Fun vow despite Gay Pride parade setback

May 20 2008 By Emma Cullwick

THOUSANDS of people will flock to Birmingham this weekend for the city’s annual Gay Pride event and organisers hope the cancellation of its famous street parade won't keep visitors away. The Birmingham Mail reported in April how, after a series of disagreements over the start time, organisers cancelled the event’s famous parade which winds round the city centre and ends in the gay village.

But organisers today pledged that the event on Saturday and Sunday will be as outrageous as ever with plenty of fun and frivolity.

Phil Oldershaw, spokesman for the event, said: "We are really excited about this year’s event and view it as a foundation for developing Birmingham Pride for future years.

"We have developed new relationships with sponsors and contributors and have also being reminding ourselves about pulling together as a community.

"We are hoping for really great weather, but even if the worst happens and it rains all weekend we’ve created areas which will provide cover."

The entertainment will start at 1pm on Saturday in Victoria Square before the city’s new Lord Mayor Coun Chauhdry Rashid officially opens the event on the main stage near the Nightingale club, Kent Street, in the gay village.

From 3.15pm, the main stage will come alive with a Eurovision concert, including music from 80s pop star Sonia, 1976 winners Brotherhood Of Man and last year’s entry Scooch.

From 5pm the stage will be taken over by local cabaret acts until 7pm.

Then on Sunday, the main stage will host a variety of entertainment from 1pm until 8pm, including music from the Cheeky Girls and Katrina, from 1997 Eurovision winner Katrina and the Waves.

Other entertainment will take place in the Gay Village’s pubs and bars around Bromsgrove Street, Gooch Street, Kent Street, Lower Essex Street and Hurst Street throughout the weekend.n For more details of the celebrations visit www.birminghampride.org.