The most colourful and exciting events of the year returns to Birmingham in 2023. Birmingham Pride celebrates all things LGBTQ+ and is one of the highlight events of every year. If you’re in the city on the weekend of Saturday May 27, and Sunday May 28h 2023, add this to your list of things to do in Birmingham. Everyone is welcome to get involved and enjoy the celebrations across five festival stages in the city with music, performances, parades, themed nights and so much more. Join the fun from our serviced apartments in the heart of the city, the perfect spot to get ready or wind down for Birmingham Pride 2023.
Pride in Birmingham
This is the 26th anniversary of Birmingham Pride, celebrating 26 years of pride and protest. The UK’s fantastic pride celebrations are owed to the brave men and women who held the first ever UK on 1st July 1972 in London. The origins of our celebrations across the UK are inspired by the riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York in 1969, where LGBT+ patrons had been targeted by the police force. Birmingham Pride held its first event back in 1997 and involved a market, a street carnival and live music. There had been gay-centred events before, but they were either not held in public or were only small political rallies, nothing like the soulful, over-the-top celebration we enjoy these days. The celebrations have grown each year since to become one of the most anticipated and talked-about events on the Birmingham events calendar.
Village Street Party
After the success of the last couple of years celebrations, the Village Street Party is returning to Birmingham for 2023. The area around Hurst Street will be the home of the Birmingham Pride Street Party. Tickets are affordable and offer entrants access to your favourite LGBTQ+ bars and clubs, including Equator, The Fox, The Loft, Missing Bar, Nightingale Club and Sidewalk Bar, as well as easy access to LGBTQ+ venues The Fountain, Glamorous, Eden and Chic. Each bar or club will host individual Pride events including cabaret, live entertainment and more over the festival weekend. Some events are individually ticketed so check the official Pride website for more information. The street party will include a selection of street food vendors catering to vegans and vegetarians as well as meat-eaters, and there are a mix of community market stalls to pick up a memento of a great weekend. Birmingham Pride is a safe and welcoming environment for everyone to show their pride.
Birmingham Pride Parade
The Birmingham Pride Parade is a culmination of all of the hard work and effort that goes into making this weekend extra special. The parade is enjoyed by tens of thousands of participants, walking or marching alongside dozens of decorated floats and is viewed by over 75 thousand spectators lining the streets of the city. The Pride Parade is a march for equality and justice for LGBTQ+ people in the UK and around the world, marching for fair and equal rights for all. The event starts at Centenary Square in the City Centre at 11 am and marches through the city from noon, finishing at the LGBTQ+ village where people can make their way to the main festival activities. It’s free for all to attend and enjoy.
Birmingham Pride 2023 Line Up
While not all acts have been released, and we’re sure to see some very special guests, we’re excited about the lineup for Pride 2023 so far. This year’s main stage features an added runway, larger screens and an increased VIP area. The line-up this year is a throwback with Pop singer Gabrielle and girl group B*witched revealed as the headliners on Sunday, May 28. We’re excited to see acts like Atomic Kitten, Liberty X and legendary funk group Boney M featuring Maizie Williams. Gay icon Rylan will be DJing over the weekend too, spinning gay anthems and floor fillers. The Conrad Guest Cabaret Stage has a range of cabaret performances, and the Future Stage showcases up-and-coming talent. The Dance Arena is the perfect spot for a boogie well into the evening.
If you’re staying in our serviced apartments for Pride 2023, you’re in for a treat. You’re close to all of the action and a short walk from the Gay Village and parade route. Our team would be happy to help you plan a fun day out.
