Rebuilding pride: How co-creation helped Manchester Pride

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From the parade to protest, through a vigil and a party in the iconic Village area, Manchester Pride has long sought to be a representation and celebration of the city’s LGBTQ+ community. The charity behind the event also works year-round to support and fund local charitable causes aimed at this group.

However, recent Manchester Pride events have drawn ire, with accusations that the charity is not delivering an event that caters enough to the needs of local LGBTQ+ people. A music festival, Manchester Pride Live, often attracted big-name stars, but was criticised for the fees spent on artists and high ticket prices. This reached a nadir in 2019 when it was headlined by Ariana Grande.

While the festival drew large crowds, many attendees were not from the LGBTQ+ community. Festival satisfaction ratings, conducted by Mustard Research, were much higher among heterosexual people than other groups – 75% for heterosexual, versus 28% for gay men. Satisfaction was lowest among older age groups ( 45+), queer, pansexual ...