Record crowds at city’s Pride
ORGANISERS SAY 25,000 PEOPLE LINED ROUTE AND TOWN MOOR
THOUSANDS of people turned out to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community at Northern Pride with event organisers saying it was a record-breaking year for crowds in Newcastle.
An incredible 25,000 people took part in the Pride March through the streets of Newcastle on Saturday, July 23 with thousands of supporters lining the streets to cheer them on. The free event was held on the city’s Town Moor over the weekend of July 22 to 24 for the first time in two years since the start of the Covid pandemic.
The celebration has been awarded UK Pride status, which brought in an audience not just from across the country but across the globe. Visitors from as far as the USA and Australia headed to the event, which included performances from stars such as Melanie C, Louise Redknapp and Joe Mcelderry.
Organisers say they are now planning for next year’s Pride.
Ste Dunn, director of Northern Pride, said: “We have had so much positive feedback about every aspect of the day, from the live performances which focused on local LGBTQ+ artists, to the community village zones including activities for families and health support and advice. We’ve also received positive feedback on our accessibility efforts including our raised platform for wheelchair users and on new additions to the festival including the LGBT Northern Social Group zone.
“We were delighted to also have representatives from the Pride organisers community, including Kristine Garina, President of European Pride Organisers Association, Hadi Damien and Debbie Brixey, President and Vice President of Interpride, respectively.
“The Pride Festival is such an important opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community to come together and celebrate, but it is also an opportunity to remember the history of Pride and the struggles that many people still face. That is why we need to continue to speak out against Lgbt-phobic hate crimes and violence against our community, whilst also demanding change, especially for our trans, non-binary and gender diverse community.”