. Bars will host their own entertainment, with themes inspired by The Wizard of Oz and the Spice Girls' 30th anniversary.
Andrew Underwood said: "There’s a real focus on the community this time round and I think the atmosphere is going to be something very special. I feel like it’s going back to its roots - and it’s about time." Liam Martyn added: "Of course, Pride should be fun. But alongside that, there is an important message around visibility, equality, acceptance and remembering the progress that has been made, while recognising there is still more to do."
