Celebrate Manchester Pride partnership

Every year, over the August Bank Holiday weekend, Manchester Pride Festival takes over the city to celebrate the LGTBQ+ community.

The decision to postpone plans for the 2020 edition of Manchester Pride Festival was not taken lightly, with the team just as heartbroken as those who were eagerly awaiting the celebrations.

But not all is lost. Although Manchester Pride can’t take head to the streets this year, the city will still be celebrating with an Alternative Manchester Pride Festival spanning three days of live music, film, art, discussions and workshops.

Hosted by the wonderful Dean McCullough and Cheddar Gorgeous, Saturday sees United We Stream featuring new performances from Pixie Lott, Gok Wan, Manchester Queens and many more, as well as a look back on past highlights. Sunday is all about thought-provoking forums and conversations, Youth Pride MCR and amazing art pieces and conversation. And on Monday, there’ll be a Manchester Pride candlelit vigil.

We are committed to promoting equality and preventing discrimination which is why we’re proud to have supported Manchester Pride by contributing towards the organisation’s workspace overlooking the Gay Village since 2013. We're proud to work with the charity and how they tirelessly campaign for equality and challenge discrimination. Through our business and people alike, we encourage, champion and celebrate the unique voices, experiences, and ideas of our customers, colleagues and communities.

Get your Pride gear sorted at Afflecks

Our emporium of eclecticism, Afflecks will be proudly embracing and celebrating Pride as it does every year. With huge emphasis on self-love and pride in being yourself, Afflecks is a home for everyone. Afflecks offers a safe environment for all and is a registered hate crime reporting centre, providing a safe space for anyone who feels isolated, marginalised or is facing discrimination, and has trained staff on site who can offer support and advice.

If you want to show your Pride loud and proud, Afflecks is the place to go to make sure you have all you need to celebrate in style. The biggest Pride and gender identity shop in the UK, The Gay Pride Shop has teamed up with independent traders, all based at Afflecks, to offer a ‘Pride at Home’ kit which includes everything you need to get that festival feeling at home.

To be in with a chance of winning of these kits, head over to the Afflecks Instagram where the team will be giving away a 'Pride at Home' kit to one luck follower. 

Celebrate at Hatch

Across the Bank Holiday weekend, to celebrate all things Pride, hatch will be hosting live music, performances and fun activities for everyone. And its fabulous food traders, bars and retailers will all be open for you to explore. 

Resident open mic curator, Izzie Walsh will be bringing an incredible lineup of local artists to the Hatch stage on Saturday, 6-9pm. Grab a drink, settle in and find out what the city’s talent has to offer. 

Sunday is all about fun and games, with Drag Bingo hosted by the beautiful Banksie and Lill. Pick up a book and be in with the chance to win some incredible prizes from Afflecks and Hatch traders. It’s just £2 to enter and all proceeds go to Manchester Pride. 

Close out the weekend celebrations with Miss Chief cabaret, a spectacular showcase of live performances by local artists ready to dazzle, amaze and delight you. 

Manchester Pride celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life. The Manchester Pride charity actively fundraises to to enrich and empower LGBT+ organisations, charities and communities in Greater Manchester, with the aim of creating a world where LGBTQ+ people are free to live and love without prejudice. 

The Manchester Pride festivities aren’t just tied to the annual Festival, with a whole host of LGBT+ events and cultural activity going on throughout the year, albeit currently online. This abundance of opportunity for LGBTQ+ people to engage and thrive, and we're excited to get involved throughout the year.

Manchester Pride Festival has a huge positive impact on the lives of so many people. Not just those attending the spectacular event, but community organisations, local artists and Gay Village businesses. We extend our condolences to all those who have been affected by this year’s cancellation. 

For more information about Manchester Pride and their work campaigning for the advancement of LGBTQ+ equality and celebrating LGBTQ+ life at manchesterpride.com.