Birmingham Pride festival aims to lead the way for inclusivity in 2025

– Through its Big Free Community Day and year-round engagement, Birmingham Pride enables marginalised communities to be part of one of the UK’s biggest LGBTQI+ celebrations

– After welcoming a record audience of 4,000 last year, including from disadvantaged and impaired communities, the major event is now seeking partners to help deliver its 2025 offering

– Success is the result of work between Birmingham Pride and partners to break down barriers and encourage participation in cultural and LGBTQI+ events across the Midlands

Birmingham Pride’s Big Free Community Day hopes to return later this year, following record-breaking levels of social impact, engagement, and inclusivity for the pioneering initiative in 2024.

Over 4,000 attendees from communities across the West Midlands were welcomed to an afternoon and evening showcase of first-class multidisciplinary arts, presented as part of one of the UK’s major national LGBTQI+ celebrations last year.

Year-round outreach work by the Birmingham Pride team and partner organisations to engage with families from disadvantaged and impaired communities, matched with highly inclusive visitor and production facilities, delivered an enriching and memorable experience for thousands – including many culture fans who had not had the opportunity to enjoy live music or art for a year or more.

61% of those who claimed the free tickets to the event, which featured performances from Bollyqueer, Girl Grind, Natalie Maclean, as well as an operatic performance from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire graduate Oliver Barker, lived in a community with significant socio-economic disadvantage (bottom 40% on the multiple of index of deprivation). 

In line with Birmingham Pride’s aim to play a leading role in building a community free of fear or prejudice, along with creating safe spaces at its annual cultural spectacular, 65% of Big Free Community Day survey respondents in 2024 had not attended any other cultural events in the West Midlands in the last 12 months and 57% had not attended any other LGBTQI+ events in the same time. 

Lawrence Barton DL, Festival Director of Birmingham Pride, said: “The mission of our Big Free Community Day is to enable everyone in our region and beyond, no matter their financial circumstances or background to participate in an inclusive, high-quality, and dynamic LGBTQ+ event at Birmingham Pride without the barrier of cost. 

“We strive to do so in such a way that enables those who might find a large festival environment uncomfortable to have the space and freedom they need to feel at ease and included.”

The 28th edition of Birmingham Pride’s annual three-day weekend celebration of LGBTQI+ achievements, life and love will take place in May 2025, featuring the now world-famous parade, estimated to involve over 80,000 people moving through the City.

Mr Barton continued, saying, “The community day is so important; it not only recognises the great work of LGBTQI+ community leaders throughout the year and reflects on the journey of our community over recent history, but it also allows us to platform and showcase brilliant emerging and community LGBTQ+/allied artists who otherwise might never have an opportunity to perform on a world-class festival main stage. 

“We were pleased to include new art forms in 2024 such as opera, enabling a wider and more diverse audience than perhaps traditionally seen to experience these inspiring classical arts. We are very excited to continue building on the incredible outcomes of this social justice-led venture and we look forward to working with our partners to continue delivering on this transformational mission.”

Alongside culturally diverse performances from contemporary multidisciplinary artists, Birmingham Pride hopes to once again celebrate art forms with an LGBTQI+ focus, including many seen as traditionally elitist, helping to break down socio-economic barriers through free and low-income ticketing schemes and via outreach work, collaborating with partner organisations and community leaders.

Vinay Jobanputra, founder of London-based dance organisation Bollyqueer who performed on Birmingham Pride’s main stage for the Big Free Community Event, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to perform at the Big Free Community Event. To be able to celebrate our South Asian identity as well as our queerness on stage was an exciting feeling, especially on such a big platform. 

“It’s rare to have opportunities where we can celebrate all parts of our identity, without feeling like we’re ‘too much’. 

“It was also amazing to see how many other South Asians in the crowd felt seen, many came up to us afterwards and asked how they can get involved and said that they are happy we exist. 

“This experience was us reclaiming who we are and showing that love and joy exists within our communities and that queerness exists within our culture, and we’re not sorry about it! It felt great to be given the opportunity to be the representation that we needed whilst growing up.”

Using the renowned Birmingham Pride main stage site and resources, the Big Free Community Day organising team places a strategic focus on promoting attendance by those with disabilities and impairments, placing equality and access at the heart of the Pride experience.

The Big Free Community Day 2024 was principally funded by West Midlands Combined Authority through their Inclusive Communities Fund administered by the Heart of England Community Foundation.

Birmingham Pride welcomes expressions of interest from partners keen to help deliver their 2025 Big Free Community Day offering. For more information, email development@birminghampride.com.

For more information and to secure tickets to Birmingham Pride 2025, visit https://birminghampride.com