BRIGHTON PRIDE TAKES OVER THE CITY!

450,000 people. One seaside city. 35 years of Pride and absolutely no intention of slowing down.

Brighton has never been particularly interested in doing things quietly, the city once again became a technicolour collision of music, protest, fashion, community and unapologetic self-expression as hundreds of thousands descended on the seaside for Brighton & Hove Pride.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary, this year’s Pride was more than a party. It was a reminder of why the party exists in the first place.

Around 300,000 people were expected to take part in or watch the parade, with estimates suggesting as many as 450,000 people descended on Brighton across the weekend making it one of the biggest Pride celebrations in the UK and we were amongst the incredible spectacle.

Raye took over the headline slot on Saturday, while the weekend’s Pride in the Park programme also featured Jessie J, Self Esteem, Leigh-Anne, Five and a DJ set from RuPaul, with the legendary Diana Ross set to close out the mainstage celebrations on Sunday.

Brighton Pride managing director Paul Kemp acknowledged the significance of the moment, describing the anniversary as particularly poignant against a backdrop of concern over LGBTQ+ rights.

Brighton’s first Pride march took place in 1973, organised by the Sussex Gay Liberation Front. It was a much smaller and more dangerous expression of visibility than the festival we know today, with only a fraction of the community feeling safe enough to participate.

More than £1.4 million reportedly raised for LGBTQ+ causes, Pride’s impact stretches beyond the festival weekend and into the organisations and communities it supports. The event also delivers a significant boost to Brighton’s local economy.