Salford Youth Pride Brings Colour and Celebration to the City

LGBTQI+ young people from across the city came together for this year’s Salford Youth Pride, a joyful celebration filled with creativity, community spirit and self-expression.

Hosted by Salford’s Youth Services, the event welcomed 11–17 year-olds for a packed day of activities including drag, drama, music, arts and crafts, sports, and photography. Young people also took part in a symbolic walk to Salford Civic Centre to meet city leaders, before returning to The Deans for an afternoon party complete with live music and a campfire gathering.

A special highlight of the day was the contribution from Salford Pride, who generously designed and donated specially Salford Youth Pride t-shirts. These bright and bold shirts were worn throughout the day, giving attendees a sense of unity and visibility. Young people were able to take them home as souvenirs, serving as a lasting reminder of the event.

Salford Pride expressed how thrilled they were to be part of the celebration:

“It means so much to us to support LGBTQI+ youth in Salford. These t-shirts are more than just clothing – they are a symbol of pride, belonging and empowerment for the next generation.”

The atmosphere across the day reflected that message. Organisers, volunteers, and attendees alike described the event as uplifting and inspiring, highlighting the importance of safe, inclusive spaces where young people can celebrate who they are.

Salford Youth Pride continues to grow as a key date in the city’s calendar, championing acceptance, creativity, and pride in every sense.

Pink Picnic 2025: A Celebration of Pride and Community

A Day to Remember

On Saturday 21 June 2025, Salford’s Peel Park came alive with colour, music, and joy for the 14th annual Pink Picnic. Organised by Salford Pride, this year’s event was the biggest yet, bringing together thousands of people from Salford, Greater Manchester, and beyond for a day of pride, unity, and community spirit.

Highlights from the Day

Cher Lloyd headlined the main stage with an electric performance, joined by Banksie, best known from Drag Race UK, and Natasha Hamilton of Atomic Kitten. The brand-new Queer Collective Stage brought a fresh dimension to the festival, showcasing the creativity and talent of local LGBTQ+ artists across music, theatre, and dance.

Families and friends enjoyed a wealth of activities throughout the day. Community stalls, a youth zone, and a family area ensured the event was welcoming for all ages. A colourful dog show, inflatables, food and drink vendors, and lively market stalls kept the atmosphere buzzing, while quiet spaces were also available for those who needed them, reflecting the event’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

The Impact

The Pink Picnic is more than just an event; it has become a powerful driver of community engagement. Nearly half of attendees reported feeling more likely to get involved in local initiatives after attending. It provided a safe and visible space for LGBTQ+ people and allies to connect and celebrate together.

The economic impact was significant, with an estimated £160,000–£200,000 spent in the local economy during the event. Since its beginnings in 2011, the Pink Picnic has contributed over £400,000 directly into Salford businesses and services. Beyond the financial contribution, the event relies on its people. More than 150 volunteers have supported the picnic over the years, helping Salford Pride grow into a registered charity and offering opportunities for skills development and community involvement.

The festival has also played an important role in shifting perceptions of Salford, showcasing the city as diverse, inclusive, and proud. Partnerships with local charities, fire and police services, and health groups strengthened community bonds and raised awareness about safety and support networks.

A Community United

Pink Picnic 2025 was not just a festival—it was a statement of love, visibility, and solidarity. Whether people came with family, friends, or as part of the wider LGBTQ+ community, the event was a celebration of identity and togetherness. It marked another proud milestone for Salford and its growing reputation as a city of inclusion.

For those who want to be part of next year’s celebration, updates can be found via Salford Pride’s official channels. The Pink Picnic continues to grow, creating lasting impact and bringing people together in the spirit of unity.

The Pink Picnic will return for its 11th year, unapologetically sharing ‘Proud Vibes Only' in 2022!

Salford Pride’s The Pink Picnic 2022 will return to it’s scenic summer setting at Peel Park on Saturday 25th June from 1pm-8pm, unapologetically saying ‘Proud Vibes Only!’

The Pink Picnic is Salford’s annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Non-binary plus (LGBTQ+) pride event and is back again in 2022 for it’s eleventh year. The grass root event personifies the true essence of what pride means and what it originally stood for. 

With the community at its heart, the event brings the local community, groups, organisations, charities, and businesses together to showcase Salford’s diverse communities. 

The day will host an array of live entertainment on the main stage, showcasing a roster of local diverse LGBT+ talent and headline artists.

You can also expect to see drag, musicians, dancers, DJ’s and powerful words from prominent voices in the community, including Salford Pride patron and trans activist Annie Wallace (Hollyoaks). In previous years, The Pink Picnic has hosted big names such as Ru Paul Drag Race’s Cheryl Hole, Booty Luv & Big Brovaz, Stooshe, Eurovision’s SuRie, Union J and local legend Cheddar Gorgeous. This year will be no different with a jam-packed line-up of talent.

As well as our main stage the event will host community stalls promoting local groups, organisations and charities, activities and entertainment for families, children, and LGBTQ+ youth, funfair rides, a bar tent, food and drink vendors and much more. 

For the Picnic goers that are looking for the VIP Pride experience, a PinkPLUS ticket will gain you access to the exclusive PinkPLUS area with its own bar & facilities, 2 free drinks, the opportunity to meet some of the main stage headliners, a free meal, and a goody bag. 

Grab your FREE general admission tickets now, for more info visit. For those looking for a little extra PinkPLUS experience tickets are NOW on sale at an early bird price.

If you are enthusiastic, want to make a difference to the LGBT+ community in Salford and get involved in one the largest LGBT+ celebrations across Greater Manchester, why not sign up as a volunteer. You can also find out more about the event by visiting pinkpicnic.org.uk

You can also keep up to date with our work in the fight for equality online:

Facebook @salfordprideuk
Twitter @salfordprideuk
Instagram @salfordprideuk
Youtube

The Pink Picnic Returns in 2021!

Salford Pride are excited to officially announce that Salford’s annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans & Non-binary, plus (LGBT+) pride event ‘The Pink Picnic’ is confirmed to return to Peel Park on Saturday 7th August 2021! Taking place between 1-8pm in Peel Park, Salford the event will host live music, dance and drag performances, children’s activities, a dog show, a beer tent, and even a private ‘PinkPLUS’ area for that little extra.

The event is family friendly, dog friendly and is also free and open to all to attend. Salford Pride believes that everyone should have the chance to celebrate and be their authentic self regardless of income. Everyone is welcome to show their support for the LGBT+ community, and embrace the spirit of pride. The Pink Picnic is a grass root event that personifies the true essence of what pride means and what it originally stood for.

This year The Pink Picnic celebrates its 10th anniversary. First Launched in 2011, a few friends thought it would be nice to hold an LGBT+ focussed event to bring people together for a fun afternoon. A modest gathering of 15 or so people was expected, but it attracted around 120 people, and so the picnic was born. The event was rebranded to The Pink Picnic in 2017, and over the past 10 years The Pink Picnic has grown from a small gathering of people to a nationally recognised pride celebration for the local LGBT+ community of Salford and beyond. In 2019 over 5,000 guests attended the event, and after going digital in 2020 digital, and attracting over 12,000 views, we’re thrilled to be back in 2021.

Hosting this year's event are some of our communities finest local drag heroines: Blaq Ivory, Misty Chance, and Viva La Diva. The line-up includes a rainbow of talent, including locals Jess Kemp, HUSK, House of Noir and Ewan, the reigning winner of Salford Pride’s Got Talent. Some famous names including Cheddar Gorgeous (Drag SOS), Sam Callahan (X Factor), 00’s legends Big Brovaz & Booty Luv, and Stooshe (Black Heart) bringing ‘Proud Vibes Only’ and more headline artists to be announced soon!

““The Pink Picnic is incredibly special as it was set up by the community of Salford for local people and community remains at the heart of everything Salford Pride does.

Pride is a precious time in calendar where we see LGBT+ live, thrive and represented in all aspects of life. The past year has not been without its challenges, so to be able to bring back our flagship event in our 10th year is very exciting. Everyone involved at The Pink Picnic in 2019 had a great time, so we are really excited to bring the event back, bigger than ever before!””

— Ricki Hewitt, Chief of Experience

Unlike previous years, this year's event will be ticketed, due to covid-19 regulations to help ensure the safety of everyone attending, however the event still remains one of the biggest free to attend pride events in Greater Manchester. If you’re looking for something extra, there are PinkPLUS tickets, on sale Friday 4th June 2021, granting pride-goers access to the ‘PinkPLUS’ area, with a private bar, private toilets, 2 free drinks & finger food snacks served throughout the day; even the chance to meet some of our headliners.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Salford Pride, or getting involved, check out salfordpride.org.uk/getinvolved, or sign up as an event volunteer for The Pink Picnic: Applications are open now!

You can also keep up to date with our work in the fight for equality online:

Facebook @salfordprideuk
Twitter @salfordprideuk
Instagram @salfordprideuk

Tickets (free) are available here. Limited PinkPLUS tickets, offering a VIP experience to the event, are available here at a discounted early bird price of £20 until June 18. Further tickets will be released here.

#BlackFutureMonth Spotlight: Rebecca Swarray

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Who: Rebecca Swarray aka DJ Mix-Stress and boss lady of events collective RebeccaNeverBecky.

What you do: I am a promoter, DJ and curator organising and running events within the Manchester queer community across the year. Events which specifically platform QTIPOC, LGBT+ and BAME creatives, DJs and performers. I also DJ at various events and spaces in and out of the city and have a monthly residency on Reform Radio.

Where can we find you: @rebecca.never.becky / @mix_stress https://www.mixcloud.com/rebeccaswarray/ I am also starting up a new and exciting monthly queer social called Queer Latifah in the near future please follow @queerlatifahsundays for updates!

What do you want to say to those reading this: BHM is an all year round celebration for me. I am fully proud of my heritage and history and use every opportunity and my platform to celebrate and uplift black voices. I hope that as we move through time given events of this year alone, that there is more acceptance and understanding across the board. And that our allies stand firmly by all our sides and continue to show out!

Salford Pride Goes Live

Following on from our announcement on COVID-19, Salford Pride were committed to deliver an LGBT+ pride celebration to Salford and beyond in 2020 and have been working hard behind the scenes to develop a contingency plan.

During these unusual times, solidarity and celebration have never been more important. Over the past few weeks our volunteers have been working hard behind the scenes with our partners, the local community and entertainers to design an event that celebrates the ideals at the heart of The Pink Picnic; community spirit, love without limits and pride for everyone. Salford Pride: Digital on Saturday 20th June from 4pm, right the way through to midnight!

Gather your friends and family and start the party at Salford City Radio on 94.4fm from 4PM to 6PM for The Pink Picnic Takeover, playing pride anthems, with live music and special guests. Followed by The Pink Picnic: Digital from 6PM to 10PM with headline acts Divina De Campo, Ronan Parke, Rowetta and Charlotte Awbery. Hosted by Venus Quasar & Annabelle Lecter, including Salford’s Got Pride: our online talent show where you decide who wins, with a special guest performance by Rob King. The winner of the competition will receive a slot to perform at The Pink Picnic in 2021.

Closely followed by our Digital Drag Show extravaganza: showcasing local and international drag talent with performances from the fabulous Alfie Ordinary, Cheddar Gorgeous, Saki Yew, Julie Noted, Anna Phylactic, HP Loveshaft, Ellie Ganza, Alexa Spread, Whiplash, Scarly B, Venus and Amanda T Swallows.

The party then continues with P!NKED: The Zoom After Party from 10PM until midnight with beats by DJ Bex Hill. Hosted by Gisele and Sapphire Ruin.

Connor James, Events Officer for Salford Pride, who has led the digital project said:

“We felt as a charity that prides itself on engaging and supporting the local community, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to do something to come together, even when we are all two metres apart and celebrate LGBT+ identities, love and acceptance, without limits.”

For more information about the event, how to get tickets and involved with Salford’s Got Talent visit salfordpride.org.uk/digital

If you’re interested in finding out more about Salford Pride, or getting involved, check out salfordpride.org.uk/getinvolved