Pride in Liverpool 2022: ‘Fantastic feeling’ as pride returns to Liverpool after ‘extremely challenging’ years

Liverpool’s annual Pride festival has returned to the city after a two-year hiatus.

Organiser’s said it was a “fantastic feeling” to be able to come together and celebrate once again.

The event had been cancelled in recent years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pride in Liverpool did have a late change of location, moving to Pier Head on the city’s world-famous waterfront due to planned roadworks at the usual site on Tithebarn Street.

The change of venue meant that the route for the Pride march, where members of the LGBT+ community parade through the city streets, had to change slightly but still began at St George’s Plateau, as in previous years.

The festival follows a month of celebrations, workshops and various other events in the the city as LGBTQ+ communities worldwide marked June with 30 days of celebrations.

“Fantastic feeling”

Donna Hall, Trustee for LCR Pride Foundation - the organisation responsible for delivering Pride in Liverpool - said: “It has been an extremely challenging few years leading up to today, but to finally be able to come together to celebrate Pride in Liverpool is a fantastic feeling.

“With the prejudice and injustice that the LGBT+ community in the UK is currently facing, with constant attacks on our rights, it’s as important as ever that we are able to be visible and stand together as a community, with our allies, to celebrate our identities and continue to fight to ensure that the Liverpool City Region and the country as a whole is a safe, welcoming place for LGBT+ people.”

What is Pride?

Pride was established in November 1969, but instead of starting out as a celebration, it began as a protest - most notably, the Stonewall riots that took place in the US during this time.

A bar located in Manhattan, New York called ‘The Stonewall Inn’ was synonymously a safe haven for the city’s gay, lesbian and transgender community, but was raided by police - the community decided to fight back, establishing the very mantra of Pride.

Fifty-two years later, it is still going strong with an estimate of over two million participants - but instead, these days it is more of a celebration, with parades and bespoke events taking place throughout local communities across the world.

Pride celebrates people coming together in love and friendship, to raise awareness of current issues as well as promoting acceptance and equality in all forms of life.

Who is performing at Pride in Liverpool 2022 festival?

Disco legends Boney M, featuring Maizie Williams, will headline this year’s Pride in Liverpool festival, with a performance on the Barclays Main Stage at Pier Head, including some of their greatest hits like Daddy Cool and Rivers of Babylon.

Irish pop legend, Samantha Mumba, was due to headline but will not be able to perform at the festival due to difficulty with travel from the USA.

The main stage, which has been programmed by Sound City, will open at 1pm and will be hosted throughout the day by Jordan Lee from Radio City and Hits Radio Pride and Jay Hynd from The Guide.

The stage will also provide a platform for a host of local talent from across the city region, with performances from Linda Gold’s FunnyBoyz, scouse powerhouse vocalist Filla Crack, who will perform with previous Vogue Ball winners, House of La Porta, Young Homotopia and Many Hands, One Heart.

There will also be representation from some of local LGBT+ venues, bringing OMG, The Lisbon and Superstar Boudoir’s best-loved performers and hosts to the Pride in Liverpool stage.

Pride in Liverpool will also welcome the Film with Pride Cinema Lorry, which will be showing The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (15), Hedwig and The Angry Inch (15) and Cabaret (15). Tickets will cost £3 and can be purchased on the day or in advance online.