Bristol Pride Moves Online
The show must go on – online, the Bristol Pride event have declared.
Due to the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic and subsquent lockdown, Bristol Pride had already announced plans to postpone the two week-long festival until September, but now as that date drew closer the team have now confirmed that the festival will take place, online, from the 1-12 September.
The team announced ;
Bristol Pride is a unique and important event that celebrates the LGBT+ community and offers the chance to connect and bring people together. As well as showcasing our wonderfully diverse community, Pride is about overcoming prejudice and hatred, reducing isolation, and showing members of the LGBT+ community that they are not alone.
These principles we feel are even more crucial, as many people are living disconnected from each other, their wider communities and support networks. It’s also important to note that many LGBT+ people, especially young people, are living through a lockdown with unsupportive families or housemates. As ever we want to ensure Pride still creates a place where everyone is welcome, is visible and celebrated with joy, laughter and friendship.
The pride team have pledged to move some of the events and activities that pride-goers have come to love from the annual festival online, including the dog show, film festival, comedy night, family and wellbeing activities and a showcase of the stalls and groups usually found in the community area on Pride Day.
The digital festival will culminate with an exciting Pride Day celebration with a virtual parade and performances from across the different stages you would have found on The Downs this summer, along with special messages of support. There will also be afterparty DJ sets to keep the celebrations going into the evening.
Bristol Pride said “This was not an easy decision to make, we’ve closely followed the developments with Covid-19 and carefully considered the impact this will have on our community and our ability to deliver the festival. Last year 40,000 people attended Pride Day and people travelled from all over the UK and overseas to celebrate Pride in Bristol. We consider the health and safety of our attendees, staff and city of upmost importance and with a restriction on mass gatherings looking to continue we’re just not able to deliver a physical festival this year.
But Pride is such a vital part of many people’s lives the show must go on and we’re really excited and energised at the thought of mixing it up and delivering a great show online.”
