Bristol Pride announce full festival for 2022

Organisers of the award winning Bristol Pride Festival have released their 2022 Festival Guide as the annual event returns to the city as a full physical festival this year after two years of online and hybrid events.

Image credit: Paul Box.

Taking place across two weeks from Saturday 25 June to Monday 11 July, over 50 events will take place in the biggest ever programme which will see new events joining firm festival favourites as the city once again comes alive with Pride.

Pride Day will take place on Saturday 9 July and sees the festival return to The Downs, where the LGBT+ charity moved to in 2019, with the focus remaining on bringing people back together. The LGBT+ community and its allies have spent so much time apart over the last few years and organisers want to create an event that will help the community reconnect, allowing people to celebrate and simply be their authentic selves. Over 100 acts will be performing across five stages on Pride Day, including headline set from global icon Carly Rae Jepsen, Canada’s Drag Race winner Priyanka, Alexandra Burke, Katrina of The Waves and Scissor Sisters Ana Matronic headlining the official afterparty at the Bristol O2 Academy.

Pride Day will once again be donation entry so that those who might need Pride the most can still attend if they cannot afford it. However, in a year that has seen sharp increases to costs for the festival, organisers for the charity are urging everyone who is able to, to purchase a Pride Supporter Wristband which are just £7, or £18 for multi afterparty access. All of the money raised will go towards helping to keep Pride happening and keep it an open event for all. Wristbands offer great rewards that save you money, including free bus travel on Pride Day with any First Bus route in the Bristol Zone, and the dedicated Pride Shuttle Buses serving The Downs, as well as money off drinks on the onsite bars at the festival. For more details visit bristolpride.co.uk/wristbands 

Poignantly, the Bristol Pride Parade March will also make a return this year, as organisers mark the 50^th Anniversary of the first ever Pride marches to take place in the UK. Taking place on the morning of Pride Day ahead of the festival on The Downs and meeting at 10am at Castle Park, the march is free for members of the public to attend and organisers encourage everyone to come and be part of this special moment. Businesses are able to march with the public but must register with the festival and pay a small fee to support Pride and help cover the costs of putting the parade on.

Image: Headliner, Carly Rae Jepsen.

Speaking about this year’s event, Eve Russell, Festival Director, Bristol Pride said: “We are completely thrilled to bring everyone back together this year, we have so much planned and it’s going to be such a special and moving year. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing everyone marching together loudly and proudly. Pride Day will be an amazing celebration with incredible artists and we are incredibly proud to have Carly Rae Jepsen performing on the Main Stage but we also have a brand new stage curated with House of Savlon in our “Get Qweird” Stage. We also have Bassline Circus returning who have programmed a beautifully diverse lineup for our Circus Tent and our Cabaret Stage again brings the very best of local, national and international Drag artists to Bristol including the incredible Priyanka and Mary Mac fresh from the UK tour of musical: Everybody’s Talking about Jamie.”

Highlights to look out for across Pride Week include the star studded Pride Comedy Night hosted by Bristol’s own Jayde Adams with Rosie Jones, Morgan Rhys, Kemeh Bob and Daniel Foxx. The Pride Dog Show makes it’s return to Castle Park on Saturday 2 July and this year Pride have programmed three incredible theatre shows including the ever popular drag version of improv comedy Murder, He Didn’t Write and a special performance of Grandma’s Closet (and what I found there!) which tells the story of a young Welsh boy who’s nan was a personal cheerleader to guide them through his childhood.

Other things to look out for include a special Drag and Disco Book Launch with Sink The Pink at BookHaus, poetry and art nights, up close experiences in partnership with Yuup, and the return of the Queer Vision Film Festival with over 17 feature and short film screenings, including a special outdoor screening of Grease 2 at The Trinity Centre with performances from Tom Marshman and a special event to mark the release of George Michael Uncut at The Watershed on his birthday with special DJ set post screening.

Daryn Carter, Director of Programming and Partnership said: “It’s so exciting to be back, and with our biggest ever programme of events across our two weeks of events and line up for the Pride Day festival. Everyone I speak to simply can’t wait for our events to start. We’ve got incredible theatre for people to enjoy this year, a special picnic with Trans Pride SW, a collaboration with Creative Youth Network with performance from Divina de Campo and our Circus Night at Circomedia which never fails to awe me with the scale and skills of the circus performers on the night.

“There’s so much going on this year and as ever, Pride is about showcasing our community through our events and activities, championing our artists and celebrating and this year it’s also about being back together. I’m looking forward to seeing all those faces I always see at our events, that I’ve missed over the last few years and to welcome new faces who are finally able to attend Pride for the first time. To me that’s what Pride is about. It’s about our community and friends coming together, to remember, to top up our resilience, and to celebrate, and this year, after such time apart it’s going to be even more special.”

For more information on this year’s festival, wristbands, all the details of the stages, timings and to read this year’s full Festival Guide head over to the Bristol Pride website: bristolpride.co.u