Manchester Pride is just around the corner. Tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on the city for the annual LGBTQ+ celebration over the Bank Holiday weekend (August 26-29).
This year’s Pride revolves around the themes of activism and peace, with most of the planned events taking place throughout the Gay Village. Performers including Melanie C, Nadine Coyle and Bimini will be taking to the stage during the four-day festival as well as a wide host of some of Manchester’s finest LGBTQ+ artists.
There will also be cinema screenings, cabaret shows, takeovers, and a host of other surprises that would only ever make sense during a Manchester Pride weekend.
READ MORE: Manchester Pride 2022 dates, tickets, parade and everything you need to know
This year’s music festival will be returning to Canal Street after being held at Mayfield Depot for the last couple of years. Weekend tickets to Manchester Pride’s Gay Village Party will cost £32.50 (down from last year’s £69.50 for the weekend Rainbow pass).
For those who don’t fancy shelling out or want a bit of respite away from the party, there’s plenty of free fun to be had which will ensure you’re still able to bask in the good vibes the festival has to offer.
One of the standout free events will undoubtedly be the Manchester Pride Parade, which properly returns in person for the first time since 2019. Other free events include a kids music workshop, art exhibitions, and walking tours.
We’ve rounded up some of the most exciting, the most unusual and - most important of all - free events taking place in the city to coincide with the Manchester Pride weekend.
Parade
The Manchester Pride Parade is a highlight to the Pride weekend and is a chance to celebrate all aspects of the LGBTQ+ community and allies. And if the weather’s good, then it’s even better.
This year’s ‘show-stopping, feel good procession’ will make a welcome return to form after being absent from the Pride calendar since 2019. The 2022 parade will be a ‘March for Peace’, a chance to highlight the importance of peace where all LGBTQ+ people are free to live without prejudice.
Mark Fletcher, Manchester Pride CEO, explained: “Our Parade message is loud and clear this year: No one is really free unless we are all free, and no one gets left behind."
The parade will take place on Saturday, August 27 and will begin at midday from the junction of Liverpool Road and Deansgate. The parade will then make its way through the city centre, before ending on Fairfield Street.
Pride Cinema
Ducie Street Warehouse will play host to a special Pride cinema event on Wednesday, August 24, which will serve as the perfect start to any Pride celebration.
The screening, hosted by Joshua Hubbard, will feature a series of shorts from North West-based queer filmmakers and is a chance to further open your eyes to just some of the bustling talent we’re lucky to have surrounding us. The screening will run from 6-11pm and is advised for people aged 18 and over. Free tickets from here.
Freedom To Be party
A free pre-Pride party? Sounds good to us. Ducie Street Warehouse will host a Freedom To Be party a week before Pride on Saturday, August 20.
The free event will feature DJs and performers from across Manchester's LGBTQ+ community and will also include a special set from the one and only Gok Wan. Just turn up on the night and celebrate (doors open 5pm).
Feel Good Fest
How can you not have a good time at a place named the Feel Good Club, right? On Saturday, August 27, the queer-owned venue in the Northern Quarter will host a day-long event for all ages with no ticket needed.
The festival will feature talks, live music, and even flash tattoos. The line-up throughout the day will include trans activist Charlie Craggs, Ghetto Fabulous founder Darren Pritchard and Manchester music legend DJ Paulette. Runs from 12pm to 11pm.
PROUD Living Portraits
One of the best ways to learn about a city is through its people and the PROUD exhibition promises to help you do just that by sharing stories from Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community.
Just by scanning a QR code at one of the 20 living portraits dotted around shop fronts in the city centre, your mobile phone will turn into an audio guide recounting the experiences from people such as Norman, who came out as bisexual at the age of 72.
The exhibition will run from August 20 to September 2 and offers an immersive and unique way to enjoy the city during Pride weekend. You can find more details about the exhibition here.
Disabled, Queer and Hear
On Sunday, August 28, the Northern Quarter’s Feel Good Club will host an afternoon celebrating queer people with disabilities.
The ‘drop-in social and show’ event will run from 12pm to 6pm and is open to all ages. Queer performers with disabilities will perform throughout the drop-in, including the likes of Sugar Cube, George the Dragon and the House of Crip.
Arts Social Music Rally & Rise-Up
NoirTones, a collective centering melanated musicianship of black origin, will host a night at Whitworth Locke for queer, trans and intersex people of colour (QTIPoC) and allies to converse, create, connect and celebrate.
The event, running from 7.30pm on Thursday, August 25, will feature live music and Cracking Good Food as people get the chance to swap ideas and prep placards for the Pride parade. Suitable for all, but people aged under 14 are asked to attend with a guardian. Tickets here.
Manchester is Queer exhibition
From drag balls in the 1800s to the city’s Anti-Section 28 protests in 1988, Manchester has a rich and varied LGBTQ+ history.
As part of the Superbia festival, the Manchester is Queer exhibition at co-working space SeeSaw on Princess Street will feature a collection of work from artists revolving around Manchester’s queer past, featuring many moments which are often forgotten about.
The exhibition will run from August 25 to 29.
‘New Normal' art trail
A trail of exhibitions showcasing queer art and culture through the work of 17 LGBTQ+ artists will be on display at Hilton House in the Northern Quarter.
Organised by property developer CERT, the event will feature work reflecting the artist's own experiences with identity, sexuality, and artistic ambition through the medium of spoken word, art installations, photography, DJ sets and more.
CERT marketing executive Johnny Villanueva is behind the event, and said: “Manchester has become my home and creating something like this is my way of giving back to the community that made me feel like I finally belong. I’m hoping that this journey will help develop NQ places to be more inclusive and welcoming to everyone regardless of gender, skin colour, and body shape. A safe place for everyone."
The free event runs from August 17 to 20.
Queer Kids Music Workshop
On Thursday, August 25, the School of Electronic Music will host a queer kids music workshop for those aged between 13 and 18.
The event, which runs from 2-4pm, will be hosted by Ableton-certified trainer Poppy Roberts, who has worked on leading music and production workshops internationally with the likes of the British Arts Council and The Prince’s Trust. During the workshop, Poppy will show kids how to use Ableton Live software and equipment. While the event is free to attend, tickets need to be sought from here.
The Untold Orchestra
Contact Theatre will showcase a ‘collaborative project’ from the Untold Orchestra and some of Manchester’s rising queer talent on Friday, August 26.
The ACT UP! show, made alongside Beau Azra, is described as a ‘40-minute musical ode to Queer protests past and future’ and will feature Cheddar Gorgeous, Shameer Rayes and Lavender Rodriguez. The event is suitable for people aged 16+. Tickets available here.
Walking Tours
Another way to explore the city is through a guided walking tour. Led by Joshua Martin and his team of local exports, the Free Manchester Walking Tours are a great way to learn more about Manchester and what makes it so special. During Pride, it's also a chance to discover some of the city's queer history too.
The 'Story of Manchester' tour runs every day at 11am from the Alan Turing Memorial in Sackville Gardens (meeting at the corner of Sackville and Whitworth Street during Pride weekend).
There is also a LGBT tour of the Gay Village held most Saturdays at 3pm, although this needs to be booked in advance (by emailing josh@fmwt.co.uk) and will not be taking place during Pride weekend. All of the tours are free to attend, but tipping is welcomed. More info here.
Come As You Are weekender
The Refuge and Kimpton Clocktower Hotel are teaming up once again for their annual celebration ‘Come As You Are Weekender’ over Pride weekend (August 26-27).
The event, held at The Refuge, will feature performances and music from headliners The Reflex and John Morales. The Hush Club, Julie Willis, Jimmy Turnbull, Supernature Disco, Sticky Heat, The Colonel and Steve Conrey will also be on hand to help you throw down some shapes.
There'll also be appearances from drag queens Cheddar Gorgeous and Liquorice Black just to ensure it's a Pride party like no other. Free entry and no tickets needed, just turn up.
QUEERCORE
Described as being ‘where workshop meets jam’, Fatty Acid, LAD$ Collective and Pride Punx will host a day-long artist session at NIAMOS on Friday, August 26.
Running from 1.30pm, the event will include a day of workshops, jamming and performances from the ‘cream of various scenes’. It’ll feature poetry, zines, music and a whole lotta punk. Tickets here.
'Together as One'
Rare and incredible photos from legendary club night Flesh and Manchester's section 28 protests are on display in an exhibition at The Refuge.
The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel’s ‘Together As One – A celebration of Manchester’s LGBTQIA+’ exhibition features work from photographers Peter J Walsh and Jon Shard as part of a collaboration with the British Culture Archive.
The event is open now and is expected to run until the end of August. More info here.
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