Why Manchester Pride still feels like the UK's best party

Of all the Prides in the UK, Manchester has to be our favourite. Why is that? Well, more than the line-up – this year it’s Leigh-Anne, Billy Porter, Olly Alexander, Nelly Furtado, Tulisa, Tayce, Louisa Johnson … actually, how long have you got? There’s hundreds of names we could mention.
 
As we were saying, more than the line-up and the gorgeous closing with the candlelit vigil for those of our community that we have lost, it’s the atmosphere. That might be because they rather cleverly gate off the whole of the Gay Village along Canal Street so that the party stays where the party is supposed to be. It might be because the whole city takes part in a way that you just can’t do in London. And it might be because people from Manchester are a whole load of fun. Too much fun sometimes, in our experience.
 
And that’s not to mention the brand new Mardi Gras over Depot Mayfield and Freight Island, the Gay Village Party on the Alan Turing Stage and the Indoor Arena with Samantha Mumba, B*Witched, Sister Sledge and plenty of others. Not forgetting downstairs at The Eagle, the dog show, the the drinking on the streets where our friend Justine broke her ankle just from wearing shoes that were too high (and drinking drinks that were too strong!)
 
And of course the rally/parade/whatever you want to call it when the streets of Manchesterford come alive with everyone from the cast of Coronation Street to pretty much every high street name you can imagine interspersed with gay swimmers, gay swingers, gay polo players, gay… well, everything. We feel tired and hungover just thinking about it.
 
manchesterpride.com