Swansea Pride 2024: Parade time, road closures, events and everything you need to know

It's time to get your glad rags on as one of Swansea's most beloved festivals returns next week: Swansea Pride. Shops, salons and bars across the city will be decorated with flags and bright colours throughout the week, whilst hundreds of people are set to wear rainbow-coloured outfits and accessories as they walk along city centre streets as part of the festival's Pride parade on Saturday, May 18.

Further events this year include a youth club aimed at LGBTQIA+ young people aged 11 to 25, an LGBT+ coffee morning, sports events, karaoke, a rock and roll bingo night, and the launch of a long-awaited new cabaret bar - you can read more about Main Stage Swansea in a previous article here. As in previous years, the Pride Festival will also be taking place with stalls, live entertainment and activities on set days.

Organisers say there will be three headline acts at this year's main festival event - but have only announced one so far. Nikk Mager, former member of the band Phixx and a finalist on Popstars: The Rivals, is set to perform to the crowds at The Guildhall, with two further names to be announced. Headliners in previous years have included dance music act Cascada (2014), RuPaul Drag Race's Farrah Moan (2019) and popular American drag queen Lady Bunny (2023). We will update this article when the other headliners are announced. Find out about the latest events in Wales by signing up to our What's On newsletter here

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Swansea Pride has been organised by the Swansea Pride charity which aims to promote equality and diversity "for the public benefit" and to eliminate discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender.

First launched in 2008, Swansea Pride started life as a social group for the local LGBT+ community who wanted to organise an outdoor event in the city. Their first event, Pink in the Park, took place in Singleton Park in June 2009 and over time Swansea Pride has grown in numbers - organisers have since registered the group and its annual Pride event as a charity as they wanted to "demonstrate that Swansea Pride is a not-for-profit event run by volunteers for the benefit of the local LGBT community, their friends and families."

In our guide below, we've got everything you need to know about this year's events:

Swansea Pride 2024: Events from May 13 - 17

Information from SwanScene (Swansea's largest online LGBTQIA+ community platform) and SwanseaPride charity

If you're organising an event for Swansea Pride and want to be added to our guide below - get in touch. Email: molly.dowrick@walesonline.co.uk

Monday, May 13

• Creative Writing with Queertawe - The Grand Theatre (Singleton Street, Swansea city centre), 6pm

Tuesday, May 14

• Good Vibes LGBTQIA+ Youth Club (age 11 to 25) - YMCA Swansea (The Kingsway, Swansea city centre), 5.30pm

• Training with Swansea Galaxy FC (Swansea's first LGBTQ+ football club) - Elba Leisure Centre, Ffordd Beck, Gowerton, 7pm

• RAD Runners (inclusive community running group) Meet-Up - Beer Riff, Pilot House Wharf, Swansea Marina, 6.30pm

Wednesday, May 15

• LGBT+ Coffee Morning - Coast Coffee (Trawler Road, Swansea Marina), 10.30am

• Drag Queen Karaoke - Hogarths Swansea (St Mary Street [off Wind Street], Swansea city centre), 8pm

Thursday, May 16

• The Silly Cabaret present 'It's Giving Pride' - Elysium Gallery & Bar (High Street, Swansea city centre), 6pm

Friday, May 17

• Ruby Slippers & Dixie Normous performances (and launch of new cabaret bar) - Main Stage Swansea (Castle Street, Swansea city centre), 6pm

• Pre-pride Party with Toni More - Hogarths Swansea (St Mary Street [off Wind Street], Swansea city centre), 8.30pm

Swansea Pride 2024: Events on Saturday, May 18 ('The Main Event')

• Pre-pride Brunch with Queer Flavours - The Wellbeing Centre (Walter Road, Uplands), 9.30am

• Pre-pride Gathering - Boutique Lounge (Picton Arcade, Swansea city centre), 10am

• PRIDE PARADE - leaving Wind Street at 11am, route follows Wind Street, Oxford Street, St Helen's Road and on to the Guildhall

• PRIDE FESTIVAL: Stalls, activities and live entertainment including headline act Nikk Mager (and two others to be announced) and well-known performers including Jessica Rarebit, Ivory Fierce, Catherine Elms, Diana D, Lywis, Queens of Swansea, to name a few - The Guildhall & The Brangwyn Hall (St Helen's Road, Sandfields), 12pm to 7pm

• Pride Party - Main Stage Swansea (Castle Street, Swansea city centre), from 2pm

• Party with Swansea Gay Women's Support & Social Group - Hayes & Beale (Brynymor Road, Bryn Mill), 7pm

• Popworld does Pride - Popworld (Wind Street, Swansea city centre), 7pm

• PROUD Swansea - The Studio (Mansel Street, Brunswick), 7pm

• Party with PYNK - Elysium Gallery & Bar (High Street, Swansea city centre), 8pm

• Swansea's largest Pride Party - Hogarths Swansea (St Mary Street [off Wind Street], Swansea city centre), from 7pm

Swansea Pride 2024: Events on Sunday, May 19 ('Mini-Pride')

• MINI PRIDE: Family-friendly programme of activities designed to "celebrate being happy, proud and whoever you want to be" - National Waterfront Museum (Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter), 12pm to 3pm

• Undivided Families Picnic - held as part of Mini Pride at National Waterfront Museum (Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter), 1pm

• Camp Bingo & Cabaret - Main Stage Swansea (Castle Street, Swansea city centre), from 4pm

• Post-Pride Sunday Social - Hogarths Swansea (St Mary Street [off Wind Street], Swansea city centre), 6pm

Road Closures for Swansea Pride

Some roads will be closed whilst the parade and events take place, for the safety of pedestrians and vehicles.

The Swansea Pride Parade will leave Wind Street at around 11am on Saturday, May 18 and will finish at around 12pm at the Guildhall. The full route will follow Wind Street, Caer Street, St Mary's Square, Oxford Street, Dillwyn Street, St Helen's Road and St Helen's Crescent

With this in mind, several roads will be temporarily closed on the day:

Closed from 6am to 2pm

• Wind Street (whole length of street)
  
  

Closed from 8am to 2.30pm:

• Guildhall Road South (from Francis Street to Guildhall Road South's junction with St Helens Road)

Closed from 10am to 2.30pm:

• Caer Street (whole length of street)

• Princess Way (from junction with St David's Place to junction with Caer Street)

• Castle Bailey Street (whole length of street)

• Castle Street (whole length of street)

• St Mary's Square (whole length of street)
  

• Oxford Street (whole length of street)

• Dillwyn Street (from junction with St Helen's Road to junction with Oxford Street)

• The Kingsway (from junction with Christina Street to junction with Dilwyn Street and St Helens Road

• Christina Street South Bound (whole length of street)

• Singleton Street (whole length of street)

• Plymouth Street (whole length of street)

• St Helens Road (from junction with Guildhall Road South to junction with Dillwyn Street)

• St Helens Crescent (from junction with St Helens Road to junction with St Helens Avenue)

Whilst the Parade is taking place, parking will be restricted on all of the above roads. VisitSwanseaBay.com says vehicles deemed to be causing an unnecessary obstruction may be removed. VisitSwanseaBay.com would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused by road closures - you can contact them if you require any further information on special.events@swansea.gov.uk during working hours Monday to Friday.

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