The August bank holiday weekend has been home to Manchester Pride for more than 40 years.
From its humble beginnings in 1985 as a fundraiser for Monsall Hospital’s HIV and Aids ward, Manchester Pride grew into one of the country’s biggest LGBTQ+ events.
When the company behind it went into voluntary liquidation last year, many were worried there would be no Pride in 2026.
But Manchester City Council tried to allay fears when, in January, it announced that a new not-for-profit community interest company (CIC), Manchester Village Pride, would take over the running of the four-day event.
Manchester Village Pride is run by volunteer directors and is mainly made up of businesses from Manchester’s Gay Village.
Venues in the area have loaned the new organisation £120,000 to support the planning and delivery of the event.
Tickets went on sale in February with organisers saying they have been selling well.

