Pride chiefs to change music event
BOSSES TAKE ACTION ON MAYFIELD FESTIVAL FOLLOWING COMPLAINTS
MANCHESTER Pride Live will return to Mayfield this summer with a reduced capacity and a commitment to improving disabled access following complaints about last year’s event.
The two-day music festival made its debut at the venue last August as part of the wider LGBT+ celebrations across the city over the bank holiday weekend.
Hosting a line-up of artists including Ariana Grande, Cheryl Cole and Years & Years, it marked a significant step up in scale from the Gay Village stages that hosted the event’s music programme in previous years.
But the new format also attracted criticism, with festival-goers complaining of overcrowding in the main arena and long queues for the toilets and bars.
Concerns were also raised over disabled access at the parade and the Gay Village Party across the weekend.
Organisers apologised at the time to festival-goers who didn’t have ‘an enjoyable experience’ and promised to investigate ‘all concerns and complaints.’
Now they’ve announced the capacity – which was around 15,000 for the whole site last year – will be cut by ‘at least 2,000’ for this year’s event on August 29 and 30.
Extra toilets will also be provided on site, they have promised.
Manchester Pride Mark Fletcher said: “Our audience told us that the event was very busy and we want to create the very best guest experience possible.
“We can’t say exactly how much [capacity] will be reduced by at this stage, but it will be at least 2,000.
“We are working with our partner agencies on the plan for the event this year.”
Disabled access will also be addressed at a series of ‘listening groups’ in the run-up to this year’s festival, which organisers say will be the ‘most inclusive event yet.’
Visit manchesterpride.com for more information.