Leicester Pride 2024 draws record crowds for 'biggest' free LGBTQ+ celebration

Leicester's annual Pride celebrations saw its biggest turnout yet, say organisers, with thousands flocking to Abbey Park for a day of music, performances and LGBTQ+ pride.

The free event kicked off on Saturday (August 31) with a colourful parade through the city centre, starting from Humberstone Gate and winding its way to Abbey Park. Organisers said this year's festival attracted record numbers, making it the city's largest LGBTQ+ event to date.

Lea Martin, one of the organisers, told LeicestershireLive: "It's been the most amazing day today. We're so happy with the turnout. I think we've had more people than we had last year. The atmosphere is wonderful, and the vibe is brilliant."

READ MORE: Leicester city centre transforms into sea of colour for Pride celebrations

The main stage hosted live performances throughout the day, including Queen tribute act Now, I'm Here and a special appearance by the cast of Curve's upcoming musical 'SuperYou'. New additions this year included a 1,000-capacity dance arena and more bars.

Former Scottish footballer Zander Murray, who came out as gay in 2022, spoke to LeicestershireLive at the event about the importance of pride and offered advice to young LGBTQ+ people.

He said: "It's crazy that I became that person that I needed growing up."

Zander became of the few openly gay footballers in the world when he came out and reflecting on his role as an openly gay athlete, he revealed that his own coming out story was tied to a Pride event. He said: "I came out, I was attending my first Pride event, at the ripe old age of 29. The only event I knew had the weekend off football, and the only event that was on was Benidorm pride, of all places."

Sport - and football in particular - faces continued issues for LGBTQ+ individuals, with Zander believing the beautiful game needs to keep working on its inclusivity. He said: "We need to continually fight for LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance. At the moment, toxic male influencers online are very, very dangerous. They're putting a negative spin on the pride flag and that's really impacting younger generations.

"I'm seeing it when I'm doing workshops in schools - what they think of the pride flag, what they think of us before even getting to know us."

Despite those setbacks, Zander offered words of encouragement to aspiring LGBTQ+ athletes. He said: "Just be your authentic self and ignore the noise. Be you, because there's people out there like you in this industry."

The event held deeper significance for some participants. Sarah, 41, told LeicestershireLive: "Pride means to me that the fight for equality is not over yet. We still have to fight. As you can see, trans lives matter, and I am fighting for my friends and my own life. Pride was originally a protest and still is a protest."

Event organiser Lea echoed these sentiments, saying: "I think it's as important here as it is anywhere else in the country. With the rising vitriol from the last government and issues like the 'Don't Say Gay' bill in America, there's still so much for us to fight for. Until everybody's equal, nobody is equal."

Leicester Pride concluded in style with a fireworks display and organisers are hopeful to keep making the event brighter and more colourful with every year.

Simon Harrison, Leicester Pride event manager, said: "We want to build a legacy for Leicester and create an evolving annual event that will become a highlight of the calendar. The support we've received from local businesses and organisations has been incredible."

We are now bringing you the latest updates on WhatsApp first