Bristol Pride Day and Parade postponed

The organisers of Bristol Pride have announced that this year’s Pride Day event and Pride Parade will not be able to go ahead on July 11 as planned.

It follows the government’s announcement that the final lockdown restrictions will not be lifted until at least July 19.

With limits on the number of people allowed to attend outdoor gatherings still in place, safely putting on Pride Day and the parade has become a logistical impossibility for the Bristol Pride team.

Festival director Eve Russell said: “We have been in close discussions with public health and the local authority and unfortunately we have had to move to later in the year.  We had been really confident about this happening as we have seen so many marches take place in a very safe and managed way.

“It was really disappointing news to be told we couldn’t go ahead with it in July. But with cases on the rise in Bristol, everyone’s health and safety is our top priority and we of course respect the decision from public health and the local authority.”

Eve Russell, festival director of Bristol Pride. Photo: Bristol Pride

As well as the Pride Day and parade, the popular Pride Dog Show and the official Pride after-party have been postponed. Fortunately, most of the events across the fortnight-long festival, including the comedy night and the cabaret show, will still be going ahead, as they have long been planned around Covid safety measures.

“We went into this year looking at how we could do in-person events in a Covid-safe way,” Eve says.

“All of our pride week events aside from the after parties have been designed around current restrictions, they are socially distanced, mostly outdoor, all seated. This really felt like the only way we could confidently plan for this year.

“It is incredibly frustrating and disappointing to be told that we aren’t able to go ahead with the parade and pride day despite everything we had put in place but without clear guidance, it is incredibly hard for everyone.”

Bristol Pride marches through the city centre in 2019. Photo by Dan Regan.

In their official statement, the Bristol Pride team urge people who do choose to celebrate together this July to be mindful of Covid safety and to not gather in large groups. There has been no indication yet as to when this year’s Pride Day and parade will take place, but the Pride team are liaising with Bristol City Council to arrange new dates.

Eve notes that the team keenly understand the importance of the festival after what has been a difficult time for the city’s LGBTQ+ community.

“Pride is a beautiful statement of love, life and acceptance. We still need Pride to give hope to those who are not in as privileged a place as us. It’s more important than ever that we continue to fight for people’s rights to be themselves. Pride shows that it’s okay to love who you love and be who you are.

“I think Pride can be a beacon of hope in these dark times, we create a safe space for people to come together and be their most authentic selves, whether that’s online or in person at our events. I hope that everyone who comes to our events this year enjoys themselves and leaves feeling more connected with the community.”

Main Image: Dan Regan

Read more: Seventh episode of Queer Catch-Up talks feeling good and Bristol Pride