You can’t rain on our parade – Newcastle Pride celebrations achieve huge impact for the community despite downpour

Over 70,000 people engaged with the joy of Pride during this year’s festival, which returned to the heart of the city centre with its message of being ‘unapologetically visible’.

Supporting a positive impact on the LGBTQIA+ community, the Newcastle Pride Festival, which kicked off earlier this year with Pride Fringe and culminated in the weekend’s celebration was a mark of success, come rain or shine.

From the party atmosphere which saw revellers dancing in the rain at the Pride Arena to cultural moments across the Free Festival Zones and the chance to support LGBTQIA+ creators at the Market Village, there was something for all ages. Across the weekend performers including Pixie Lott, Gok Wan and drag queens and kings provided showstopping entertainment and kept the party spirits high.

The Pride March kicked off the weekend’s main events, with over 16,500 people coming together to fill the streets of Newcastle with a colourful message of hope.

The annual LGBTQIA+ celebration carried the theme of ‘Unapologetically Visible’ and was presented in partnership with Newcastle NE1, Newcastle City Council and The North East Combined Authority.

Cllr Alex Hay, Deputy Leader of Newcastle City Council and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “This was a fantastic weekend for our city. Despite the rain, thousands of people came together to create a celebration that was joyful, powerful and full of meaning.

“Newcastle is proud to host Newcastle Pride. From the fringe events through to the weekend celebrations, it shows what our city is all about. We support culture, we welcome events and we are building a strong reputation as a city that can deliver them. More importantly, it shows that we are a city that stands with our LGBTQIA+ communities in the face of hate and discrimination.

“I want to thank Northern Pride for everything they do. Their work goes far beyond the festival itself. They promote inclusion, raise awareness and create space for people to feel safe, seen and heard every single day. We are proud of our partnership and look forward to building on it in the years to come.”

Stephen Patterson, Chief Executive of NE1 Ltd, a headline sponsor of Northern Pride, said: “What a fabulous celebration. Bringing Pride and all its festivities into the heart of the city has been a resounding success, for the tens of thousands of people celebrating and supporting inclusivity, and for businesses in Newcastle who welcomed the crowds. We’re incredibly proud to have played our part in supporting the festival and demonstrating that Newcastle truly embraces and celebrates its rich diversity.”

Ste Dunn, Director of Northern Pride, said: “We are delighted to have successfully brought the Pride festival into the heart of Newcastle for a second year. Following a phenomenal response in 2024, it was a pleasure to return to the city and this year, not even the rain could stop us! Our community, supporters and partners have again truly embraced the citywide takeover and we’re thankful to everyone for helping us to make this year another roaring success.

“Starting with our Pride Fringe events to the festival weekend itself, it’s been fantastic seeing people of all ages come together to embrace the wonderfully vibrant and diverse queer community, champion LGBTQIA+ talent, and to send a clear message that we stand with those in the community who are facing discrimination. The positive impact the event has not only on the city, its people and businesses, but on the whole community, will be felt well beyond the festival, and is a reminder that to be unapologetically visible, we must do this together.

“The weather was of course disappointing, but it didn’t dampen spirits, the March was as busy as ever and everyone danced and sang in the rain to enjoy all the festival had to offer. But this wasn’t just a celebration, it was a show of unwavering solidarity, something that is so needed at a time where our community continues to face challenges, adversity and gender critical views.”

North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, said: “Newcastle Pride 2025 has once again shown the simple power, beauty and good fun of bringing so many people together to celebrate and be proud of who we are. The festival just gets bigger and more inclusive, bringing more people into the heart of Newcastle. The weather may have been terrible this year but you can never really rain on our parade, and that’s what makes Pride so special.”

Northern Pride, the organisers of the festival continue to review the impact of the event. They are inviting those who attended to complete an online survey to help shape the future of Pride in Newcastle, please head to www.northern-pride.com/survey to find out more.