Manchester Pride to return this year
A new not-for-profit company is being set up after the previous organisation collapsed
It has been confirmed that Manchester Pride WILL return this year - after the organisation which used to run it collapsed.
A new not-for-profit company is being set up, with village businesses and stakeholders coming together to create Manchester Village Pride CIC.
It has been confirmed that the four-day celebration - including the Pride parade, village party and vigil - will return across the summer bank holiday weekend (28-31 August).
The company has received loans of £120,000 from village venues to help make it happen, with the council set to organise sessions with LGBTQ+ organisations and representations on how to shape the event.
A Community Advisory Board will also be created by MVP CIC, via an application process, to make sure LGBTQ+ community perspectives are reflected in the event planning.
Carl Austin-Behan, one of the founding board members and spokesperson for Manchester Village Pride CIC, said:
"Manchester Village Pride is built around a simple belief. Pride has a home – and that home is the Village – but Pride belongs to everyone.
"We have a chance to start again"
"This is a really exciting time for our community. We have a chance to start again. 2026 is a year of rebuilding, reestablishing trust, reconnecting with Pride’s origins and reinforcing the role of the Village as the heart of the celebration.
"From 2027 onwards MVP plans to develop a wider programme of citywide activity around Pride.
"Bringing Pride home to the Village is about more than location. It is a commitment to responsibility: paying artists properly, funding community groups, supporting charities, protecting LGBTQ+ heritage – and building a sustainable future for Pride in Manchester."
Deputy Council Leader, Cllr Garry Bridges, said:
"Pride is vital for Manchester, as a symbol of our welcoming and inclusive city, a chance to celebrate our LGBTQ+ communities and to highlight injustices which still exist.
"The Council have always been clear that Pride must happen this year. Manchester Village Pride came to us with a strong and credible plan which we are happy to support. Who better to organise our city's Pride than the people who work with our LGBTQ+ communities all year round?"
Rachel Bottomley, Managing Director of the LGBT Foundation, said:
"We’re proud to stand alongside Manchester Village Pride as it rebuilds a celebration shaped by and for the community. This renewed focus on community and transparency is an opportunity to ensure LGBTQ+ people across Greater Manchester feel supported, represented, and empowered.
"We look forward to playing our part in continuing to spread hope and joy, with our Village Angels helping keep people safe over the Manchester Village Pride weekend."
Darren Knight, Chief Executive of George House Trust, said:
"George House Trust’s history is built on the passion and determination of Greater Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community. For the last 40 years, the August Bank Holiday weekend in Manchester has been about inclusion, voice and making life better for people!
"Everyone at George House Trust is proud to stand in solidarity to ensure that for 2026 and beyond, there’s no change in that. Pride has always been, and will always be, for everyone.
"It’s great to see this community response and we hope we see you at the vigil."
Karen Lockney, Equity's North West Official, said:
"Equity is delighted that Manchester Village Pride will be signing an Equity agreement - the first ever UK union agreement for a Pride event. Not only will this guarantee fair pay and professional industry standards for all performers, but it also provides the workers of a Manchester Village Pride with a meaningful dialogue and a say over the terms of their work.
"Pride events fight for the rights of the LGBT+ community and that must include workers’ rights. We hope other Pride organisations will follow Manchester Village Pride’s fantastic example. This is testament to the work of members of Equity’s Drag Network, staff, and Equity members in the Village and our Greater Manchester branch.
"We have consistently called for unionised terms and conditions for Pride, and this positive development will restore the trust of our members in the event. They can be confident they will be paid and treated fairly in future. These are exciting developments, part of giving Manchester the Pride it deserves. An Equity Pride agreement is something for which the city should be truly proud."