Equity launches bid to secure Manchester Pride assets and protect workers

Performers’ union Equity has confirmed that it has submitted a bid for key Manchester Pride assets, aiming to safeguard performers and other workers from what it describes as “further exploitation” following the collapse of the organisation last year. The move comes amid ongoing frustration that hundreds of performers from the 2025 festival remain unpaid, with more than £70,000 still owed to Equity members alone.

Manchester Pride entered voluntary liquidation in October 2025 after rising costs, falling ticket sales and an ambitious refresh left the organisation financially unviable. Liquidators are now selling off the charity’s assets - including trademarks, the brand identity, digital platforms and customer data - with bids closing in mid‑January.

Equity’s North West official, Karen Lockney, said artists had been “let down” by both Manchester Pride and Manchester City Council, noting that many affected performers struggled over the Christmas period due to the lack of payment. In a letter to council leader Bev Craig, the union criticised the apparent lack of progress since discussions in November and warned that selling Pride’s identity “to the highest bidder” risked further eroding protections for performers. 

Following the liquidation, Manchester Pride was revealed to have owed more than £230,000 in debts, prompting liquidators to begin carving up assets described in sales documents as “culturally significant”. Community groups, including Trans Pride Manchester, have expressed concern that the sale process prioritises commercial returns over safeguarding the future of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ communities and those who create Pride’s artistic content. 

Lockney said the union’s bid was intended to ensure that any future Pride event takes place under union‑negotiated terms and conditions, with performers’ voices at the centre of decision‑making. “There’s no Pride without performers,” she said. “Selling off the event’s assets without addressing the exploitation workers have already faced shows that lessons haven’t been learnt.” 

Manchester City Council has emphasised its commitment to ensuring that a Pride festival returns in 2026, despite the liquidation. However, Equity maintains that the council, as an “active and involved partner” of previous events, must take greater responsibility for supporting the workers who have been adversely affected. 

The union said it would continue to pursue all avenues to secure owed fees and to protect performers’ rights as Manchester Pride’s future hangs in the balance.