Local artists celebrate Portsmouth’s hosting of UK Pride 2025

Five local artists – Samo White, Fark Fk, 2 Sisters, Mark Kellett and The Frustrated Creative – have created large-scale murals exploring love, acceptance, and unity across outlet shopping centre Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth to celebrate Portsmouth Pride’s successful bid to host UK Pride 2025.

Yvonne Clay, Centre Director at Gunwharf Quays, commented: “We are thrilled to be announcing our partnership with local artists to commemorate Pride 2025. This project truly highlights the creativity and inclusivity that define both Gunwharf Quays and Portsmouth itself.

“Pride is a fantastic opportunity to recognise the progress that has been made, as well as the work that still needs to be done. As an inclusive centre, we are delighted to be working as an ally with the Portsmouth Pride team, and look forward to helping deliver a fantastic welcome to guests from far and wide, participating in the many events taking place in the Portsmouth area over the coming weeks as the UK’s City of Pride.”

Portsmouth Pride, which takes place on Saturday, 7 June, was successful in its bid to host UK Pride, which will be a huge celebration of the city’s LGBTQ+ community and allies with various events taking place.

Writing on social media, organisers of Portsmouth Pride said: “Hosting UK Pride this year means shining a national spotlight on one of the largest free and unfenced city prides in the country and means reaffirming the values that have guided our work over the past 10 years.

“As a volunteer-led, community-centred event, we’ve made the decision not to offer platforms to political parties at our Main Day on 7 June. This includes stalls, stage slots, or parade vehicles.

“Pride is not for political point-scoring. It’s for LGBTQ+ people, our joy, our struggles, our progress.

“We continue to value and work with politicians and campaigners who advocate for our community, especially our trans siblings. Pride is more than a day, it’s a year-round programme of work, and it’s a movement, and our work together goes on.”