Birmingham Pride 2023: Director calls for permanent home after city's largest LGBTQ+ carnival parade

Thousands of people from across the Midlands, and the country, descended on Birmingham for Birmingham Pride 2023 over the weekend.

The festival marks its 27th year of celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.

The festival was attended by tens of thousands of people at the site in the heart of the LGBTQ+ village, with more than 100,000 participating in or watching Saturday's parade.

Lawrence Barton - Festival director of Birmingham Pride - said it was the city's largest carnival parade yet.

He said: "I'm delighted that it has been a groundbreaking carnival parade this year. But the concern that we have is that we don't have a permanent home.

"It undoubtedly generates tens of millions of pounds for the local economy. So, there has to be an acknowledgement from the City and stakeholders that we need a permanent home and those discussions need to happen very quickly."

He added: "That visibility and having a safe space is so important. We really need Pride now more than ever."

A spokesperson from Birmingham City Council said: "Birmingham City Council are committed to ensuring that Birmingham Pride has a long-term future in this city and we are continually in talks with the organisers.

"Together we will make sure that Pride has a future in Birmingham. Birmingham Pride is now the largest community festival held in the city.

"It's an event that we've seen grow from strength to strength. It has now grown to such a scale that it is difficult to accommodate it, but we will find a permanent solution to the challenges that Pride faces."