Welcome to our Superbia Guide to Pride!
This year, we're celebrating Superbia Weekend by showcasing a calendar of fantastic queer events around the city.
Superbia is Manchester Pride's year-round arts and culture programme, and each year we proudly promote a series of alternative events as part of Manchester Pride Festival. Designed to showcase Manchester's extraordinary queer talent and cultivated with love, acceptance and inclusivity at its core, Superbia provides a culturally rich way to celebrate Pride. Many of the Superbia events we promote are delivered in alcohol-free, accessible spaces across the city centre, and span a diverse range of mediums such as music, dance, filmmaking, workshops, socials, parties and more.
Superbia Weekend 2024
Superbia is proud to have funded a fantastic selection of events taking place on and around Manchester Pride Festival Weekend this year. From events designed to help you prep for Pride, to celebrations of queer life and love and opportunities to connect with your local community; the programme offers something for everyone to get involved with!
Check out this year's Superbia Guide to Pride below.
16th - 22nd August
SCENE Festival
Manchester Pride Festival officially kicks off on 16th August with SCENE Festival!
Manchester LGBTQ+ Film and TV Festival @scene_festival marks the start of Manchester Pride Festival this year - that’s 7 MORE days of queer films, fun and events across the city. Hosted on outdoor and indoor screens and in interesting spaces across Manchester city centre, the inaugural festival will showcase the best of the year’s LGBTQ+ films and premieres of new work, as well as Q&As, talks, cabaret shows and fabulous parties.
Profits from SCENE Festival ticket sales will be donated to the Manchester Pride Charity in support of queer arts, culture and communities in our city region.
Check out these incredible SCENE events we’re buzzing about!
Hayley & Me + Quizabella Rossellini
Saturday 17th August | 2-4pm | Factory International
TICKETS
Kate Odonell presents a one-woman show based on Corrie Icon Hayley Cropper- followed by a camp Pop Culture Quiz.
With a special guest appearance from Julie Hesmondhalgh who played Hayley for 16 years.
First Dates: 10 years of LGBTQ+ Love stories
Saturday 17th August | 11am-1pm | Ducie Street
TICKETS
Channel 4’s hugely popular First Dates is celebrating a decade of LGBTQ+ love stories, having recently marked 10 years of matchmaking on screen! A panel hosted by Scott Byran will allow audiences to hear all about the dating series, followed by a social and singles mixer brunch.
What’s Safe, What’s Gross, What’s Selfish, and What’s Stupid
Sunday 18th August | 1pm- 2.10pm | Yes Manchester
TICKETS
This film follows Jasmine’s journey to get pregnant, featuring heartfelt conversations with friends, donors, and elders on the complexities of reproduction.
Lost Boys & Fairies
Tuesday 20th August | 8pm-11pm | Everyman Manchester
TICKETS
An exclusive screening of Episode 1 of ‘Lost Boys and Fairies’ followed by a panel with the writer Daf James and cast member Sion Daniel Young.
Dragged to the Movies! The SCENE Cabaret with Divina De Campo
Thursday 22nd August | 9pm- 11pm | Fairfield Social Club
TICKETS
A night of queer drag cabaret as Queens and Kings celebrate drag on the big and small screen! Hosted by Divina De Campo of RPDRUK, join SCENE for a tribute to the films that have brought drag onto the big screen.
14th August - 16th August
A Midsummer Night's Dream
14th-16th August 2024 | 7pm (Doors 6:30pm)
BarPop | Manchester, M1 3EZ
TICKETS
A story of love, chaos, and poppers. 2024 marks ten years since the first gay marriage ceremonies were performed in the UK. To mark this moment, Antimatter Productions are bringing plenty of glitter to this queer re-telling of one of Shakespeare’s most chaotic marriage plays.
Wednesday 21st August
Pride Yoga Classes
Wednesday 21st August, 7pm | Urmston
Thursday 22nd August, 7am | Ancoats
Sunday 25th August, 8:30am | Sale
BOOK NOW
Join us for a one stop wellness extravaganza to kick PRIDE off in colour and style! Expect yoga to your favourite LGBTQ+ anthems, a glitter station AND a free goodie bag worth over £20. Classes will include aromatherapy oils & incense to calm the body, meditation and affirmations, and vinyasa flows to LGBTQ+ classics, and a group dance to finish the session. Stick around for a social after the class where you can purchase a drink and join us for a community get together!
Thursday 22nd August
Fireside Chat with RuPaul's Drag Race UK's Crystal
5:00pm - 6:00pm
Engineering Building A: Lecture Theatre A | Booth St East, Manchester, M13
TICKETS
Join The University of Manchester for a public and hybrid event featuring Crystal from RuPaul's Drag Race UK! Crystal will share her experiences in drag, discuss her recent £90k libel case victory against Laurence Fox, and answer questions from the audience. This event is open to the public, as well as University of Manchester staff and students.
Pride Yoga Class
Thursday 22nd August, 7am | Ancoats
BOOK NOW
Pride Special - Free Salsa and Bachata Lessons
Free Salsa class: 7:30pm
Free Bachata class: 8:30pm
Revolution de Cuba
FREE TICKETS
Get ready to dance the night away at a free dance class, and stick around later for a party, too! Classes are hosted by LGBTQ Afro-Latin Dance MCR and OTB Liverpool, and this event is free and open to everyone. Come and salsa into Pride with us!
Sunday 25th August
Queer Storytelling and Creative Writing Workshop with Matt Cain
Queer Lit | 11:00am - 1:00pm
TICKETS
Bestselling author Matt Cain, whose latest novel One Love is set at Manchester Pride, gives a workshop in queer storytelling and creative writing at QueerLit. Matt believes that telling and understanding queer stories is hugely important to our community so will set exercises to help shape your writing projects. He'll reveal the craft behind his novels and give you the tools you need to tackle criticism and rejection so that your own writing reaches the audience it deserves.
Pride Yoga Class
Sunday 25th August, 8:30am | Sale
BOOK NOW
Swagga MCR Pride Closing Party
10pm - 3:30am | Ages 18+
Dot-Ten, 52-56 George Street, Manchester, M1 4HF
TICKETS
Swagga MCR is performing on two stages at Manchester Pride, and just when you thought they were done… they’re hosting a Closing Party! DJs on the night are BBC 1Xtra’s Kaylee Golding, MC/Rapper- Jade Jaxon , your boy DJ KL and Swagga Host & DJ Stacy Bee. They will be playing all the best R&B, Afro Beats, Dancehall, Old Skool and Old Skool Garage. Expect a Red HOT Performance from ‘Tam Poles’ who will be making her Manchester debut and a little suttn’ that you are NOT going to want to miss. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Let's Talk About Chemsex: Listening Party
1pm-3pm | Manchester Art Gallery
FREE TICKETS
Let’s Talk about Chemsex Listening Party is the public launch of the 12-inch double A-side single: Anticipation = Anxiety and A Warm Hug. The two tracks have been collectively produced by participants of a series of workshops exploring experiences of sex on chems and broader themes of desire, intimacy, consent and respect in the LGBTQ+ community.
Conceived and led by Harold Offeh and supported by artist Jak Skot, participants used writing, drawing and performance to identify key issues. All those contributing to the two singles have demonstrated extraordinary honesty, bravery, candour and intimacy about experiences that can be clouded in silence or shame.
Music production and recording have been facilitated by Brighter Sound and producer Niall O’Conghaile aka The Niallist. Let’s Talk About Chemsex, was inspired by American Hip-hop group Salt N Pepa’s singles ‘Let’s Talk about Sex’ and ‘Let’s Talk about AIDS.’ Both singles used popular culture as a platform for breaking a culture of silence around women’s sexual desire and then the perceived taboo of HIV/AIDS.
The Revenge of Bummer Camp
10pm - 5am | Islington Mill, 1 James Street, Salford, M3 5HW
TICKETS
Islington Mill, Fuck Pigs and Bollox DJs unite for The Revenge Of Bummer Camp. A wholesome gathering of rough and unpopular pigs, degenerates and camp campers. Rejoice under the moonlight for a sassy queercore party over both venues at Islington Mill. Bounce the pain away in the Bummer Camp Bouncy Castle! Featuring: Plack Blague, Arch Femmesis DJs, Bollox Residents, The Fat Britney, Yyre, Klitbait, Mollie Rush.
FAMILY EVENTS AND YOUTH PRIDE MCR
In addition to our Superbia Guide to Pride, we’re proud to have put together a Youth Guide to Pride and a Family Guide to Pride featuring lots of fantastic events supported by Manchester Pride grants. Many of the events take place around the city, making them perfect to attend alongside Superbia events at Manchester Pride Festival!
