Spice Girl Mel C, DJ Jodie Harsh and drag performers among the lineup for UK Pride in Newcastle
Celebrations will be 'bigger and better' than ever as Newcastle hosts UK Pride 2022.
The three-day event had been set to take place in the city in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic forced it to be postponed.
After a two-year delay the festival is in Newcastle with an action-packed weekend of live music and entertainment.
Along with a host of big name performances at Newcastle’s Town Moor, the event has also drawn heavily from the North East’s LGBTQ+ community.
More than 90 per cent of the artists, performers, creatives and campaigners involved in this year’s weekend are from the immediate region – keeping to Northern Pride’s promise to “elevate and celebrate the North East’s LGBTQ+ community” when it won the UK Pride title four years ago.
Among the local performers are South Shields singer Joe McElderry, Newcastle dance artist Karen Harding and drag act Choriza May.
As well as live music, festival goers can enjoy the colourful parade through the city centre before arriving at the Town Moor in Newcastle where there is funfair and street food stalls.
Here's your guide to everything you need to know about the event;
Friday 22 July
The UK Pride weekend is free, but Northern Pride are hosting a fundraising concert on Friday 22 July, with money from ticket sales going to charity.
Among the acts on the lineup are;
5:30PM - 7PM
Radio 1 DJ Dean McCullough
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK finalist Bimini Bon Boulash
7PM - 9PM
DJ Jodie Harsh
Singer-songwriter Katy B
9PM - 10PM
Toddrick Hall
Saturday 23 JulySaturday sees the return of the vibrant and lively Pride march.
The parade which sees hundreds of people march through the city centre carrying banners to promote inclusion, diversity and the celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.
The march will start at noon at Newcastle Civic Centre and will go via St Marys Place, Northumberland St, Blackett Street, Percy St, Barras Bridge, Claremont Road and then into Exhibition Park.
Organisers say the procession is just over a mile long and should take around 50 minutes to complete.
Anyone can join the march with no sign-up needed, and attendees are encouraged to wear their brightest outfits and carry flags and banners. A number of live performers and music acts will then entertain festival goers.
12PM - 2PM
Pride Radio
Northern Proud Voices
Sophia Flannagan
St Buryan
2PM - 4PM
Louis Chrisp
Hannabiell & Midnight
Collective
Carmen Show Tunes & Wine
4PM - 6PM
MXYM
Kay Greyson
Drag Idol Show
Michael T Ogilvie
6PM - 9PM
Choriza May
Sequinella
Karen Harding
Melanie C (DJ Set)
Sunday 24 July
12PM - 2PM
Louise Pye
NAAM Presents Newcastle
Mela
Jackson Soul
Drag Castle
2PM - 4PM
Sam Dickinson
Pricilla Queen of the Desert
Smash Hits Live!
4PM - 6PM
Dani Dee and the Broadway
Dancers
Re-Take That
Singer Joe McElderry
6PM - 9PM
DJ Adele Roberts
90s popstar Louise
Ibiza in Symphony with
Michael Maddison
Ste Dunn, Director of Northern Pride, is confident this will be their most inclusive and accessible festival to date: "We’ve chosen a powerful theme this year, Remember, Resist, Rise Up, to pay homage to our collective history, resist oppression – with the pandemic having a disproportionate impact on LGBTQ+ people – and rise up to the challenges we still face.
“Pairing this with a really diverse series of events and plans to showcase more local performers and creatives than ever before and I believe we’re on the path to deliver our best festival to date.”
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