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We're incredibly excited to share that our market stall application is now OPEN! Hopefully you've heard the incredibly exciting news that we are moving into the heart of the city, and taking over many venues, spaces and places! This year our Market Village will consume space around Grey's Monument, and Old Eldon Square, providing our exhibitors a fantastic opotunity to showcase their products and services to not only the expected Pride attendees, but everyone coming to the city for the weekend. That’s an estimated additional 36,000 people! 🌈 MARKET VILLAGE 📅 Saturday 20th July ⏰ 12 noon till 5pm 📍 Grey's Monument and Old Eldon Square ℹ️ www.northern-pride.com/marketvillage Under the theme “unapologetically visible” we have a fantastic opotunity to put our community at the centre of the city. Providing our makers and creators a fantastic experience trading surrounded by some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, and for all our service providers, the ability to showcase their offerings to not just the LGBTQIA+ community, but those traveling into the city that day. Through the application process, not only will you have the chance to join us at the Market Village in the city, but you can join one of our community zones, from Family and Youth, Health and Wellbeing, Sport and Active Life, or even at the Curious Arts stage! Due to this change in location, demand will be high and pitch allocations will be given on a first come first served basis. Market village deadline is 1 June 2024, so get your application in quick!

One of the largest events on the North East calendar will return this year, but will be heading in a brand new direction. Traditionally Northern Pride has been held on the outskirts of the city, having taken place at both Exhibition Park and the Town Moor in previous years. But today we've unveiled ambitious plans for 2024, which will make the event even more inclusive than ever before. Pride in the City was announced at a breakfast launch this morning, moving the annual festival into a number of locations across Newcastle city centre over the weekend of 19-21 July. Under the theme “unapologetically visible” the aim now is to bring around 80,000 people to Newcastle during the Pride weekend, by bringing all the festival favourites right into the heart of the city. Director of Northern Pride, Ste Dunn, outlined the plans to an audience of supporters and the business community at today’s launch event held at Northern Stage. “Our mission is clear. We’re using our festival to highlight the vibrant and beautiful queer community, the valuable impact they have on society and the richness of their talents, from makers and creators, to performers and activists,” he said. “This will also be a fantastic opportunity so spread the Pride message across the city which in turn will also benefit both the event and the local economy.” The plans will see Central Park at Times Square become the Northern Pride Arena, with the first wave of artists will be announced in the coming weeks. On Saturday, the Curious Arts Stage will this year move to Northern Stage, where a full programme of queer art and culture will be performed. The Family and Youth Zone will be housed in the recently refurbished Assembly Rooms at Westgate Road where there will be a host of activities including arts and crafts sessions aimed at LGBTQIA+ families and young people, as well as live performances. The Health and Wellbeing Zone will be based at Newcastle City Centre, where a range of organisations will offer advice and support, along with a mobile sexual health clinic with STI and HIV testing. Continuing its commitment to giving LGBTQIA+ people more access to sport, Northern Pride’s Sport and Active Life Zone will take place at Northumbria University’s Sport, where a number of taster sessions and general information about sporting activities will be available. The Rainbow Village, which traditionally host a number of market stalls sharing information and selling a range of unique products, will also return, staged around Grey’s Monument, Old Eldon Square and Blackett Street. “This is a very different look to Northern Pride but our core messages remain the same,” said Ste. “We have included everything that people expect at Pride – including our march which will begin and end at Newcastle Civic Centre. “We truly believe that this will move Northern Pride to the next level and that we are creating something very special.” Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Kemp, has supported the ambitious plans. “Pride is always a very important event and one which Newcastle City Council is always very proud to support,” he said. “Bringing it right into the heart of Newcastle will mean more people than ever before can get involved and it will truly become a citywide celebration.” Anyone wanting to be among the first to hear updated news is encouraged to register at www.northern-pride.com/prideinthecity All existing ticket holders will receive an email explaining how to validate their ticket for the Northern Pride Arena. We can't wait to see you there. Meet the Designer behind Pride in the City Communicating activism through her art, Meg Mcwilliam is a freelance artist and graphic designer based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Known for her witty and camp style Meg Mcwilliam produces art pieces which challenge the Tories, advocate for working-class artists, celebrate queer identity and stick two fingers up to the patriarchy.

After the hard work and effort of our volunteers and contractors to try and keep the site open, we were devastated to have to close the festival site on Sunday 23rd July at 14:45. Our key principles of Protect, Promote, Provide are at the forefront of everything we do. In order to stick to this and keep our community safe, we really had no other choice. Read our full statement here: https://www.northern-pride.com/post/northern-pride-2023-closed We understand that many in our community will be incredibly disappointed that they missed out on the fantastic Sunday we had planned, especially after such a successful Saturday. It takes over 10 months of planning and organising to deliver the festival, and to raise the funds required through grants, sponsorships and through ticket sales. Due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and the spiralling costs for outdoor events. We introduced a small charge to the Festival Arena and we were overwhelmed by the support from our community and incredibly grateful to those that bought a ticket or donated. All those impacted by the closure will automatically have their ticket rolled over to next year and receive a ticket for Sunday 21st July 2024. We'd like to take this opotunity to thank you for your support, understanding and compassion. As a voluntary led charity, we appreciate any support you can provide in helping us recover from the cancellation, to allow us to come back next year and deliver a Pride we all were hoping for this year. For any further information, support or to request a refund, please email info@npride.org.uk by no later than 31st August 2023.

Unfortunately due to adverse weather conditions, and against all efforts of the team. We’ve had to make the extremely difficult decision to close the festival site. We need to ensure pride is safe and accessible for all. After making changes to the site to ensure most of the festival site could open, the continuation of heavy rain has now made the site unsafe. We’re also aware that access to the site from Exhibition Park has become hazardous with flooding under the bridge. Seeing over 15,000 LGBTQIA+ people and allies join us on the march and many more on the festival site, brave the weather has been heartwarming and we’re incredibly grateful for all the support. We’ll be in touch during the week with ticket holders. Please bare with us as we manage the onsite situation as our priority now focuses on keeping everyone safe. The Northern Pride team would like to thank our community, allies, creatives, performers, staff, contractors and volunteers for their support this weekend.

Calling all weather watchers... the forecast is wet! IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WEEKENDS NORTHERN PRIDE FESTIVAL. As I'm sure you've all seen the weather this week, and whilst we've worked incredibly hard to ensure everyone can have a safe and secure pride event, the weather has not been on our side. Please join us in making sure our pride event is just as epic as we all want it to be. We are on track to open gates at 12 noon. But we do need your support. 🥾 Please wear appropriate footwear... We'd recommend wellies or those walking boots 🧥 Prepare for the rain and bring the waterproofs and ponchos ☔️ Umbrella's are welcome 🪑 We do allow folding camping chairs (not deck chairs) Please do not ⛺️ bring tents or other structures as they are not permitted on site 🅿️ All parking on site is no longer available - please use public transport Please follow our social media and turn on notifications for our mobile app to receive regular updates, whilst we are all doing our best to ensure the land is safe and welcoming for you all. Thank you for all your help and support. Don't forget our new mobile app is available to download for free, with the full weekend schedule for all zones and access to an interactive map.

A SMALL but significant donation can make a huge difference in helping Northern Pride deliver its campaigns. This weekend (July 22-23) thousands of people will celebrate at Newcastle’s Town Moor, as the annual Pride festival returns. But the work of Northern Pride is a year-round activity – which can be helped by people buying a wristband for just £2. All of the income from the wristbands – which are sponsored by Northern Powergrid -and the other merchandise available at the Northern Pride website goes to support LGBTQIA+ campaigns and outreach work. The bands are made from 100 per cent recyclable PET – shredded pellets from plastic bottles – so cause no harm to the environment. And ahead of this weekend, organisers are asking people to give their support and buy a wristband. Ste Dunn, Festival Director, said the sale of the wristbands were really important to Northern Pride. “The wristbands are an item that are affordable for most people and it means that they are not only showing their support but are also actively contributing to help us deliver important work throughout the year,” he said. “We are extremely grateful to Northern Powergrid for their support which is really invaluable.” Adam McEnaney Northern Powergrid’s Head of Change Implementation and DEI Lead, said: “At Northern Powergrid we champion Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and seek to continually create a workplace where everyone is welcomed and celebrated. “We’re proud to be the official wristband sponsor of the Northern Pride festival this year to showcase our important role in our region. We aim to encourage people in the communities we serve across the North of England, including those in underrepresented groups, to reach their full potential. “The wristbands act as a reminder to celebrate diversity and, for Northern Powergrid’s colleagues, to promote our company’s values to create a safe and welcoming working and customer experience for our LGBTQIA+ communities.” The wristbands and all other merchandise will be on sale at Pride but can also be ordered from www.northern-pride.com. Don't forget our new mobile app is available to download for free, with the full weekend schedule for all zones and access to an interactive map.

The continued struggle facing the LGBTQIA+ community is to be the driving force behind this year’s march which will herald the start of Northern Pride. On Saturday 22 July the annual march through Newcastle city centre to the Town Moor – the site of Northern Pride – will see thousands of community members, allies, local people and businesses – join the colourful celebration. And leading the way will be young people from schools and community groups from across the region, highlighting their right to be who they want to be, in the face of potential Government discrimination. Organisers are also keen to ensure that the march – sponsored by Pride business partner, NE1 – will turn the spotlight on the current worrying events taking place in both the UK and USA. Northern Pride this year decided to once again repeat its mission statement of Remember, Resist and Rise Up to highlight the real struggles that still exist. The march is marking the 20 years since the repeal of Section 28 – laws which prohibited “the promotion of homosexuality” and which was seen as discriminatory – but at the same time is highlighting potential new legislation. Ste Dunn, director of Northern Pride believes that repercussions from Section 28 can still be felt today. ”The legislation, which forbade teachers from even acknowledging the existence of LGBTQIA+ people in the classroom had profound effects on young people at the time, effects which are still being felt today,” he said. Ste also hit out at leaked information which claims there is “new, harmful, Government guidance on trans young people in schools which risks returning us to the dark days of Section 28,” he said. “The march will remember the impact it had at the time, pay homage to those who lived through it and are still experiencing its effects today and rise up against further legislative attempts to undermine the community and our rights to live as we are.” With that in mind pupils from Heworth Grange School and Thorpe Academy will be at the front of this year’s march alongside young people from Children North East, True Colours Theatre and Diversity Role Models, to showcase the way that young trans people and the LGBTQIA+ younger community are facing numerous challenges. The young people will be supported by the National Education Union, one of the leading forces behind much of the campaign against Section 28 during the 1980s and 1990s. Northern Pride is concerned that the UK will follow in the footsteps of the USA where LGBTQIA+ rights are being eroded, given recent events in Florida and a ruling in June in Colorado which upheld a business’s rights to discriminate against gay couples. The weekend will give attendees the opportunity to show their solidarity and support, as well as joining in celebration with a packed programme of events and entertainment. Pride will consist of the free Community Village and the Festival Arena, where there is a small charge for entry to see a whole host of live performances across the two days. Don't forget our new mobile app is available to download for free, with the full weekend schedule for all zones and access to an interactive map.

Sport and activities, health and wellbeing and unique shopping experiences are just some of the attractions on offer in the Community Village at this year’s Northern Pride event. And visitors will also be able to enjoy a whole host of exciting entertainment, as the Curious Arts Stage returns to the event once again. The Community Village is at the heart of this year’s festival, which runs at Newcastle’s Town Moor over the weekend of 22-23 July. And everyone from singers to drag artists, DJs to fitness will be appearing on the Curious Arts Stage across the weekend, thanks to the support of the North of Tyne Combined Authority, who have ensured the village is free to all. Leading the line up on the Curious Arts Stage, will be British Asian drag comedian and podcaster from Bradford, Lady Bushra and Amy Langdown, a Newcastle-based writer, facilitator, producer and artist. An exercise session, Camp Fit with Carl, with DJ Em T also playing a set. Ste Dunn, director of the festival said Pride was very grateful for the organisation’s support. “Being able to let everyone access the Community Village for free and all of the activities which are taking place there, has only been possible because of the generosity of the North of Tyne Combined Authority and we can’t thank them enough,” he said. “I’m really excited to be able to bring to life this vision we had that Pride must be free at the point of access for all, and with this support we’ve been able to deliver this, which will have as it’s focal point the Curious Arts Stage, back for its third year.” “I’m really excited to be able to bring to life this vision we had that Pride must be free at the point of access for all, and with this support we’ve been able to deliver this, which will have as it’s focal point the Curious Arts Stage, back for its third year.” North of Tyne elected Metro Mayor, Jamie Driscoll added "Pride is a reminder of the power of ordinary people standing together in defiance of those who seek to. "There’s never been a more important time to come together to celebrate equality and inclusivity of everyone under the rainbow - regardless of race, sexuality or gender identity. "We wanted to help make this event truly welcoming to all. I'm so glad we could contribute some cash to make the Northern Pride Community Village accessible to everyone regardless of income." Activities and specific sessions will for the first time run across the entire weekend, rather than just being limited to one of the two days as in previous years, making them even more accessible. This includes the Family and Youth Zone, sponsored by construction company, Morgan Siddall, where there will a whole host of family friendly activities and the Sports and Active Live Zone – supported by Newcastle International Airport – with a number of fun, sporting challenges available. The Community Village will also play host a Health and Wellbeing section – sponsored by Loganair – where a range of support services and health testing will be available. There will also be a return this year of the LGBT+ Northern Social Group, which was created to help anyone visiting Northern Pride for the first time and who might be nervous about what to expect. Sponsored by BT Group, this dedicated chill out space offers changing rooms, an alcohol free space and is perfect for neurodivergent people or those who have never been to Pride before and require some support. Don't forget our new mobile app is available to download for free, with the full weekend schedule for all zones and access to an interactive map.

Northern Pride Festival has just unveiled a number of additional acts that will take to the newly named United As One main stage at this year’s event. Northern Pride returns to Newcastle over the weekend of 22-23 July and among those appearing on the stage will be X Factor winner Louisa Johnson, DJ Woody Cook – who regularly appears on Celebrity Gogglebox with his mum, Zoe Ball - and transgender pop princess, Freddie Lewis on Saturday with the event ending with the spectacular Ministry of Sound does Pride performance. Sunday will be headlined by Steps favourite, Lisa Scott-Lee, as well as West End star, Miriam-Teak Lee, who was the original star of the show &Juliet. Now added to the line-up are British electronic dance music group, Ultrabeat, who had a number of top 40 hits and dance music artiste, Miggy Dela Rosa, who over the years has worked with everyone from Emilie Sande to George Michael and Paloma Faith, he also had a huge summer platinum-selling hit Ferrari with James Hype Northern Pride will also play host to Drag Syndrome, a drag collective which has appeared worldwide with its troupe of drag performers with Down’s Syndrome. Returning to the stage will be fan favourite, Boulevard’s Danni Dee and the Broadway Dancers and Northern Proud Voices. Ste Dunn, Director of Northern Pride, is delighted to bring more acts to the line up. “We’re really pleased that this years United As One main stage artists, performers and creatives are all bring something different, and even some new experiences for our attendees,” he said. “From folk, to dance, drag to pop, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.” While there is a small charge for the Festival Arena, the rest of Pride remains free including the Family and Youth Zone, Rainbow Village and Health and Wellbeing area. A new app which can be downloaded free of charge gives information on all activities as well as live details across the weekend.

The countdown is well and truly on for this year's Northern Pride Festival! Since 2019, we have brought The Festival Arena and The Community Village to Northern Pride. From celebration to activism, to meeting up with old friends to making new ones. For people of all generations and representing all LGBTQIA+ and allies! ​ This year, the Festival Arena will be ticketed, to ensure we can provide the quality that this epic weekend deserves. In addition to the Main Stage - where the yet-to-be-revealed big name acts will perform -The Festival Arena will also feature the BeScene dance and cabaret zone, which will showcase performers from across Newcastle’s LGBTQIA+ scene. ​ The Festival Arena will have bars and food stalls, along with the funfair and access to the Platinum Bar and Garden – sponsored by Bobby’s Newcastle – for those who have bought tickets for the new and improved VIP space. We see the welcome return of the Community Village with its stand-out feature, the Curious Arts stage. ​ OUR FREE TO ACCESS COMMUNITY PRIDE - A SPACE FOR ALL supported by North of Tyne Combined Authority. ​ Following on from its success last year, the Community Village will also bring back the sports and active life zone and the LGBT Northern Social Group will return to support those who may be attending Pride for the first time. ​ The Community Village will also see the return of the Family and Youth zone and the Health and Wellbeing area, which for the first time, will operate across the whole weekend. The Rainbow Village and its market stalls has previously only run on the first day of Pride, however this time it will be open on both Saturday and Sunday, following requests from attendees at last year’s event. Making the Northern Pride Festival as accessible as possible is high on our agenda. We are proud to offer: Wheelchair-accessible raised platform High-dependency unit, with hoist and changing facilities Track matting for wheelchair users Ear defenders available to rent BSL has been a regular feature on two out door stages, we're committed to making sure all live performances and speeches are covered. While we are committed to learning and growing, please join us in making one of the most accessible Pride festivals in the UK.

Northern Pride is continuing with its commitment to be a family friendly event, with the promise of a full programme of activities at this year’s Family and Youth zone. This year’s Pride will take place over the weekend of 22-23 July at Newcastle’s Town Moor and a huge emphasis has been placed on ensuring there are plenty of activities to keep youngsters of all ages informed and entertained. The zone is sponsored by construction company, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, which delivers some of the UK’s most complex and critical infrastructure, who will be hosting a construction zone and offering a range of fun activities to inspire future builders and makers, while IKEA Gateshead is also supporting the event once again and will be creating a chillout and sensor space for families to enjoy. A number of stalls representing local children’s and family-related charities will also be included in this area, giving people the opportunity to discover more about groups which may be relevant to them. Community organisation, Unfolding Theatre – which specialises in bringing people together to produce creative experiences – is loaning its upcycled stage across the weekend, where it will host performances aimed at children, young people and their families. Both days will have a different programme of entertainment, with activities all aimed at the under 16s. On Saturday 22 July, visitors can enjoy a first for the festival – a family drag show performed by Drag Castle. There’ll be a further show featuring North East-based Drag King, Gender Chaos and the Alternative Drag Collective, all aimed at a younger audience. Visitors will get to meet True Colour Theatre and have the opportunity to try their hand at drag, as well as the chance to take part in the Northern Butterflies arts and craft workshop. The activities, run by the Northumberland-based social inclusion charity, will be offering sessions throughout the day with activities such as dreamcatcher making and stone painting. The programme continues on Sunday, where Olly Pike of Pop n Olly will be taking to the main stage to talk about his inclusion work in schools on LGBTQ+ issues before he then runs a story time session in the Family and Youth Zone. Other sessions on the Sunday include storytime with local author, Mike Nelson and a graphic drawing workshop with Debbi’s Doodles and Neil Cole from the Museum of Classic Sci-Fi in Allendale. Nimerta Virdee, Northern Pride Family and Youth Manager, is delighted with the programme. “We have always been a family friendly event so we’re thrilled to have put together a really exciting and diverse range of entertainment, made possible by our sponsors, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure,” she said. “We’ve got the return of some popular favourites and a whole host of new activities which we believe everyone will love.” Chris Dransfield, social value manager at Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, said the company was delighted to be involved with Pride for the first time. “We are thrilled to be supporting Northern Pride and to be bringing a new element to the event,” he said. “The construction zone will not only be fun but hopefully will also inspire young people to consider a career in the industry. “As the main contractor on the six new stations which will be created as part of the reintroduced Northumberland line, connecting communities is at the heart of what we do – which is why working with Northern Pride is so important to us.” The Family and Youth Zone is only one of aspect of a packed Pride programme, which will include live music, entertainment, market stalls, fairground rides and food and drink throughout the weekend.

The UK’s largest regional airline has thrown its support behind one of the UK’s most popular Pride events. In celebration of Pride Month and its Flying’s For All Equality, Diversity and Inclusion initiative, Loganair has been announced as the official airline partner of Northern Pride, one of the biggest Pride celebrations in the country. The airline will support the event’s health and wellbeing zones with volunteer staff, which have become one of the festival’s main attractions in recent years. Thanks to Loganair’s sponsorship, these zones will be spread across both days of the festival for the first time in 2023. The move comes after Loganair proudly showcased its support for the LGBTQIA+ community with the official unveiling of the airline’s first-ever Pride Jet earlier today. With the classic Pride colours wrapped around the centre of the fuselage of an Embraer 145, the jet will fly across Loganair’s route network, visibly underscoring the airline’s commitment to creating an inclusive, safe and secure working environment for all its employees. Last year Loganair launched its Flying’s For All company-wide Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, in an effort to help the airline create a safe and secure working environment in which all staff, including those from minority backgrounds, can thrive and excel. The airline has made a significant investment in rolling out its Flying’s For All Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training course which will reach every single member of staff, regardless of their role over the coming year. Loganair Chief Executive, Jonathan Hinkles, said: “Newcastle is one of our most popular destinations and as we enter our biggest ever summer for the region, we’re thrilled to be announced as Northern Pride’s official airline partner. “We’re firmly pinning our colours to the mast – or the fuselage in this case – as an airline that is not only open to all but as one that is a vocal advocate for equality. “Since we launched Flying’s for All, we’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm of our team to find ways to show support to each other. We’ve established that our teams already viewed Loganair as an inclusive place to work, but there’s an understanding of the need to imbed that in our services every day and at every level.” Loganair’s backing of Northern Pride comes as the airline anticipates its busiest-ever summer in the region where this year Loganair has based a second aircraft and expects to carry a record number of customers across its network of routes within the UK and to Norway from its home base in the North East. Ste Dunn, Director of Northern Pride said: “It’s been fantastic learning over the past few months the support Loganair provide its LGBTQIA+ colleagues and how they collectively champion the mission of “flying for all”. “Discovering the support particularly given to James Bushe, the first pilot living with HIV to be given a full licence without restrictions has been inspiring and supports our mission to elevate the voices in our community that are still at risk of discrimination. “Pride Jet is a fantastic addition to Loganair’s fleet, and whilst visibility is vitally important for our community right now, you don’t get more visible than flying the flag thousands of feet in the air.” Leon McQuaid, Director of Aviation Development at Newcastle International Airport said: “Loganair is an innovative airline and industry leader. With its ‘Flying’s For All’ strategy it is clear that the airline is leading the way in promoting diversity across the business and, alongside the Airport, prides itself on providing a fantastic, welcoming service to all of its passengers. “We’re delighted that the airline is sponsoring Northern Pride and we look forward to welcoming those passengers flying into the region for the event next month.”