Manchester Village Pride

At the start of 2026, the future of Pride celebrations in Manchester was looking uncertain. The organisers had entered voluntary liquidation following the 2025 festival, and performers and suppliers had gone unpaid.

Then the community stepped in – and Manchester Village Pride was formed. This put the delivery of the annual Pride festival in the hands of a Community Interest Company made up of Gay Village businesses, local activists, unpaid voluntary directors, and key partners such as Manchester City Council.

It’s hoped that the new CIC will provide more certainty around the future of the Pride festival in Manchester and ensure it is an “inclusive, safe and celebratory event” rooted in the community which created it.

The organisers recently announced that they’ve booked the entire line-up for 2026 for £20,000 less than the cost of just one of the headliners of the 2025 festival – a clear sign that they’re focused on ensuring it’s a financially sustainable event.

And although the acts aren’t as costly as in previous years, the line-up is looking like it’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s packed with local and UK talent – see who the headliners are below:

Manchester Village Pride 2026

This event will take place in its usual summertime slot – the August Bank Holiday weekend. Expect a four-day celebration from 28-31 August 2026, featuring familiar elements such as the parade through the city centre on the Saturday, the Village party across the whole weekend, and the vigil in Sackville Gardens. There’ll also be a free community and family day on the Monday, and fringe events throughout August.

The theme this year is the Wizard of Oz-inspired ‘No Place Like Home’. And the line-up is looking stellar.

Headliners include Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard, R&B and hip-hop collective Booty Luv and Big Brovaz, Eurodance stars Cascada and DJ Sammy, and poet-songwriter-performer Kate Nash. See the day-splits here.

A full weekend wristband is a very reasonable £30 for early-bird ticket buyers (£44.80 final release). Organisers stress the importance of showing your support to make the event a success.