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London Pride 2019: Parade, date, route, headliners and all you need to know about the LGBTQ+ festival

The biggest event in the queer calendar is just around the corner – it’s the Pride parade this Saturday.

The theme of this year’s Pride is Jubilee, which marks 50 years since the Stonewall riots of 1969 and the half century of activism that has brought us to where we are now.

Pride began as a march demanding equal rights and, while it has evolved into a glorious, festival-esque street party, the need for this conversation is still unquestionably obvious. During Pride Month alone, there have been many reported homophobic and transphobic attacks, while the discussion about LGBTQ+ education in schools rages on.

Last year, Pride in London came under fire when a small group of women disrupted the march carrying signs stating that “trans activism erases lesbians”. Co-chair of Pride Alison Camps wanted to ensure that this year would be a welcoming environment for trans people, especially given that trans women have historically been at the forefront of the fight for equality.

She said: “At Pride in London last year, and with the constant and senseless attacks on the trans community since then, we’re seeing that Pride matters more than ever. For our part, we’re working hard to learn from what happened to ensure there is no repeat of the transphobic hate that was spewed at our event last year, so that Pride is a welcoming and safe space for every single person in the community who shares our values of inclusivity and respect.”

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With that in mind, it’s time to get celebrating. So grab your rainbow flags and remember the golden rule – be excellent to each other.

Here’s everything you need to know about the parade:

What time is the Pride parade?

Noon until approximately 5pm.

Where is the parade?

The parade route starts at Portland Place and moves down Oxford Circus, passing along Regent Street, through Piccadilly Circus to Pall Mall and passing Trafalgar Square before finishing up on Whitehall.

Who is performing at Pride?

Star of TV show Pose and ruling champion of the red carpet Billy Porter will headline the stage in Trafalgar Square. The Grammy and Tony award winner wraps up the festivities in the evening.

He is joined in leading the festivities by Eurovision and X Factor singer Saara Aalto and RuPaul’s Drag Race rebel queen Willam. There will also be performances from the casts of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and new Britney and Backstreet Boys-based show & Juliet.

Performances will be intertwined with speeches by influential LGBTQ+ figures including Stonewall charity founder Lisa Power.

Elsewhere, the women’s stage, cabaret stage, community village and, a new addition, the world area, will showcase new and emerging voices.

Can I get involved?

The parade is now completely booked up for groups and individuals, but if you’re still super keen to be part of the festivities, you can sign up here to volunteer on the day.

Tag on the end and follow the parade, dancing in its wake or watch its procession from behind the barriers. Do bear in mind that Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus will be incredibly busy and might be best to avoid while the parade is in full swing.

Attending the parade is free, but the best view of all the floats is on the grandstand with tickets costing £50.

What to wear

Anything goes!

Weather

There will be sunny intervals in the morning, changing to cloudy in the afternoon, with highs of 23 degrees at around 3-4pm.

Accessibility at Pride

A limited number of accessible parking spaces are available at the Q-Park in Chinatown. Email access@prideinlondon.org about booking these spots. A shuttle bus will then take you to the Parade Access Safe Space or Trafalgar Square.

The Safe Space is located in a quieter part of the parade, with an assembly point at the corner of Riding House Street and Great Portland Street. Assistants, carers, family and friends are welcome and there’s no need to book but spaces will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis.

You can download the full access map here.

How to get to Pride in London

Check in with @PrideinLondon and @TfL for real-time updates.

There will be no service on the whole Hammersmith and City Line or on the District line between Edgware Road and Highstreet Kensington. Replacement buses will be operating.

Routes diverted will be:2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 38, 53, 55, 73, 74, 82, 87, 88, 91, 94, 98, 113, 137, 139, 159, 176, 189, 274, 390, 453 and C2. Any road on the parade route will be closed into the evening, so driving and cycling aren’t advisable around the area.

Download the Pride in London app to get up-to-date information about the parade.