Rainbows at the ready! One week to go until Northampton Pride 2023

29 June 2023

There is just one week to go until the popular Pride festival hits the streets of Northampton once again with a range of exciting activities and performances, hosted by Drag Queens Vanellope and Capri Conceive.

The festival, which is organised by West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) LGBTQ and Allies Forum,  and the Northampton Pride Committee will take place on Saturday, 8 July, giving residents in West Northants the opportunity to come together to show allegiance to, and celebrate our LGBTQ+ communities.

The event will take place from 11am to 6.30pm, starting in Abington Street, Northampton, before finishing at the University of Northampton’s (UON) Waterside Campus where there will be a full programme of entertainment and a range of community stalls and food vendors. 

The Pride Parade, sponsored by Travis Perkins plc, will set off from the bottom of Abington Street at 11am, and arrive in the centre of the Waterside Campus at around 11.50am, when the event will be officially opened with a minute of noise. Anyone wishing to join the parade is advised to arrive early to line the route before following the parade from Becket’s Park down to the main event. 

Entertainment on the day will include rainbow stilt walkers, hula hoopers, Burlesque dancers, Drag Queens and musical performances from Afriene, Smashby, Empire and Born to Perform, with this year’s stage being sponsored by Northampton Town Council. 

I am extremely excited for this year’s Pride festival and am especially looking forward to seeing communities from across West Northants unite to stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community.

Our recent Pride event in Daventry was a huge success and I am thrilled we can continue the festivities in Northampton. I encourage everyone to join us for this day of family fun and entertainment as we celebrate equality and diversity in West Northamptonshire.Cllr David Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement, and Regulatory Services

The Northampton Pride Committee includes members from West Northants Council, the Northampton LGBTQ Forum, Northants Fire and Rescue Service, University of Northampton, The Lowdown, QSpace, NHFT, BID, NLive and Northampton Town Council.
For more information about the event, visit the Northampton Pride webpage.