LGBTQ+ charity Manchester Pride has today announced that this year’s Manchester Pride Festival, one of the UK’s biggest celebrations of LGBTQ+ life, will be postponed until 2021.
The charity has rolled over all tickets purchased for 2020 to the postponed event now scheduled to take place in August 2021, though those who no longer wish to attend can apply for a refund or make a donation to the charity.
Mark Fletcher, Chief Executive of Manchester Pride, said: ‘Since large gatherings were banned in March, we have been working tirelessly to map out the options available to us for the four day event that forms the heart of our year. Cancelling the festival altogether was something that my team did not want to consider but after consulting with our partners and reviewing every option, the only way we can deliver what we have planned for this year is to move it to August 2021.’
Manchester Pride has delivered a number of successful online events in 2020 already. The annual Manchester Pride Conference was delivered online in March and the charity has just announced a programme of community engagement with online Youth Pride workshops and listening groups open to LGBTQ+ people in Greater Manchester throughout the year.
Mark, added: ‘I want to add that everyone here at Manchester Pride is devastated and heartbroken by this decision. Manchester Pride Festival is our flagship event, one of the biggest celebrations of LGBTQ+ life in the UK, and the highlight of the year for all of us.
‘The LGBTQ+ community and its well-being is at the heart of everything that we do, and we are proud of everything that we have achieved as an organisation over the last two months including delivering the Manchester Pride 2020 Conference online, alongside our Live in Your Living Room events, Community Conversations, Listening Groups, Online Consultation and Youth Pride Workshops, all while working in isolation from our team members, and in a completely unprecedented situation.’
Those wishing to donate to Manchester Pride can do so through the charity’s Just Giving page or donate £3 to Manchester Pride by texting MCRPRIDE to 70450. Texts cost £3 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about its work and fundraising via telephone and SMS. Those who would like to give £3 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text MCRPRIDENOINFO to 70450.
For more information visit www.manchesterpride.com
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