True Pride, a one-day queer festival billed as a 'cultural experience', will make its debut in Manchester this summer, featuring a diverse programme of music, film, comedy and performance. The event will take place at Hidden, on Mary Street in Cheetham Hill, on Saturday, August 1, and promises a fully queer-curated line-up of musicians, artists, filmmakers, comedians, DJs and wellness experts all under one roof.
Headline Acts and Performers
Leading the line-up is electronic musician and producer Planningtorock, alongside trans musician Jasmine.4.t, who broke out with her critically acclaimed debut album You Are The Morning in early 2025. The festival will also feature Jamie Irrepressible’s cult project The Irrepressible, Canadian songwriter Joel Gibb of The Hidden Cameras, and a string quartet showcasing queer composers and musical histories, curated by composer Leo Chadburn.
Cult queer icon, artist and avant-garde performer David Hoyle will appear for a special in-conversation event. His recent partnership with Parisian fashion house Mugler has gone viral online. Additional performers include Chloe Hawes, Run Remedy, Ollie Becker, Alabaster Queen and Witch of the East.
Film, Literature and DJ Sets
A programme of queer arthouse films, curated by Tom Wilson, will screen in the Basement space. Author Paul Magrs, behind the novel Never The Bride, will appear in conversation with Liam Walsh to discuss his body of work across books, radio and short stories. Jamie Irrepressible will also perform a DJ set, singing live to his collaborations with artists such as Röyksopp, Rex The Dog, Ionne, Tinlicker, and Felsmann + Tiley.
The Acoustic Stage, one of three transformed spaces, will feature open mic performers from the Queer as F**k platform. From midnight to 2am, the middle floor will host a DILF takeover by DJs Dan Louder and Nick Charles.
Venue and Community Impact
Hidden, which opened in 2015, has been named one of the best clubs in the country by DJ Mag and won the publication's Best Club prize at the DJ Mag Best of British Awards in 2023. The festival will also feature performances from Reptile B and Carter The Bandit, the first recipients of Of Naked Design’s new ONF Fund, which supports queer songwriters from disadvantaged backgrounds with a £2,000 support package and performance opportunity.
Founded and curated by a group of LGBTQ+ artists and creatives, True Pride aims to become a major annual celebration of queer arts and culture. Jamie Irrepressible said: 'True Pride is about creating a space where queer artists, audiences and stories are not on the side-lines but at the centre. It’s about building something celebratory, representative and genuinely exciting – a platform for both emerging voices and established artists across the community. We hope this first year will be the start of something that grows into a major, long‑term home for queer culture in Manchester.'
Event Details
The festival will take place at Hidden on August 1 from 12pm to 2am, strictly for ages 18 and over. Tickets, from £22.71 for students, are available via DICE or Eventbrite.
