Organisers of this year’s Notts Pride have celebrated their biggest event yet, with a record 10,000 march attendees – 1,000 more than last year.
Now in its 28th year, the event took place on Saturday 26th July and saw the city transformed into a vibrant celebration of inclusivity, solidarity and togetherness.
The festivities spanned two key locations – Sneinton Market and Hockley – with thousands gathering from across the city and beyond to enjoy live music, drag acts, spoken word and street food. With a focus on offering support for Nottinghamshire’ LGBTQ+ community, the event again played host to a range of stalls from LGBTQ+ organisations, charities and independent makers.
Highlights from this year’s event included a new acoustic stage at independent live music venue The Grove, the return of the dedicated family area at Sneinton and a surprise headline set from Kelly Llorenna, the iconic former lead vocalist for ‘90s dance group N-Trance who closed the day with a high-energy performance.
Leigh Ellis, chair of Notts Pride, said: “Notts Pride 2025 was truly a celebration of everything that makes our community so fantastic. It was inspiring to see thousands come together not just to celebrate but to stand united in the face of the many challenges the LGBTQ+ community are still experiencing every day. From the grassroots artists and first-time performers who shared their voices for the first time, to the returning icons who have shaped Pride over the years, everyone played a part in creating a day full of joy, inclusivity, visibility and celebration.
“It was incredibly special to see the spirit of togetherness across the whole city too, with the streets and venues all full of people joining in during what is a really important day. We saw new spaces open up, new collaborations begin and a collective energy that hopefully promises a brighter future for Nottingham’s queer community. This is just the beginning, and we’re excited to keep building on that momentum.”
This year’s celebration created more space than ever for people to connect and feel represented. Venues across Hockley including Broadway Cinema, Queen of Hockley, Rough Trade and Lord Roberts showed their support with inclusive programming and fundraising throughout the day.
Building on its support for the city and in honour of the event’s move to Sneinton Market last year, the day also saw Notts Pride organisers pledge a £2,000 donation to the Sneinton and St Ann’s Food Store, an independent food bank which opened in December 2012. The food bank provides valuable support for those in need across the city, through the provision of food parcels. These include families with young children, pensioners, those living with a disability, as well as those who are homeless or in a period of transition in their life.
Craig Martin, vice chair of Notts Pride, added: “Pride is more than a party. It’s a moment of visibility, connection and support for a city we love. Sneinton is a particularly special area for many members of the city’s LGBTQ+ community following the activism that took place near the Victoria Leisure Centre back in 1986, and the relocation of our main stage to Sneinton Market allowed us to play homage to the area’s history. However, this year we wanted to take that even further, by making a donation to the Sneinton and St Ann’s Food Store which does incredible work providing a lifeline for so many in need across the city.
“We’d like to thank each and every person who came down to march, dance, sing and show their support for Notts Pride this year. With your help, you’ve made it another Notts Pride for the books.”
Notts Pride 2025 was supported by principal sponsor Sladen Estates and headline sponsor It’s in Nottingham, with additional support from E.ON, Boots, Roxy Leisure, Lithia UK, The Nottingham Building Society, Chord Consult, Tesco, Nottingham City Council, Cartwright, Tank, East Midlands Airport, MTVH and Buzz Bingo.
Planning is already underway for the 2026 event, with the Notts Pride team set to host a Halloween fundraiser on 17th October to help support future events and community initiatives. Anyone interested in sponsoring the event or in volunteering, can find more details at www.nottspride.co.uk or by following @nottspride on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Posted on 31 July 2025
