Pride in Liverpool 2024: Everything you need to know

Pride in Liverpool is just days away and the city will erupt in a sea of colour and celebration for what organisers are saying will be the biggest Pride event the city has ever seen.

LCR Pride Foundation CEO Andi Herring says they’re pulling out all the stops for this year’s Pride in Liverpool to makes sure the LGBT+ community is not just celebrated but, ‘more importantly’, heard. 

Andi says: “Pride is a protest as much as it is a celebration and I am so proud that we are able to bring together both of these elements, as well as collaboration, at this year’s Pride in Liverpool.”

As tens of thousands of people get ready to descend on the city for Pride in Liverpool, here’s everything you need to know.

When is this year’s Pride in Liverpool event?

Pride in Liverpool will take place across the city from Friday, July 26, to Sunday, July 28.

What is the theme this year?

Liverpool City Region’s LGBT+ charity has revealed the theme will be ‘Be Heard’ and it will be at the heart of Pride in Liverpool’s 2024 programme. Andi Herring explains: “LGBT+ rights in the UK have got worse, or even ignored and removed in the last few years. This year’s theme ‘Be Heard’ is all about reversing some of the backtracking and pushing LGBT+ voices to the forefront. With the result of the recent General Election, it’s never been more important to be loud, proud and unapologetically our authentic selves and use this to influence change.”

Pride Classical will launch the weekend

Pride Classical will signal the start of the celebrations and take place at the Pier Head on Friday, July 26, between 5pm and 11.30pm.

It’s a first-of-its-kind open-air orchestra concert and will see Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears on the main stage alongside an amazing 32-piece orchestra. Drag legend Danny Beard and West End stars Alison Jiear and Ashford Campbell will also take part in the huge family-friendly event which is an important fundraiser for Pride in Liverpool the following day, with ticket sales going towards keeping the festival free to attend.

Are tickets still available for Pride Classical?

Tickets are still on sale from £30 plus booking fee, and VIP packages are also available at prideinliverpool.co.uk/classical. 

Is there a Pride march this year – and if so, when will it take place?

March with Pride returns for what’s expected to be the biggest march yet. Muster begins from 10.30am at St George’s Plateau, before the anticipated thousands make their way through Liverpool city centre and onto Pride in Liverpool’s festival site at the Pier Head. Registrations for the march close on Wednesday, July 17!

Free festival fun on Saturday, July 27 – Pier Head from 12noon – 8pm

Homegrown talent and tribute acts will join a glittering lineup of stars who’ll take to the main stage for the Pride in Liverpool Festival. The headline act is Katrina, formerly of Katrina and the Waves, and there’ll be performances too from Brenda Labeau, DJ Dan Walker, Filla Crack, Kelly Llorenna, Kelly Wilde, Lee Mobley, Linda Gold’s Funnyboyz, Lolly, MD Productions, Natalie Abel, Urban Cookie Collective, and more!

Will there be food and drink at the Pride in Liverpool Festival?

Yes, in addition to this year’s main stage, the festival site at Pier Head will boast a marketplace of LGBT+ merchandise and products, food and drink, as well as activities for all of the family. This year a dedicated Young People and Family zone has been added alongside a CommunityEXPO of local services and organisations. The Pride Pop-Up Bar and Stalls will also be at the  Pier Head on Sunday, 9am-6pm.

It’s accessible to everyone

This year also sees accessibility take centre stage too with British Sign Language (BSL) on all stages and accessible viewing areas at the march and main stage.

New Pride Spotlight at the Royal Albert Dock – Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28

Launching as part of the weekend programme is Pride Spotlight, a new initiative from LCR Pride Foundation that supports and celebrates LGBT+ artists. The pop-up stage on the Royal Albert Dock will see performances from the iconic Lady Sian, Róis (What She Said, HomoBloc), Sarah (Chibuku Shake Shake & cofounder of the Eves’Drop Collective), WMNKND (Sonic Yootha) and Gogo Dancers (House of La Porta) among others.

Pride Spotlight will take place between 1pm and 6pm on Saturday, and 1pm-4pm on Sunday.

British Firefighter Challenge – Saturday and Sunday, 9am-6pm

Also new this year is the British Firefighter Challenge, an annual sporting competition coming to the city for the first time. Hosted Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, it will take place on Water Street, which leads into the Pride in Liverpool festival site. A limited capacity viewing area will be in place on Water Street alongside a ‘Blue Light Village’ of stalls.

Pride Quarter 

Over at the Pride Quarter, The Masquerade Bar’s Street Party Outdoor stage returns with headline act The Cheeky Girls as part of a Pride in Liverpool Fringe event supported by LCR Pride Foundation. And more than 12 LGBT+ Venues in the city’s Pride Quarter will be ready to keep the celebrations going until the early hours.

What is LCR Pride Foundation?

LCR Pride Foundation was established in 2019 with the aim of making Liverpool City Region the most LGBT+ friendly region in the UK. It champions the rights of LGBT+ people living in and visiting the region, and fights to highlight the daily barriers they face and create an inclusive culture for everyone to enjoy and participate in, through a diverse programme of events, initiatives, and campaigns. For more information visit: www.lcrpride.co.uk

For all the latest Pride in Liverpool information and updates, visit prideinliverpool.co.uk

Get more news about Pride in Liverpool and see what else is on this week in and around the city HERE.