Organisers behind the new-look Manchester Village Pride have revealed that booking the entire line-up for this year's event has cost less than the fee paid for a single headline act at Manchester Pride in 2025.
The candid admission comes ahead of the first Manchester Village Pride, which will take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend following the collapse of Manchester Pride Limited (MPL), the company that previously ran the city's flagship LGBTQ+ celebration.
In a social media post promoting this year's programme, organisers said: "Transparency time! Booking this entire weekend of fabulous artists cost us £20k UNDER what was spent on a single headliner last year. This is what community Pride looks like!"
No individual artist or fee was identified in the post.
The comment highlights the stark contrast between this year's community-focused approach and the large-scale festival model that operated in previous years. Manchester Pride 2025 featured major headline performances from Olly Alexander, Leigh-Anne and Nelly Furtado, while Billy Porter had also been scheduled to perform before withdrawing because of illness.
Just three months after last year's event, Manchester Pride Limited entered voluntary liquidation amid mounting financial difficulties. The organisation had reported losses of £467,000 in 2023, while more than £1.3 million was owed to artists, suppliers and businesses following the 2025 festival. Efforts to recover money owed to some performers are ongoing.
In response, a new Community Interest Company was established to ensure Pride celebrations could continue in Manchester. The organisation has been developed with support from Manchester City Council, Marketing Manchester, CityCo, Equity, LGBTQ+ organisations and businesses across the Gay Village.
The inaugural Manchester Village Pride will run from 28 - 31 August and will retain key elements including the Manchester Pride Parade and the annual Candlelit Vigil. Organisers say the event has been designed to reinforce the Gay Village's role as the heart of Manchester's LGBTQ+ celebrations.
The Gay Village Party will feature performances from RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard, Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle, Cascada and singer-songwriter Kate Nash, alongside a programme of local DJs, drag performers and community artists.
Earlier this year, organisers said ticket prices had been reduced compared with previous Pride events. Revenue from wristbands will help fund security, medical and welfare services, site operations and artist fees.
The new organisation has also signed an agreement with performers' union Equity, which organisers say is intended to ensure artists are treated fairly and paid properly.
Veteran LGBTQ+ campaigner and Manchester councillor Pat Karney had previously urged the new organisers to prioritise local talent rather than expensive international stars.
Speaking after the creation of Manchester Village Pride was announced, he said: "We should go back to home-made Pride. We don't need to pay for Hollywood stars to come to Manchester at exorbitant rates. The artists in this city are fantastic. They really are. We will work very hard for a successful Pride in 2026."
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