Naomi Campbell, JADE and Olly Alexander join Pride in London 2025 parade – in pictures (EXCLUSIVE)
Vanessa Williams and Paloma Faith were just two more of the allies to march at the front of the parade, as Attitude's Aaron Sugg gives his first-hand account of the day
By Aaron Sugg
Speaking to Naomi Campbell, the Mayor of London and JADE made the 7am wakeup call on a Saturday morning – the day after the PEUGEOT Attitude PRIDE Awards Europe 2025, supported by British Airways – all worth it. Pride in London 2025 created irreplaceable memories of pure queer joy.
On the train into central London just moments before the vibrant hustle and bustle of the community and allies alike flooded the capital, you could see Pride burst at the seams with he’s, she’s, they’s, and them’s, painted in rainbows, radiating what pride is all about – love.
Hyde Park Corner, the starting point, was marked by tall rainbow pillars standing proudly. The calm gave way to the steady build-up of excited crowds. Before the music and march began, the Mayor of London spoke exclusively to Attitude, reflecting on what shaped his support for LGBTQ+ rights.
When asked, “Who was the first person who made you feel LGBTQ+ rights were worth fighting for?”, Sadiq Khan responded: “Many years ago, I met a guy called Peter Tatchell – he was there when the first pride happened in 1972. But also, my friends at school. I went to an all-boys school where they had to hide their sexuality – living in Clapham Common where, if you were gay, you would likely to be beaten up.”
“Show allyship, to show empathy and to feel empathy for what they are going through” – Sadiq Khan
“So, from an early age I saw what people who were from the LGBTQ+ community had to face,” he added. “That’s why it is really important for those of us who are for the community, to show allyship, to show empathy and to feel empathy for what they are going through, but also to celebrate the progress we have made. When I think back to the experiences of my peers when I was a boy, to the progress we’ve made now that I am a man, I am incredibly proud.”
Before the parade officially began, crowds gathered around the start line – not because the march was ready to set off, but because something (or rather, someone) had arrived. Standing next to Khan, a goddess appeared: Naomi, towering over the crowd in oversized sunglasses, so you could only see her smile, the look of pure happiness. Not far behind her, West End and The Devil Wears Prada star Vanessa Williams shimmered in a rainbow sequin jacket. (At least someone checked the weather forecast).
The parade kicked off with a countdown from the frontlines — “5, 4, 3, 2, 1…” and just like that, the queer heavens opened. Music blasted, flags of every colour flew into the sky and the city erupted into celebration. Heading towards Trafalgar Square, cheers echoed through the streets. Spectators leaned over the metal barriers lining the route, hands outstretched in support of those marching, simply wanting to participate in the celebration.
“We all know we’re here for the same cause, we all know what we’re fighting for, and that solidarity is really special” – Jade Thirlwall
Among those marching was Jade Thirlwall, who told Attitude: “I think more than ever it is essential to show up as an ally, especially for the trans community… There is a lot of discourse and misinformation. I am here today with ‘Not a Phase,’ a charity which I am very proud to be a part of, for trans adults up and down the country. It is an honour to be marching with them today.”
“I always get quite emotional on the marches. It’s so beautiful seeing so many people come together – it is pure joy. We all know we’re here for the same cause, we all know what we’re fighting for, and that solidarity is really special,” she added.
You could hear the faint sounds of fans clacking, whistles singing and… is that Lady Gaga or a drag queen? Further down the line, leading the way in front of the ‘Not A Phase’ ombre purple blimp, Bimini could be seen marching proudly alongside their mother.
“We need to protect them” – Bimini
Speaking exclusively to Attitude, they shared: “I will always speak aloud about trans rights until we get to the point we don’t have to anymore, until we get to the point of where we want to be – a place of full acceptance in society for trans people. They are already such a vulnerable minority group, and they have been for so long. We need to protect them and also just nurture and allow people to be themselves. I think if society was that way inclined – allowing people to be individual, allowing people to find out who they are instead of feeling so much shame – we would be a much happier society.”
Around 15 minutes into the march, things got wet. Rain fell from the sky in a dramatic, iconic fashion and, of course, it was the perfect cue for an ‘It’s Raining Men’ turn of events. Though these conditions became symbolic. Just as the cast of BBC’s How It Feels to Be a Girl reached a section of the route lined with gender-critical protesters, the rain fell harder. The protesters were kept back behind iron barriers. The young stars, undeterred, broke into dance – dancing in the rain, chanting: “Trans rights are human rights!” The rain may have been a touch of pathetic fallacy, but the cast weren’t shaken. In fact, it felt like it lit a fire in them.
They stood their ground: fearless, defiant and unapologetically proud. With one final chant, they moved on and carried the party on down the parade route.
“Joy is an act of resistance, which I think is extremely crucial right now” – Olly Alexander
Also marching was Olly Alexander, who told Attitude: “I am walking today with Not A Phase, they have just released their new motto: joy is an act of resistance, which I think is extremely crucial right now. Also, it’s just so important to support the trans community, we are stronger together.”
Not A Phase, a trans-led charity supporting trans+ adults through services and advocacy, led the parade. Their volunteers wore crisp white T-shirts with bold, colourful prints of LGBTQ+ imagery.
“They’ll strip our rights from us, but they won’t stop there” – Danielle St James
Founder, Danielle St James said: “We need to put our differences aside, not only as a trans community, but as a wider LGBT community and come together, because the reality is that they’ll strip our rights from us, but they won’t stop there. They are going to come next for the things that we’ve fought so hard for over decades… It doesn’t end with us.”
“It goes without saying that, the allies that showed up for us this morning really carry the message of our work and the things that we’re passionate about. We had loads of these like really big, heavy hitters, all these people gathering around and saying, ‘We want to be really visible in support of this community at the moment’. And that’s what we’re really all about.”
“Today, we announce our five-year commitment and strategy to our community, titled ‘Joy as an Act of Resistance.’ We are already serving between 4,000 and 5,000 service users a month all over this country. We want to reach anyone that needs us, regardless of geographical location. So yeah, look, what’s next for us? Continue growing and really focus on the joy that truly exists within our community,” she said.
From Hyde Park Corner, through Piccadilly Circus, down Haymarket and along Cockspur Street to Trafalgar Square and climaxing at Whitehall Place, the Pride in London parade is undoubtedly a cerebral experience. A place of love, community and where being different is being normal – a utopia where everyone is equal.