"Nobody should be priced out of Pride"
- LM News
- 39 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Just 72 hours to go, as Leicester Pride reveals huge entertainment line-up, free Pride bus, BBC Introducing East Midlands stage and spectacular Lady Gaga finale
Leicester is preparing to welcome an expected 20,000 people for one of the UK's largest free Pride festivals, with just 72 hours to go until Leicester Pride brings a huge parade, two arenas of entertainment and a spectacular finale to the city – this coming weekend.
Taking place on Saturday 5 September, Leicester Pride 2026 will transform the city centre and Abbey Park for a full day of LGBTQ+ celebration, visibility and community, while making an important promise to visitors: nobody should be priced out of Pride.
With free entry, a free Pride bus and entertainment running throughout the day, organisers say accessibility remains at the heart of the festival as Leicester prepares to demonstrate why the Midlands can increasingly lay claim to being Britain's Pride Capital.
And this year's Pride is planning to conclude with a bang.
The Main Stage will culminate in a spectacular Lady Gaga tribute from Donna Marie, following a packed bill featuring Union J's Jaymi Hensley, Inspired by Adele, Typically Tina, George Redwood, BBC Introducing, West End star Nikki Bentley and Fanny Burns.
Hosting proceedings will be Lea Martin and Marty Smith, alongside the return of TikTok and Instagram sensation Alexis Blake, winner of Gaydio's Influencer of the Year award.
Away from the Main Stage, the Fosse Park Dance Arena will keep Pride moving with sets from Prince JayJay, A38, Robbie Lewis, James Dean, Ben Aldridge and Gareth Hazard. BBC Introducing East Midlands will also be showcasing some of our region’s most exciting up and coming talent.
The Billy Bates & Sons Funfair also returns to Abbey Park, while the festival site will feature bars, food vendors, market stalls and stands from Leicester Pride's sponsors and partners.
Pride will also retain its strong focus on LGBTQ+ health, support and community.
A dedicated Health & Wellbeing Marquee will include Trade Sexual Health and Leicestershire LGBTQ+ Centre, creating a highly visible space where visitors can access information, support and conversations around LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing.
The celebrations begin in the city centre at 12 noon, when the Leicester Pride parade leaves Curve before travelling through the heart of Leicester, passing some of the city's most recognisable landmarks and arriving at Abbey Park at approximately 1pm.
And getting to the main festival couldn't be easier.
A FREE Pride bus service will run throughout the day between Rainbow & Dove on Charles Street and Abbey Park, helping visitors travel between the city centre and the main Pride site without adding to the cost of their day.
Martyn Parker, Chairman of Leicester Pride, said:
"With one week to go, you can really feel the excitement building. We're preparing to welcome around 20,000 people to Leicester for what we believe will be one of our biggest and most exciting Pride celebrations yet.
"Leicester Pride has always been about much more than putting on a great show. It's about visibility, community and creating a place where people can be completely themselves.
"The Midlands has developed an extraordinary Pride movement, with celebrations taking place in communities right across the region. We want Leicester to be right at the heart of that and to show why this part of the country can rightly lay claim to being Britain's Pride Capital.
"But one of the things we're most proud of is that Leicester Pride remains free.
"At a time when the cost of attending major events continues to rise, that matters. Nobody should be priced out of Pride.
"From free entry to the free Pride bus, we want as many people as possible to be able to come into Leicester, join the parade, enjoy the entertainment and be part of the celebration.
"Keeping an event of this scale free is only possible because of the incredible support we receive from our sponsors, partners, volunteers and Leicester City Council. We can't thank them enough.
"Now there's only one thing left to do: bring Leicester together, make some noise and put on an unforgettable Pride."
Leicester Pride has deliberately maintained its free-entry model, helping ensure that the celebration remains accessible to the whole community.
As a registered charity, Leicester Pride works with sponsors and partners to keep the festival free, with money raised invested into its annual events or donated to other local LGBTQ+ charities.
Alongside the party, organisers say the event remains rooted in the principles on which Pride was built: LGBTQ+ visibility, equality, community, support and the right for people to live openly and authentically.
The scale of Leicester Pride also reflects the extraordinary strength of Pride across the Midlands, with celebrations now taking place in cities, towns and communities throughout the region.
With around 20,000 people expected in Leicester alone, organisers believe the Midlands can increasingly make the case for being Britain's Pride Capital, not because of a single event but because of the breadth, diversity and strength of LGBTQ+ celebrations taking place across the region.
Leicester Pride takes place at Abbey Park on Saturday 5 September 2026, from 11am until 9pm, with last entry at 7pm.
Leicester Pride Guide 2026
Follow Leicester Pride Facebook page for more information on this event
Leicester Media is proud to be the official media partner for Leicester Pride
