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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Ellie Fearn

How a Derbyshire Town Turned a Pride Flag Controversy Into Matlock's First-Ever Pride Festival

Thousands gathered in Matlock for the inaugural Pride in the Peaks festival, held one year after the town's Pride flag controversy. (Credit: Photo by SHOX ART from Pexels)

Almost a year after a Pride flag was removed from above a Christian bookshop in Matlock, Derbyshire, the town came together for its first-ever Pride in the Peaks festival, drawing an estimated 3,500 people.

The event marked a striking contrast to the controversy that made national headlines in 2025, when the removal of a Pride flag sparked widespread debate about faith, inclusion and free expression.

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