Manchester Pride goes into liquidation but 2026 festival will still go ahead, council confirms
In response to the liquidation, Manchester City Council issued a statement emphasising the event’s ongoing importance
By Callum Wells
Manchester Pride has begun the process of voluntary liquidation, though Manchester City Council has confirmed the festival will return in August 2026.
The festival’s Board of Trustees said the decision came with “enormous sadness” after rising costs, declining ticket sales, and this year’s “ambitious” refresh, which included a new stage area outside the Gay Village, made the organisation “no longer financially viable.” The unsuccessful bid to host EuroPride 2028 was also cited as a factor.
The board admitted delays in communication with performers and the public, saying they “regret the delays in communicating the current situation”. They stressed that they had worked with legal and financial advisers and tried “to do everything we could to find a positive solution”.
Concerns over payments had emerged in recent weeks
Staff members have been made redundant, and details of suppliers and artists still owed money have been passed to appointed liquidators, who will contact them directly.
Concerns over payments had emerged in recent weeks. Many performers at this year’s August Bank Holiday event said they had not yet received their fees. Some had 60-day terms, while others, including RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Banksie, had 31-day terms that have now expired.
Equity, the union representing many acts, criticised the delays, and some artists have expressed doubts about receiving payment.
Manchester Pride celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. Founded in 1985 and registered as a charity in 2007, the festival draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually and has hosted major performers including Olly Alexander, Leigh-Anne, and Nelly Furtado.
In 2023, £105,854 was distributed to 81 LGBTQ+ projects across Greater Manchester, with trustees highlighting 237,000 visitors and £104.8m in economic impact as evidence of the festival’s wider significance.
“We want to support a new chapter for Manchester Pride weekend” – council leader Bev Craig confirming the festival’s return
In response to the liquidation, Manchester City Council issued a statement emphasising the event’s ongoing importance.
Council leader Bev Craig said: “Manchester Pride March and Weekend has taken place in various forms for 40 years and remains a hugely important event for our city, and for our celebration of Manchester’s LGBTQ community. Its form may have changed but its importance to our city has not – it’s something we take tremendously seriously.
“We understood Manchester Pride Events Limited’s (MPEL) ongoing financial struggles and did everything we could to provide support and help keep the show on the road this year. However, MPEL’s position had become unsustainable and it’s disappointing to see that they have entered liquidation.”
Craig added that preparations are already underway to ensure the festival continues: “There will undoubtedly be anxiety about what the future holds – but Pride is much more than the organisation that runs it. We want to support a new chapter for Manchester Pride weekend, which will take place next August.
Manchester Pride Ltd posted a £467,000 loss in 2023
“The Council will play a full and active role in bringing together the LGBTQ community to help shape how the city moves forward to ensure a bright and thriving future for Manchester Pride.”
Financial documents from 2023 show the organisation was already in difficulty before this year’s event. Despite generating £2.7 million in income, Manchester Pride Ltd posted a £467,000 loss that year – nearly matching its deficit in 2020, the height of the pandemic. The figures left it with negative funds of £356,000, its weakest position in a decade.
Accounts for 2024 are not yet due, but notes in the 2023 filing reveal trustees had expressed concern over the charity’s ability to continue operating.