Bristol Pride is an annual festival in the city of Bristol, championing equality and diversity across South West England. Since 2010, the Bristol Pride festival has been organised by the charity 'Bristol Pride' (UK registered charity: 1166817). The festival is a fortnight of events in the city, and concludes with Pride Day on the second Saturday of July. Festival events include a mix of talks by prominent local activists and charities, screenings of LGBT films, performances, and various evenings of entertainment led by local drag artists. Pride Day includes the traditional Pride March, which begins in the city's Castle Park, Bristol, Castle Park and ends at the Amphitheatre on the harbourside. Bristol Pride remains a free-to-attend festival, but encourages entry to the events by donation to enable the festival to continue. The 2022 Pride Day took place on Saturday 9th July 2022.

History

The first Pride in Bristol was held in 1977 as a fundraiser for the Whitehouse v Lemon, Gay News blasphemy trial. The 1977 event evolved into Avon Pride and took place every year until around 1994. In 1991 a special postmark was issued to mark the 15th Pride festival in Bristol. A few small-scale festivals under the name Mardi Gras were held in the mid-2000s, with venues including the amphitheatre on Bristol harbourside and the Frogmore Street car park. After a gap of some years, Pride was resurrected in 2010. Held at first in Bristol's Castle Park, Bristol, Castle Park, in 2012 it was moved to College Green, Bristol, College Green as a one-off due to the presence of an English Defence League march in the city centre. From 2016 the festival moved from Castle Park to the Bristol Harbourside, at Millennium Square (Bristol), Millennium Square and the Amphitheatre. In 2017, 36,000 people (including duplicated attendance) attended 19 events organised by Bristol Pride. To celebrate the tenth year of Bristol Pride in its current form and to accommodate ever-growing numbers of attendees, Bristol Pride moved the 2019 event from the Harbourside to The Downs, Bristol, the Downs, a large area of open public land in the north-west of the city. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 event was suspended and it was later announced that it would be online-only; the 2021 march was likewise cancelled due to COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 lockdowns, but returned in 2022 with Pride Day festivities again being held on the Downs.

Headliners

Bristol Pride Day has included headline musical acts such as Kelis, Martha Wash, Blue (English group), Blue, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Lisa Stansfield. In 2018, singer Alexandra Burke, dance group Snap! and indie band Republica headlined the festival. The 2019 Pride Day included a diverse line up including Melanie C, Sink The Pink, ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' alumni Peppermint (entertainer), Peppermint and the return of Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The 2022 Pride Day included Carly Rae Jepsen, Bright Light Bright Light, Toya Delazy and ''Canada's Drag Race'' winner Priyanka (drag queen), Priyanka.

Gallery

File:Green Party at Bristol Pride (30767939418).jpg, Bristol Green Party of England and Wales, Green Party at Bristol Pride 2018 File:Main stage at Bristol Pride 2019.jpg, Main stage at Bristol Pride 2019 File:Bristol Pride 2022 115103.jpg, The start of the parade at Bristol Pride 2022 File:Bristol Pride 2022 120532.jpg, Anarchist Federation (Britain), Bristol Anarchist Federation at Bristol Pride 2022 File:Bristol Pride 2022 122229125.jpg, Leather subculture, Mr Leather UK and the Leather pride flag at Bristol Pride 2022 File:Bristol Pride 2022 123616682.jpg, Drummers at Bristol Pride 2022 File:Bristol Pride 2022 123837582.jpg, The end of the parade at Bristol Pride 2022

References

External links

* {{Pride parades Pride parades in England Organisations based in Bristol LGBT organisations in England