The city dons it’s sparkly attire and celebrates in the biggest and best way. This year the 10 day festival includes everything from sports to arts, film to heritage, and of course the BIG Weekend taking place over the August Bank holiday which is jam packed with music, entertainment and partying like there’s no tomorrow.
Highlights to watch out for this year are:
The Gaydio Stage: Friday 24th August – STEPS headline the first night of the Big Weekend bringing their camp classics to the stage.
The Pride Parade: Saturday 25th August starts at 1pm throughout the city centre. This years theme is Queer’d Science in memory of Manchesters very own Alan Turing, the man behind computer science. Expect a carvival atmosphere as the route weaves its way throughout Manchester’s City Centre starting on Deansgate opposite the Hilton Deansgate Hotel and finishing on Whitworth Street, just outside Manchester’s famous ‘Gay Village.’
*Just announced and added to the Pride line-up is former Yazoo and singing legend Alison Moyet, a class act to headline for Sunday night’s revellers. Plus don’t miss the George House Candlelight Vigil – The Vigil is the spiritual heart of the Manchester Pride festival and there is a truly magical and moving atmosphere of quiet reflection in the Sackville Gardens that signals the end of Pride on Monday.
Our Showbiz Shel will be at this years Pride Big Weekend reporting from behind the scenes for Manchester’s Finest.
She caught up with the flamboyant and fabulous Margarita Pracatan (from ‘Clive Anderson Show’ fame) who has come all the way from her home in New York to perform her one woman show ‘Stranger in the Night’ at this year’s festival along with getting involved in numerous other areas of the Pride celebrations. We can’t enjoy enough of Margarita!!!
You can find out more information about Manchester Pride 2012 and how to get tickets to the Big Weekend by visiting www.manchesterpride.com
Margarita Pracatan can be followed on twitter @PracatanBaby
