Rita to headline Pride
RITA Ora will headline Manchester Pride’s The Big Weekend 2018 - along with Jake Shears, Sigala and Alexandra Burke.
The four day celebration of LGBT+ culture - which takes place from Thursday August 24 to Monday August 27 - also features huge names including Ana Matronic, Nadine Coyle and Pete Tong.
Rita Ora tops the bill on the Thomas Cook Airlines Stage. The Gaydio Dance Arena will welcome TCTS, Ana Matronic, Jon Pleased Wimmin and Pete Tong along with some familiar faces including DJ Paulette, Jamie Bull, Kriss Herbert and Danny Howard.
Lucy Spraggan will be performing at her 10th Big Weekend, having played every stage at the event throughout her career. The Sackville Boutique Stage will play host to Proms In The Park, Heather Peace Presents and new addition, Bongo’s Bingo.
Two of the original DJs from New York Iconic Club Studio 54 Nicky Siano and Jellybean Benitez will recreate ‘A night at Studio 54’ in the Gaydio Dance Arena. Introduced by G-A-Y, international superstar and Hot Right Now singer Rita Ora will bring her appropriately named single, Proud, to the stage. Ora’s big break came in 2009 when an open-mike performance attended by one of Jay-Z’s A&R men landed her a deal with the rapper’s label, Roc Nation. In 2012, she provided the vocals for DJ Fresh’s drum’n’bass hit Hot Right Now, which topped the charts in the UK. She returned to the number one spot that same year with her debut solo single, R.I.P. Ora also released her eponymous debut album, which went straight to the number one spot on the UK album charts. Jake Shears, best known as lead singer for the Scissor Sisters, is stepping out on his own for the first time in 2018 and his performance at The Big Weekend will be one of his first solo shows in the UK. Sigala, is an English DJ, record producer and remixer who’s had six top 10 hits, including his 2015 debut number one Easy Lovewhich samples ABC, by the Jackson 5. He’s collaborated with some of the biggest names in music including Sigma, Ella Eyre, Imani Williams, DJ Fresh, Nile Rodgers, Craig David and Paloma Faith. Mark Fletcher
Mark Fletcher, chief executive for Manchester Pride, said; “This year we’ve curated the most eclectic, yet musically credible, line-up The Big Weekend has ever seen.
“From international artists like Rita Ora and Jake Shears, to underground stars such as Big Freedia and TCTS, we feel that this is a selection of artists that only Manchester Pride could present. It’s going to be an incredible celebration!
“The line-up for the Gaydio Dance Arena is huge. Disco legends Nicky Siano and Jellybean Benitez are flying in especially to give us a taste of Studio 54. It’s not to be missed!”
The Manchester Pride Festival, which is made up of The Big Weekend, The Manchester Pride Parade, The Candlelit Vigil and The Superbia Weekend, is an award-winning four day event celebrating LGBT+ life.
Third release Big Weekend tickets are priced at £28 for the full weekend, £20 for day tickets and family and children’s tickets are also available.
Tickets provide guests with access to the event site, including the Main Arena, Sackville Gardens Boutique Stage, the Gaydio Dance Arena and the Expo and help Manchester Pride raise essential money for LGBT+ causes in Greater Manchester.
For more information on The Big Weekend visit the website at festival. manchesterpride.com.
To find out more about Manchester Pride you can follow the charity on Twitter @manchesterpride or visit the website at manchesterpride.com.