GLOWING WITH PRIDE
GAY, LESBIAN, BI, STRAIGHT, TRANS – WHATEVER, LIVERPOOL PRIDE IS SIMPLY A GREAT TIME WITH A POWERFUL MESSAGE.
This weekend Liverpool City Region is looking even more colourful. Liverpool Pride champions LGBT+ rights by bringing people together to celebrate diversity. Hate is a cold, dark and lonely place, pride is bright, varied and inclusive.
Take a look what’s going on below, come down and join in. Liverpool Pride is all about being welcoming, open and supportive of other people and it’s a perfect fit for our super-friendly city region.
ALL LIT UP
Liverpool’s landmark architecture is set for a fabulous, multi-coloured make-over this weekend, to celebrate Liverpool Pride and LGBT+ people.
A selection of our city’s most iconic buildings will cast off their usual look and take on all the colours of the rainbow, in the luminous form of light projections to mark the event.
St John’s Beacon, St. George’s Hall, Liverpool Central Library, FACT, Royal Court Theatre, Everyman Theatre, Liverpool Football Clubs Kop and many local authority buildings across the city region are standing out in bright lights to celebrate Liverpool City Region’s diversity and inclusivity.
Michael Carey, from Liverpool Pride Festival, said: “Come Out of the Shadows is in its third year and is going from strength to strength. Our aim is simple, to challenge hate crime.”
THE MARCH
Taking place this weekend across Titherbarn Street and the surrounding area, the two-day festival will set off as usual from St George’s Hall at 12:00 noon and wind its way through the City Centre, culminating at Moorfields.
THE ENTERTAINMENT
The main stage, sponsored by Barclays will be erected by Liverpool’s famous Superlambananna. A second ‘San Francisco’ stage will be located in the square between Vernon Street and Cunliffe Street. Manchester Airport are sponsoring the second stage and hosting the events Manchester Airport Boston Bar.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor will headline the main stage alongside drag star and Celebrity Big Brother winner Courtney Act, the cast of Kinky Boots, House of Suarez, Rogue Minogue and Queen Zee.
The Manchester Airport San Francisco Stage will feature a unique cabaret programme, curated by the Liverpool Queer Collective.
SUNDAE FUNDAY
Day two of Liverpool Pride comes in the fine form of ‘Sundae Funday’ at The Bluecoat. The family-focused day will feature dance, arts and craft activities, food market, and barbecue in the Bluecoat Garden, alongside Pride events at the International Slavery Museum, Walker Art Gallery, Museum of Liverpool and Liverpool Cathedral.
PLAYS, PICTURES AND PARTNERSHIPS
In addition to Pride weekend a whole host of LGBT+ events will take place across the city to celebrate the month of Pride.
In theatre, the LGBT+ drama comedy The Ruby Slippers comes to Liverpool’s Royal Court from 24 – 28 July starring Emmerdale’s Kurtis Stacey. Grin Theatre’s annual Queertet comes to The Casa on 26 and 27 July.
Pride at the Pictures presents All About My Mother on Monday 23 July and Divine Divas in association with Brazilica on Monday 30 July.
THE THEME
This year’s theme is #AllTogetherNow, which encompasses every branch of the LGBT+ and wider communities coming together no matter what their ethnicity, gender, sexuality, belief or however they define themselves in celebration of equality and diversity.
John Bird, Co-Chair of Liverpool Pride said: “This is an important year for Liverpool. It’s a decade since the city held the prestigious title of European Capital Of Culture 2008 – and the Liverpool Pride Festival 2018 will play its part in this year’s celebrations.
“We’ve had a wonderful three years with the St George’s Quarter as our home, but we are taking this milestone cultural year as an opportunity for change to move forward, develop and expand the festival. We are working closely with Culture Liverpool and other cultural partners to ensure that this year’s event in its new location proves to be a huge success.”
For the full festival programme including all community events visit liverpoolpride.co.uk.
Attend the events. Show your support and use the #AllTogetherNow