Northumberland Pride marks biggest event to date as the festival moves to Ashington

• Report by Emily Reader.

Thousands of people gathered in Ashington to mark Northumberland Pride.

The event, which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, took place in People's Park for the first time after uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.

The traditional pride parade had to be called off for a second year running, but organisers were keen to mark the occasion.

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Instead a festival was planned with local musician, dance groups and drag queens taking to the main stage.

More than 4,000 people are thought to have attended, making the 2021 Northumberland pride the event's biggest to date.

It's thought the cancellation of other North East Pride events, such as Newcastle, may have raised the profile of Northumberland's celebrations as the LGBTQ+ community looked for somewhere to mark the occasion.

There was more than just live music on offer. Festival goers over the age of 16 could also get a covid vaccine.