Bradford to embrace its vibrant LGBTQ+ heritage this weekend
– 2 min read
Bradford is embracing its vibrant LGBTQ+ heritage this weekend with the launch of Back in the Pink, a city-wide festival running from 10 - 12 October. The event honours decades of activism, creativity, and community spirit, while paying tribute to the original Bradford in the Pink festivals of the 1980s.
Co-produced by Castles In The Sky Projects and Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the festival features a rich programme of exhibitions, walking tours, film screenings, panel discussions, and club nights. It aims to spotlight the stories and spaces that shaped Bradford’s LGBTQ+ community, past and present.
Back in the Pink | Bradford 2025
Preserving and celebrating the LGBTQ+ history of Bradford.
One of the festival’s centrepieces, Big Nights OUT, takes place on Saturday, 11 October at Bradford Playhouse. The event includes panel discussions on the role of art, design, and nightlife in LGBTQ+ activism, featuring speakers such as V&A Curator Zorian Clayton, artist Alan Richardson and DJ Leon Davis. Another panel, hosted by Tash Walker of The Log Books podcast, will explore the legacy of support services like Bradford Gay Switchboard and Lesbian Line.
Later that evening, Pink After Dark transforms Loading Bay into a celebration of Bradford’s lost LGBTQ+ venues. The cabaret and club night will showcase performances by David Hoyle, Unknown Amazon, Jude Kershaw, Jenn Wilson, Lavender Café Orchestra and Jasmine Kennedy.
On Sunday, 12 October, the Bradford Playhouse will host a special film programme inspired by screenings organised by LGBTQ+ collectives in the 1980s. Highlights include Before Stonewall, a landmark documentary originally shown by Bradford Lesbian Line in 1988 to raise awareness against Section 28.
