News / Bristol Pride
Pride parade brings ‘moments of joy’ to Bristol
Rainbows filled Bristol on Saturday as thousands of people marched through the streets of the city centre for the annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade.
With trans advocate Ella Morgan and Bristol Pride director Daryn Carter at the helm, the event was a joyful celebration of dancing and music, staged for queer people to connect and allies to show solidarity.
Carter told Bristol24/7 that Pride is “more of a protest” than a party amid what he described as a difficult climate for LGBTQ+ people.
is needed now More than ever
Bristol Pride day 2026 kicked off with a busy parade
With the sun beating down, the parade winded from Castle Park to Lloyds Amphitheatre as the pavements lined with people watching the procession.
“Bristol Pride, make some noise for the dolls, the gays and the theys,” said Morgan, who grew up in Bristol and found fame as the first openly transgender bride on Married At First Site.
Placards held aloft served as a reminder of issues affecting the community – from health inequalities and conversion therapy to hate crime.
Speaking ahead of the march, Carter said: “It’s a lot of hard work, but (Pride) is about bringing community together.
“It’s about reducing isolation. It’s about lending our voice and being loud and proud, being visible to showcase how amazing and large our community is.”
Amid concerns over the treatment of trans people and uncertainty surrounding EHRC guidance, he said that Pride creates important opportunities for “moments of joy”.
Daryn Carter is the director of Bristol Pride
The free Pride Day celebrations continued on the Downs, accompanied by a host of LGBTQ+ focused events springing up all over our city.
Headliners at 2026’s festival include Sister Sledge and Jason Donovan, alongside performances by Black Box, Chloe Qisha, Absolute Britney and a Cabaret Stage headlined by Trinity The Tuck.
‘Defy the Supreme Court’
The very first Pride event in Bristol took place in 1977 as the Bristol Gay Festival.
It was one of the earliest queer regional events outside of London and consisted of social events and film screenings at the Arnolfini and Bristol Arts Centre.
More than a decade later, in 1988, Avon Pride held its first march through Bristol which went on to evolve into Bristol Pride and now attracts upwards of 40,000 revellers each year, according to organisers.
All photos & video: Betty Woolerton
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