Pride paints the town red, orange, yellow...
Plus: Your citylife guide to eveything that’s on
MANCHESTER will soon burst with rainbow colours as the city begins preparations for the annual Pride celebrations.
This weekend the annual festival, previously known as Mardi Gras, takes place around Canal Street celebrating and raising money for the LGBT community.
Ahead of the influx of visitors, the city centre has been given a splash of colour as shops, bars and businesses get in the party mood.
Right outside Piccadilly station, the pavement leading out onto Piccadilly Approach and the bridge which crosses towards the Gay Village has been given a lick of paint in the colours of the rainbow flag. Canal Street, as would be expected, is a sea of rainbow flags with bunting hung out across the street and other decorations placed along the scenic waterside stretch to make it look its best.
In Spinningfields, another amazing rainbow walkway has been painted on The Avenue, off Deansgate, next to a giant paint brush structure.
An array of businesses are showing their support for Pride, from Japanese restaurant Wagamama’s, which has installed a giant rainbow window display, to German beer hall Albert’s Schloss which is also flying the rainbow flag.
At gin joint Impossible on Peter Street, the sign bears the message: “When you reduce life to black and white, you never see rainbows #LGBTQ.”
Some of the biggest names in pop from Rita Ora to Sigala, Pete Tong, Alexandra Burke, Jake Shears and Louise are headlining the Big Weekend music festival which takes place across four days from today to Bank Holiday Monday, with the main stage in the Gay Village before moving next year.
On Sunday, more than 4,000 people will take part and tens of thousands will line the streets to watch as floats and marchers weave their way throughout the city centre to show their support to the LGBT community.
Then on Monday, a candlelit vigil will take place in Sackville Gardens to remember those who died as a result of the HIV virus and challenge the stigma that still exists around the disease.