Pride Month is celebrated every June as a tribute to those who were involved in the Stonewall Riots. Whilst traditionally events take place throughout summer months, including Brighton Pride in August, June was chosen to remember the Stonewall Riots that broke out in Greenwich Village, New York City, on 28 June 1969 after police raided one of the city’s most popular gay clubs, prompting the regulars to fight back courageously in protest.

A year later, marchers coordinated by activist Brenda Howard and others gathered in New York to celebrate “Christopher Street Liberation Day”, alluding to the Manhattan address of the Stonewall Inn, which, along with parallel events in Los Angeles and San Francisco, marked the anniversary of a watershed moment in the history of LGBTQ+ rights.

To celebrate Pride month, Michael Gietzen Managing Director has been joined by Paul Kemp, Managing Director of Brighton Pride for a special edition of Identify – the news, views and insights from within the events industry.

Brighton Pride is notorious for being an incredible experience, bringing so many people together from different walks of life for a celebration, lining the streets of the city with rainbow flags, sharing love and embracing different cultures whilst participating in a parade and music festival.
But how has Pride evolved and what are the key learnings from this special edition of Identify?

  • The long-term planning of each event can be up to three years
  • Pride is hugely collaborative, working with local councils and police forces to provide high quality, safely organised experiences without compromise!
  • On average 500,000 people attend every Brighton Pride annually
  • 2% of Brighton’s annual revenue is generated from Brighton Pride
  • Organisers work with Brighton & Hove Green Council to ensure the event is as sustainable as possible. Green generators, low emissions, funded tree planting along with beach cleans are just a few of the ways organisers have worked to create a greener future for Pride
  • The absence of live events has presented an opportunity for the organisers of Brighton Pride as they have been able to diversify events by creating virtual and hybrid event experiences for audiences who don’t enjoy festival atmospheres but enjoy live performances

Find out how you can get involved and support the LGBTQ+ community.