Manchester Pride has been brought to a close by this year’s candlelit vigil, which this year sent the message: ‘We are family’.
Hundreds of people filled Sackville Gardens to celebrate unity and to honour those lost to HIV and AIDS.
Compered by Kate O’Donnell, it saw Cheddar Gorgeous and Tete Bang from Channel Four’s Drag SOS take to the stage, alongside former north Manchester councillor Paul Fairweather, and speaker Jim, from Stockport, who spoke of the importance of ‘silencing the stigma of HIV, not the person’.
Hundreds of candles lit up the gardens with a sea of light, while singer Tolu performed ‘Pure Imagination’.
Neil ‘Dr Tickle’ Chowdhury and the Sunday Boys choir also took to the stage, performing a moving rendition of ‘Visions of Gideon’.
The service was also filled with many upbeat moments, with speaker Jackie Hagan leaving the crowd in hysterics after finishing her performance by drinking larger from her prosthetic leg, before the crowd took part in a rousing moment of applause.
The service was brought to a close by the Manchester Lesbian and Gay Chorus performing ‘We are Family’ to a backdrop of fireworks.
Last night saw Ariana Grande return to Manchester, and she said she was "completely overwhelmed" to perform in our city again two years after a suicide bomber killed 22 people at her concert.
"I'm so happy to be with you, so thank you for having me," Grande told the crowd at Manchester Pride on Sunday night.
"Sorry, I'm so nervous. I had so much more to say but I'm really very overwhelmed. So thank you."
The 26-year-old was headlining the annual event.
She last appeared in the city in June 2017 at the One Love concert, which she organised to raise money for the emergency fund after the deadly attack at her show at Manchester Arena the previous month.
