8 of the Best Pride Parades in England
June is Pride month, but all through summer in England you’ll find fantastic Pride parades across the country to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Pride parades always have a wonderful atmosphere, lots to do, and are centred around love, friendship and inclusivity. If you want to join in, here are the best Pride parades in England.
If you’re seeing rainbow coloured flags everywhere, it’s probably June! All over the world June is officially Pride month, which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community with tonnes of amazing events, festivals and parades. People dress up and head to their nearest event to get involved, and sometimes take part in things to help raise money for relevant causes.
There are plenty of amazing days out in June to start your summer the right way, and Pride is always a fantastic day out with plenty of meaning behind it. If you’re looking for the best Pride events in the country, we’ve pulled together 8 of the best Pride parades in England for you to check out.
8 of the Best Pride Parades in England
Where to go in England to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in 2023…
1. Brighton & Hove Pride
Dates: Friday 4th August – Monday 7th August 2023
Brighton is one of the 9 best places to visit in England, and it just happens to be the home of one of the biggest and best Pride parades in the whole country. Famous the world over, Brighton has long had an LGBTQ+ friendly history, and Brighton Pride is a colourful celebration that stretches inland from the seafront.
You can tell how special this event is from the calibre of past acts who have performed at Brighton Pride; Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, The Black Eyed Peas, and many more. Brighton Pride 2023 promises to be just as amazing.
This waterside city will be abuzz with everything from drag artists to live music to street performers and more, all turning the city into a rainbow. This is definitely one of the best Pride parades in England, so if you want to do Pride right, Brighton is where it’s at!
2. York Pride
Dates: Saturday 3 June – Sunday 4th June 2023
In North Yorkshire you’ll find York’s own Pride event, celebrating LGBTQ+ communities in the north and beyond. The historic streets of York make for an excellent setting to party the day and night away by attending a drag show, tucking into tasty dishes from the many food stalls, and dancing in the street to all your favourite songs.
The whole event kicks off with the parade, where lots of people (usually dressed in lots of colour) march from York Minster all the way through the centre to Knavesmire, where the festival will take place.
In 2023, the finale of Pride is an epic boat trip down the River Ouse, where you’ll board the Love-is-Love boat for drinks, dancing and some fabulous views. This unique ending makes this one of the best Pride parades in England.
3. Manchester Pride
Dates: Friday 25th August – Monday 28th August 2023
Manchester Pride is always a fantastic time. Back in 1985, Manchester City Council funded a 2-week long celebration for the LGBTQ+ community, which became the first Pride event. Today, Manchester Pride is one of the country’s biggest and best, celebrating the culture and providing a safe, inclusive and very, very fun space for everyone to join in.
Manchester Pride 2023 will be another celebration that’ll bring the house down. The line-up for their festival is 96% queer performers, plus your ticket price will partly go towards supporting LGBTQ+ projects in Manchester. If you want to support your local area and community, this is an excellent event to get involved in, and easily one of the best Pride parades in England.
While you’re in Manchester, you may also be interested in these 23 awesome days out in Greater Manchester.
4. Birmingham Pride
Dates: Saturday 27th May 2023
Birmingham Pride is a big event, with headline acts, live bands and local musicians all getting in on the festival action. The event first took place back in 1997, but since then it has become one of the biggest events in Birmingham’s calendar each year.
With around 75,000 people participating in (or watching!) the yearly Pride parade which makes its way through the Birmingham streets, it’s best to plan ahead when attending to avoid anyone in your party getting lost
Birmingham Pride runs projects throughout the year to help improve the lives of the LGBTQ+ community in Birmingham and the West Midlands, and this event is an excellent example of everyone coming together to celebrate this at one of the best Pride parades in England.
5. Bristol Pride
Dates: Saturday 24th June – Sunday 9th July 2023
Bristol Pride 2023 will be epic as always. Although the event goes on for 2 whole weeks in this vibrant city, Saturday 8th July is the big one — it’s when the parade takes place.
Past years have seen 40,000 people attend the festival, and around 20,000 marching in or around the parade. You’ll find a main stage with some fantastic acts playing, the Pride Cabaret Stage (which this year features RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and Drag Race US), a Family Area, the Circus Tent, a Dance Performance Stage, a silent disco area and even a wellbeing area.
Elsewhere in the city during the rest of the festival you can check out the LGBTQ+ history boat tours, Drag Bingo nights, and much more. So much to see and do at one of the best Pride parades in England!
6. Cambridge Pride
Dates: Saturday 17th June 2023
Cambridge Pride is really something special, and uses the unique architecture and charm of the city to take Pride to the water. Past Cambridge Pride events have seen the River Cam covered in punts all adorned in rainbow colours, and it’s really something to behold.
As with other Pride events around the country, Cambridge Pride celebrates inclusivity in the city and beyond, and creates a safe, fun place for all communities to come together and enjoy the festivities. The River Cam is a must-see during this event, but you’ll find more action on Jesus Green, where in previous years around 10,000 people came to celebrate.
Although smaller than other Pride events in the country, the atmosphere here definitely makes it one of the best Pride parades in England.
7. London Pride
Dates: Saturday 1st July 2023
The biggest Pride in the world may be New York, but London holds the candle for the biggest Pride in England! London Pride has been an iconic street party for a long time, and London Pride 2023 will be no exception.
London Pride is the parade to end all parades! Get a good spot along the route early and join in the cheering, singing and dancing as London turns into a rainbow party for the day.
Bars along the route will have local musicians playing, street performers will have everyone smiling, and don’t forget to check out their Pride’s Got Talent event. London isn’t just one of the best Pride parades in England, it’s officially the biggest.
If you want to keep the party going, you may also be interested in the 10 best day festivals in London for 2023.
8. Margate Pride
Dates: Saturday 12th August 2023
Everyone loves Margate. From its seaside location to its famed amusement park, there are lots of reasons to visit Margate in summer, but none as good as Margate Pride.
Dreamland plays host to a bunch of excellent headline acts, including B*witched, Claire Richards and Duncan James, who will all be performing in front of a huge crowd. This Pride event benefits from the already colourful and very fun fairground atmosphere, with plenty of rides around to jump on, fish and chips to munch on, and a late night disco to dance the night away.
With such an incredible setting (an amusement park by the sea!), Margate is definitely one of the best Pride parades in England. Not to mention, one of our 13 best theme parks in England.
8 Best Pride Parades in England
Dying to don your most multi-coloured attire and head out to one of these epic Pride events and parades around the country? We don’t blame you. Pride festivals always have an electric atmosphere with plenty to do, see, eat and drink. Oh, and of course, plenty of L-O-V-E.
Will you be attending one of the best Pride parades in England this year? Let us know in the comments…
Quicklist: 8 Best Pride Parades in England
- Brighton & Hove Pride
- York Pride
- Manchester Pride
- Birmingham Pride
- Bristol Pride
- Cambridge Pride
- London Pride
- Margate Pride
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