As the blinds roll down on a sweltering June and Pride Month, London is readying itself for perhaps the biggest party of the year — the Pride march, which this year falls on Saturday July 5 (Trans+ Pride follows on Saturday July 26, and UK Black Pride on Sunday August 10).
More than 35,000 people are expected to attend, from more than 500 LGBTQ+ community groups; each will be marching not just in celebration, but in protest. It is sometimes forgotten, obscured by all the sequins and rainbows, that Pride began and remains an LGBTQ+ protest against the discrimination and injustice that many of the 1.8 million British adults in the queer community still face, sometimes with depressing regularity.
Pride has been marching in London since 1972, inspired in heavy part by the June 1969 riots in Greenwich Village, New York, when gay bar Stonewall was raided by police from the “Public Morals Division”. The raid itself was not unusual — the NYPD unit of the 1960s enforced all “vice” laws, and had the power to arrest gay people by force — but the bar fighting back was. The officers barricaded themselves inside, and the riots ran for the five following nights. The idea of Pride — of people standing up for themselves, their sexuality, their freedom — was born.
Since those early marches in the 1970s, the Pride march has changed somewhat, becoming what Londoners might recognise today — a joy-filled day of unfiltered, unadulterated self-expression, of music and dancing and more than a handful of outfits that make Carnival goers look demure. A day, at heart, of love.
From the parade itself to the unmissable parties and artsy ways to celebrate, here’s where and how to get involved.
The Pride Parade
The main event. The parade, on Saturday July 5, is this year themed around “the power of communities”, recognising the positive change that solidarity among minorities can enact.
This year’s parade begins at noon and will follow the route of last year’s, running from Hyde Park Corner, through Piccadilly Circus, down Haymarket and along Pall Mall, passing by Green Park, then turning right at Leicester Square and down past Trafalgar Square. It’s then on to the home straight, heading towards Westminster to the finish line at Whitehall Place, calling time at about 6pm.
While applications to join the parade itself — usually with a float — have long past, there are spots across town from which to watch it. The biggest of these is the grandstand on Piccadilly; seats are still available for £65 a head (outsavvy.com), which is £15 cheaper than last year. Entrance is from 11am.
Throughout the parade there are performances and speeches on all stages, which also get going at noon. There are five main stages to make a beeline for — though choose one and stick with it, as travelling across town during Pride can be nigh-on impossible. The biggest of these is the Trafalgar Square stage, which is anticipating a crowd 5,000 strong. Headlining is Ain’t Nobody and I’m Every Woman singer Chaka Khan, who tops a bill that also includes Queenz, the Grammy nominated Durand Bernarr, JJ, La Voix, Miriana Conte and Jay Jay Revlon. Hosts include Will Njobvu and Asifa Lahore, Frankie Grande, Titanique’s Lauren Drew and John Cameron Mitchell, creator of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
Miriana Conte is also due to join DJ Kaylee Golding, girli, DJ Mabel, Redrum, Butch, Please! and more on the Leicester Square stage, which will have speeches from Megan Jayne Crabbe, Fia Tarrant, Soraya Vivian and Queer Edge.
Over on the World stage in Soho’s Golden Square will be Amaria BB, Keanan, Vanity Milan, Carter the Bandit, The Cocoa Butter Club, Reptile B, Lexxicon and others; this is also a particularly good one for the hungry and thirsty as there will be plenty of food and drink stalls about.
Also in Soho — Pride’s spiritual home — is the Cabaret stage on Dean Street, with Crip Ladywood and Sam Buttery hosting a line-up that includes, among others, Ghetto Fabulous, Lucky Roy Singh Presents the Queer Asian Takeover, Dean McCullough’s Pop Machine, La Voix, John Cameron Mitchell and Coco Deville.
Nearby in Soho Square is another stage that celebrates trans artists and supporters, including Telisa, Geri Love, Tobre and many more.
Pride is inclusive by definition, and all are welcome — including families. That said, because Soho gets incredibly busy over Pride, and the crowd often gets very lively, those with children or just in search of a quieter time are best to head to Victoria Embankment Gardens, where there’s a dedicated family-friendly zone.
The other thing to remember with Pride is that, though there are plenty of stalls about and restaurants offering specials, it is tricky to move about, given the 1.5 million-or-so people who head central to celebrate. Having a large breakfast beforehand is often the best way, as is leaving early to get to town: many buses are on diversion and the Tubes tend to get rammed. Details of the day, including a map of the parade and various tips and tricks to make the most of it, can be found at prideinlondon.org.
Looking for an after-party?
There are a handful below, but the official bash is at 194 Piccadilly, close to the end of the parade route. DJ Kaspa, Joel Mignot and Ryan Lanji are all set to man the decks. Oh, and if you’re not sure what to wear, give the Pride in London pop-up shop (7 Walker’s Court, Soho, @prideinlondon) a go: it’s selling everything from T-shirts and caps to rainbow pin badges, all from designers and makers from the LGBTQ+ community. Read on for more fun...
Hang out with Briefs
Briefs is an Aussie troop specialising in burlesque, drag, and circus acts — think doing the highwire in heels. The shows are famed for their chaotic, triumphant sense of queer jubilation. Their Pride special, which is at HERE at Outernet (Charing Cross Road, WC2, hereldn.com), just by Tottenham Court Road, kicks off at 1pm, with tickets from £28.75. It’s an acrobatic circus, but it’s decidedly naughty too, so strictly for adults only. Can’t make it on the day? The run continues till July 20. Beware the meat raffle.
Start early at SLAP! Icons Pride Party
Though any number of Saturday-night parties are perfect for those wanting to start late and stay out even later, at the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club — still open after a close brush with closure earlier in the year — things get going at 9pm, which is just enough time to get over there from the main Soho happenings. This is one for those after drag, circus and cabaret, with lots of pop smashes from the DJs. The website says: “PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS PROPER EAST LONDON DRAG… cheap, cheerful and very chaotic!” Take it to heart, and pay attention to the dress code — “Icons only”. Dress up as Cher or Liz Taylor, that sort of thing. This one is purely about having a laugh — serious and self-important types are out. 42-46 Pollard Row, E2, workersplaytime.net
Party till late at the Clapham Grand
The Pride After Party at the enormous Clapham Grand (21-25 St John’s Hill, SW11, claphamgrand.com) has, over the past few years, built up a well-deserved loyal following — in part because it’s on till 3am and there’s room for 1,000. It’s a lively, raucous one — lots of electro-pop and glitter and drag encouraged. Don’t expect to leave without hearing Chappell Roan and Charli xcx, and prepare to dance under a sea of balloons. Tulisa and Bimini are both set to appear.
Rave on with HOWL at Hackney Wick
Because nothing says Pride like “sex tech products”, which HOWL flog. But the other thing they specialise in is seriously long raves — their Instagram has advice for surviving a 16-hour session — with their Pride party running from 2pm on July 5 to 6am on July 6. Three parties, really, with the likes of Hyperaktivist, Juliana Huxtable, Karlie Marx, THEMPRESS and countless others performing at three venues: Hackney Bridge, Number 90 and Colour Factory. Fortunately, they’re all neighbours, so you needn’t miss out on anyone. @howlworldwide
…Or at Ministry
Ministry of Pride ’25 is another one running on like Howl, partying till 6am. Things start a little later, though, at 10pm on July 5. Set to perform are Fat Tony, Catz ‘N Dogz, FAFF, Josh Harrison, Princess Julia, Reenie, Tete Bang, Not Bad for a Girl and Tiara Skye. The tagline is all love, all night and if previous Ministry Pride parties are anything to go by, that’s exactly what will be served up. 103 Gaunt Street, SE1, ministryofsound.com
Get sweaty at Metropolis
The Pride party at Metropolis (234 Cambridge Heath Road, E2, metropolisclub.co.uk) is slightly less hardcore than Ministry’s — running from 10pm till a mere 4am — but significantly cheaper (tickets from £6). As part of their July residency at the Bethnal Green club, Manchester’s Homoelectric are hosting this one, joined on Saturday by Jamie Bull, Laura Jackson and Kath McDermott. The night will, in their words, “be bringing you four non-stop exotic discos for homos, lesbos, don’t knows, kings, queens, trans, pans, queers and their straight peers.” Can’t be missed, can it?
Get cheesy with Club De Fromage
Doors open at 11pm for this one, held at Islington’s O2 Academy (16 Parkfield Street, N1, academymusicgroup.com). Instead of electro hits and po-faced techno, the clue’s in the name with this one: Club De Fromage’s speciality is power ballads, disco, 1990s R&B bangers and plenty of rock, pop and indie. And why shouldn’t it be? Everyone is strictly here to have fun of a silly kind. Dance your heart out on Saturday night.
Party judgment-free with Gal Pals
Gal Pals founders Xzan and Scarlet are known for their welcoming, inclusive and judgment-free parties, which are exclusively for (and thrown by) lesbians, dykes, queer and bi women, transmasc, transfemme and non-binary people. This party is a huge one — room for 1,400 — with live acts alongside the vibes-only DJs. Upstairs, there’ll be a chillout room for those in need of a breather. Doors open on Saturday night at 10pm. EartH Hackney, 11-17 Stoke Newington Road, N16, galpals.club
Have a drink at the Admiral Duncan
The Admiral Duncan (54 Old Compton Street, W1, admiral-duncan.co.uk) has been pouring pints on Old Compton Street since 1832. It came to national attention for the most awful reason in 1999, when it was the target of a neo-Nazi nail bomb attack that killed three and injured more than 70. A plaque in the bar commemorates the dead and injured, and a memorial chandelier reads, “We shall never forget our friends”. Showing the queer community’s strength of spirit, the pub reopened weeks later and is still the home of drag nights and raucous fun. For Pride weekend, it’s hosting a cabaret drag day, from 2pm till 2am.
...Or The Room Where It Happens
Soho’s hit of the year, perhaps unexpectedly, The Room Where It Happens (5 Greek Street, W1, theroomwhereithappens.co.uk) is a live music bar that specialises in all but guaranteeing a good night (you would really have to be trying to hate it here). On Saturday, things kick off with a brunch at 11am — complete with singing waiters — before heading into a night of showtunes and cabaret. Things wrap up at 4am.
Take the hair of the dog at Between the Bridges
Between the Bridges (The Queen’s Walk, SE1, betweenthebridges.co.uk) is partying all weekend, but you can head to their drag brunch on Saturday from 11.30am. Bottomless fizz should get the party started, while DJs spin drag tunes throughout. The Pride special sees special guests Kyran Thrax and Paige Three. And it’s all over by 3pm so plenty of time to recover before the evening’s fun.
Keep the feeling going with Omnibus Theatre's 96 Festival
Now in its 10th year, the 96 Festival — named after the Pride party on Clapham Common in 1996 — is a self-described “glittering celebration of queerness and theatre under one roof.” Go for cabaret and comedy, music and art, and a healthy dose of activism too. Two shows are on the bill for this year: Joseph Aldous’s Get Happy, running till July 12, which tells the story of queer happiness with a helping of Ke$ha thrown in; and Schrödinger’s Lesbians (July 4 & 5), an irreverent look at queer female friendships, and why men so rarely write about queer women. 1 Clapham Common North Side, SW4, omnibus-clapham.org
Have a sensory overload at Rosemary Branch theatre
Two shows not enough? How about 30? The Dirty Thirty, the self-described “livest of live theatre”, is a weekly running show from the Degenerate Fox company, who make the seemingly hare-brained commitment to performing 30 brand-new plays during every performance. The audience get to decide the order these are performed in, and the result is anarchic — and often extraordinarily entertaining. With some of the troupe LGBTQ+, expect the special Pride performance on Saturday to concentrate on queer themes particularly. It is also fundraising for The Outside Project, the UK’s first LGBTIQ+ Community Shelter & Centre. With tickets from £12, the show starts at 9pm on Friday July 4 and 7pm on Saturday. 2 Shepperton Road, N1, rosemarybranchtheatre.co.uk
Get comfy at The Arzner
The newly-opened Arzner (10 Bermondsey Square, SE1, thearzner.com), from the duo behind queer pub The Rising, is London’s only cinema dedicated to screening nothing but LGBTQ+ films. Named for Dorothy Arzner, who has the distinction of having been the only female director working in Hollywood between 1927 and 1943. She was also in a public lesbian relationship, which was beyond atypical for the time. It’s also just a bloody good cinema, with very respectable cocktails to boot. Look out for Morocco, on Sunday; “ahead of its time” doesn’t do it justice.
Take a tour at the Tate
These free tours, which meet at the top of the Rotunda stairs at Tate Britain (Millbank, SW1, tate.org.uk), run throughout the summer, including Sunday July 6 for those looking for something peaceful to do the day after the parade. They’re a detailed, three-hour exploration of the Tate’s collection seen through the lens of gender identity and sexuality.
Swot up on the history
Pride is, of course, about more than a single day or month. Britain’s queer past is often overlooked, sometimes purposefully obscured. It is a history that rewards exploration; history that makes Pride all the more poignant.
One of the best places to discover it is at Queer Britain (2 Granary Square, N1C, queerbritain.org.uk), the UK’s only museum dedicated to LGBTQ+ history. The accessible museum is an inclusive space that proudly welcomes everyone — regardless of gender and sexuality — and is dedicated to celebrating “the stories, people and places that are intrinsic to the queer community in the UK and beyond.”
Otherwise, explore the archives of the Bishopsgate Institute (230 Bishopsgate, EC2, bishopsgate.org.uk), which among other things contains around 300,000 press cuttings about the LGBTQ+ experience from the late 19th century to now. It charts the changing shape of queer life in Britain, and is somewhere to which weekends can be lost.
Elsewhere, pop in and shop at Gay’s the Word (66 Marchmont Street, WC1, gaystheword.co.uk), the oldest dedicated LGBTQ+ bookshop in the country, a treasure trove of everything from young adult fiction to crime and romance, as well as enough non-fiction books to last anyone till next year’s Pride (it was also the HQ for Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, whose story was told in the Bill Nighy movie Pride).
