The team at Nottinghamshire Pride has revealed further details about this year’s upcoming Pride celebrations – and they’re set to be bigger and better than ever.
Taking place on Saturday 30 July, this year’s event has the theme ‘We See You’, and aims to support and celebrate the city’s LGBTQ+ community.
The festivities will kick off at 10.00am, when attendees are being asked to gather at Listergate ahead of the march, which will commence at 11.00am. Leading the march will be Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service’s iconic fire engine. Meanwhile carnival themed marching bands, Nottingham Samba Collective and Can Samba, will be keeping people entertained mid-march with drums, dancers and howlers.
The march will then proceed to Albert Street, Beastmarket Hill, Long Row, Pelham Street, George Street and conclude at Broad Street at approximately 12.00pm.
Following the march, an eclectic line-up of Nottingham singers, dancers, speakers, performers and DJs is set to take to the stage on Heathcoat Street.
Acts performing on the day include singer and dancer Jamie Fuxx; singer-songwriter Rob Green; singer-songwriter Tom Aspaul; singer Bexx; Britney Spears tribute act Michaela Weeks and David Bowie tribute band Miss Bowie and the New Killer Stars.
There’ll also be a DJ set from Charity Shop Sue, comedy from Scream Queens, a performance from poet, performer and writer Ravelle -Sadé Fairman, a talk from the Labour MP for Nottingham East, Nadia Whittome, and speeches from local LGBTQ+ activists.
Last year’s event saw 9,000 people flock to the city centre to take part in the day’s activities, and with this summer’s celebrations marking the city’s first full Pride event since the pandemic, Nottinghamshire Pride chair Leigh Ellis expects numbers to be even higher.
Leigh said:
“Each year, Nottinghamshire Pride serves as a call to the people of Nottingham to get behind our LGBTQ+ community and support all those whose voices sometimes go unheard. However, with this year’s theme, ‘We See You’, we wanted to especially shine a light on all marginalised groups including trans and non-binary, young and older LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV/AIDs.
“It’s great to be hosting the event for another year. Although last year’s event was brilliant, it was significantly more scaled back due to the pandemic, so we’re looking forward to being back in full force and welcoming even more people. We’ve got an exciting day planned, with lots to see and do, from our iconic march, to stalls from local businesses and community groups, as well as a whole range of performances from some fantastic Nottinghamshire talent.”
Throughout the day, there will also be pole dance performances from Twisted Pole on Broad Street, along with the opportunity for Pride go-ers to browse more than 40 different stalls on Goosegate in Hockley.
Craig Martin, co-chair of Nottinghamshire Pride, said:
“Nottinghamshire Pride has been around in many formats over the years and each year, the event reflects the fabulous diversity we have right here in our city. Pride represents something different to so many different people, and that’s what makes it so special.
“For us, the march is one of the most important parts of the day, as it’s a real mark of solidarity for the whole community, and we’re really excited to see so many Nottingham people join us at what is set to be a wonderful day.”
As a not-for-profit event, each year Nottinghamshire Pride relies on volunteers to support on the day. This year, organisers are on the hunt for volunteers to be Pride march stewards, donation collectors and for general on-the-day support.
Leigh said:
“Nottinghamshire Pride simply would not be possible were it not for the help of the many volunteers and sponsors who show their support each year. Our much-loved volunteers help steward the march and help us raise donations for the cause.
“We still have some volunteer slots available, so if you feel like you can spare a few hours during the event, and would like to get involved, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.”
This year’s event is sponsored by Boots, Capital One, Sladen Estates, Nottingham City Council, KuKu Creative, Cartwright Communications and Lush.
To find out more about Nottinghamshire Pride, visit the Pride page on the Visit Nottinghamshire website.
To find out more about volunteering at this year’s Nottinghamshire Pride event, visit: https://www.nottinghamshirepride.co.uk/sponsorship-3/
Posted on 19 July 2022
