Croydon is gearing up for the revival of a highlight to its cultural calendar when the hugely popular Croydon PrideFest returns to Wandle Park this month.
Croydon Council is sponsoring the festival on 16 July – a free event celebrating Croydon’s LGBTQ+ community and open to everyone, promoting inclusivity and equality – as part of its preparations for being London Borough of Culture 2023.
This is the first PrideFest after a two-year break during the pandemic, with a theme of Bringing the Love Back into Croydon.
The celebrations get under way at 12pm with a Pride parade starting outside Mark’s & Spencer and travelling along North End, through central Croydon to Wandle Park, for the main event. Headlining on the stage will be the star of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Scarlett Harlett and back by popular demand, Abbalicious, Asifa Lahore, and Star - to name a few.
All are welcome to enjoy the entertainment, atmosphere and amazing food and drink on offer, with live music, cabaret, street food, licensed bars and stalls between 12-8pm.
This year, attendees are asked to sign up for free tickets in advance of the event to ensure control of numbers.
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, said: “Croydon PrideFest has long been a highlight of Croydon’s cultural calendar so it’s great to see it back. It’s a wonderful celebration of our LGBTQ+ communities and a fantastic free event everyone can enjoy. After the past two years, this is exactly what everyone needs and also the perfect warm-up party for Croydon, London Borough of Culture 2023.”
Paula Goodwin, chair of the Pride steering group added: “It’s great to see the return of the Croydon PrideFest after so long. I’m delighted that the council and the Metropolitan Police continue to show their support to Croydon’s LGBTQ+ community and thank them for their commitment to ensure the borough is a safe and welcoming destination for all. We want to thank all our sponsors, without whom we would not be able to run the event.”
Croydon PrideFest is a free admission event, organised by Croydon Pride Limited in partnership with Think Events London Ltd, The Oval Tavern and Frantic productions.
For further information please see http://www.croydonpride.org.uk/
