Two months till liftoff: countdown begins for Brighton & Hove Pride 2026
Brighton & Hove Pride, supported by Hayu, will return on 1 and 2 August 2026, with organisers marking exactly two months to go until the city’s biggest annual celebration.
Now in its 35th year, the event will be themed The Power of Love and promises a packed weekend of entertainment across multiple stages and venues. Headlining Pride On The Park will be a line-up featuring global icon Diana Ross, chart-topping singer RAYE, and Frankie Goes To Hollywood frontman Holly Johnson, alongside Melanie C, Leigh-Anne, Jessie J and Self Esteem. RuPaul and Paris Hilton will appear in the festival’s “Icons” slot.

The main Pride On The Park event will take place across both Saturday and Sunday, while the weekend will open with the city’s annual LGBTQ+ Community Parade. Setting off from Hove Lawns, the parade will celebrate 35 years of Pride in Brighton & Hove under this year’s theme, The Power of Love. More than 125 groups are expected to take part, showcasing protest, unity, freedom and inclusivity.
Music will remain at the heart of the celebrations, with the popular Dance Arena again a focal point. Hosted by State of Us, the space will feature a wide-ranging DJ line-up, including Saturday headliner Purple Disco Machine and Sunday headliner Armand Van Helden. Other artists set to appear include The Blessed Madonna, HAAi, Daniel Avery, Girls Don’t Sync and I Jordan.
Beyond the main stages, Pride organisers are promising a broad programme of performances, installations and community spaces across the park. These will include returning favourites such as Legends Cabaret, The Cocoa Butter Club, Queer Town and Party Bag, as well as new additions for 2026 including Bears In The Woods, Queer Soap Box and Outro. Family-friendly areas will also be available throughout the weekend.

Meanwhile, the Kemptown Street Party will again take over Marine Parade, celebrating Brighton’s LGBTQ+ venues with multiple stages, cabaret and music zones. The line-up there will feature Gok Wan, Bimini, Freemasons, Bailey J Mills and Woody Cook, among others.
With two months to go, organisers say this year’s event will be one of the most ambitious yet, combining major headline acts with community-led celebrations across the city.
Scene was founded in Brighton in 1993, at a time when news stories about Pride protests were considered radical.
Since then, Scene has remained proudly independent, building a platform for queer voices. Every subscription helps us to report on the stories that matter to LGBTQ+ people across the UK and beyond.
Your support funds our journalists and contributes to Pride Community Foundation’s grant-making and policy work.
Member discussion