Will Manchester Pride return in 2026?

18 hours ago

Darren Milby,North Westand

Laura O'Neill,North West

The weekend spectacular once again promises a party to be reckoned with

Manchester Pride Three participants in a Manchester Pride parade. One wears a black trilby and black and white checked suit (left). The central marcher has a beard, black and white outfit with a multicoloured circle around the midriff while the person on the right has a multi patterned black and white dress and dyed blue hair. — The weekend spectacular once again promises a party to be reckoned with

There are hopes Manchester Pride will return in 2026 - with the city council stepping in to offer support - after the charity behind the event recently went into voluntary liquidation.

Dozens of businesses and performers said in October that requests for payment worth thousands of pounds had been met with silence by event organisers.

Bosses at the time blamed Pride's collapse on a "combination of rising costs, declining ticket sales and an ambitious refresh of the format aimed to challenge these issues".

Manchester city councillor Pat Karney said he was "all in favour" of a cheaper, "home-made Pride" and the council had already had "very positive meetings" with a number of interested parties.

Nathaniel J Hall, creative producer of one event during the Pride weekend, Manchester Pride Vigil, said the priority going forward should be rebuilding trust between creators like themselves and organisers.

Nathaniel J Hall says there has been a loss of trust between organisers and creators

Nathaniel has short, dark hair spiked up at the front. They wear round glasses and a white t-shirt. Their room is painted pink and decorated with pictures organised in a gallery wall behind their pink couch — Nathaniel J Hall says there has been a loss of trust between organisers and creators

"Everyone who makes Manchester Pride should get paid. It's not just about the money either, there's a real sense that a lot of trust has been lost in the creative sector and the LGBTQ+ sector in Greater Manchester," he said.

"There was not just the financial impact, there was the emotional impact of it all as well."

They said Pride, which usually takes place over the August bank holiday weekend, meant "so many things to so many people" and it was not just a big hedonistic party.

"Manchester Pride was a fantastic event with youth Pride, family Pride, one of the most diverse line-ups of any Pride event across the whole of the UK."

Sarah Miguel from the LGBT foundation says Pride brings huge economic benefits to the city

Sarah stands in front of a bar on Manchester's Canal Street, she has long fair hair and wears a green jacket over a black t-shirt — Sarah Miguel from the LGBT foundation says Pride brings huge economic benefits to the city

Sarah Miguel, from the LGBT foundation, said she hoped to see more representation and diversity from Pride in 2026 and beyond.

"Looking ahead we want it to still remain to be a positive and a party place but keep that essence of protest," she said.

"Manchester has always been at the heart of these movements for equality and Pride is part of that so we want that essence kept there.

She said Pride brought "a huge economic benefit to the city" and she wanted to see the people involved benefiting from that as well.

"We think it is really important that queer creatives in our city are paid and receiving the benefit of that next year."

Manchester city councillor Pat Karney says the council has already had "very positive meetings" with a number of interested parties

Pat Karney stands in front of a bar on Manchester's Canal Street. He has short hair and wears round glasses. He wears a black coat over a white shirt — Manchester city councillor Pat Karney says the council has already had "very positive meetings" with a number of interested parties

Councillor Karney explained: "Pride is a massive economic boost to the city that puts Manchester on the global map," he said.

"We've been doing this for decades and it would be a tragedy if Pride disappears, it would be a really bad mark on the city."

He added: "The main job is to get Pride up and running next year.

"None of these Hollywood stars, exorbitant salaries and fees. There's plenty of artistic talent in Manchester.

"This is one of the leading cities for the LGBTQ community, we've got to have a Pride and I'm confident in 2026 we're going to have a great Pride."

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