Covid: Birmingham Pride to go ahead following announcement of lockdown roadmap

Birmingham Pride Festival will go ahead in September, organisers have announced.

The two day event is normally held in May and is one of the biggest events in the city's calendar.

The 2020 festival couldn't be held due to Coronavirus, and instead there were a series of virtual gatherings.

But a day after Boris Johnson announced his roadmap out of lockdown, which aims to "remove all legal limits on social contact" by 21 June, the organisers of the festival have said it will be held on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th September 2021.

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The festival organisers said,

"We firmly believe that delaying until later in September gives us the most realistic opportunity to finally deliver a safe and enjoyable Pride for us all"

Any tickets already purchased will automatically be transferred to the new date.

Boris Johnson's four stage roadmap out of lockdown:

• Step 1 (part one) - March 8

- All schools and colleges will reopen, as well as after school clubs

- One plus one recreation will be allowed; for example, people will be permitted to meet one other person from outside their household to socialise

- Care home residents will be allowed one named visitor to attend regularly- Stay at home order will remain

• Step 1 (part two) - March 27, at the earliest

- Rule of six to return for outdoor meetings, including private gardens as will two household rule.

- Outdoor sports facilities to reopen

- Stay at home order to end

• Step 2 - No earlier than April 12

- Non-essential retail and personal care such as hairdressers to reopen

- Public buildings such as museums and libraries will return- Indoor leisure facilities such as gyms will reopen

- Outdoor hospitality will reopen but customers must be seated

- No requirement for a substantial meal to purchase alcohol and no curfews on opening times

- Self-contained holidays within the UK to be allowed

- Funerals allowed up to 30 guests, while wakes, weddings and receptions will be allowed 15

- Outdoor attractions such as zoos, theme parks and drive in cinemas

• Step 3 - May 17 at the earliest

- Most restrictions on outdoor socialising to be removed; no more rule of six

- Gatherings of more than 30 will still be illegal

- Indoor mixing to be allowed with rule of six or two households- Indoor hospitality can reopen with same restrictions

- Weddings will be allowed with up to 30 people

- Large events can resume with spectators, though there will be restrictions;- Indoor events will be allowed up to 1,000 spectators or 50% of capacity, whichever is lowest

- Outdoor events will be allowed up to 4,000 or 50% of capacity, whichever is lowest

- Outdoor seated events, such as football matches, will be allowed 10,000 fans or 25% of capacity, whichever is lowest

• Step 4 - No sooner than June 21

- All limits on social contact, such as rule of six, to be removed for both indoor and outdoor settings

- Rest of society to reopen, such as nightclubs and other businesses which did not reopen following first lockdown

- Social distancing will remain in place until Step 4, with a review taking place ahead of that date looking at how the advice can be removed

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