A new community-led LGBTQ+ festival is set to launch across Waltham Forest this July, with organisers aiming to establish it as a lasting annual fixture in the borough’s cultural calendar.
Waltham Forest Pride 2026 will run from 6 - 18 July, bringing together local venues, artists, charities and residents for a two-week programme celebrating queer culture, creativity and community. Events will take place across Walthamstow, Leyton, Leytonstone, Highams Park and Chingford.
The initiative is being led by the Waltham Forest Pride Collective in partnership with Walthamstow Trades Hall and a range of local organisations including ELOP, CADOS, Walthamstow Wetlands and Forest Cinemas, alongside independent venues, artists and community groups.
Organisers say the festival has been designed as a grassroots, neighbourhood-focused alternative to larger, centralised Pride events, with an emphasis on accessibility, inclusivity and local participation. The programme will feature a wide mix of activities, from workshops and exhibitions to film screenings, drag, cabaret and community discussions, alongside family-friendly events and nightlife.
Highlights include opening and closing celebrations at Walthamstow Trades Hall, a queer botany walk at Walthamstow Wetlands and a series of zine-making, art and spoken word sessions. A range of LGBTQ+ film screenings, live performances and community workshops are also planned throughout the fortnight.
A central feature of the festival will be a community-led photography and storytelling exhibition, aimed at showcasing the diversity and lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people across the borough. Residents and photographers have been invited to submit work capturing local queer life, with selected images to be displayed in venues across Waltham Forest. The submission deadline is 30 June, with further details available on the festival’s website.
Filip Glatz, from the Waltham Forest Pride Collective, said the project had been designed to reflect the character of the borough. “We wanted to create something that genuinely reflects Waltham Forest - local, community-oriented, creative and inclusive,” he said. “This initiative is about celebrating LGBTQ+ culture across the borough, while providing spaces for thoughtful and constructive dialogue around current issues affecting our communities.”
He added that the festival also aims to support local venues and artists while building long-term connections within the community. “We hope to support local venues, artists and communities and mark the beginning of something long-term for Waltham Forest,” he said.
Waltham Forest Pride 2026 is supported by the council’s Fellowship Fund. Walthamstow Trades Hall, one of the festival’s key venues, has recently gained recognition as one of the UK’s leading independent music spaces, with the historic non-profit social club ranked among the country’s top venues.
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