For ten glorious days and nights, Manchester Pride 2007 once again painted the city with a great range of vibrant and colourful events, and turned the Gay Village into a hotbed of fun, music and party over the Big Weekend.
Manchester Pride Parade
Thousands of people lined the streets of the city centre to watch one of the biggest parade's we've ever seen raise the profile of a wealth of businesses, organisations and community groups. The Sparkle entry, with its bright pink bubble-blowing tank and Sparkle Army in tow, took the prize of Best Float, but thanks goes out to all 80 entries for making such an effort. Pictures of all the floats and information on the participants can be found in our gallery pages.
Pride Games 2007
With over 1,200 participants taking part in sports and activities over seven days, Pride Games 2007 was a resounding success. With firsts including a Youth Games, an athletics tournament and an aquathlon, the event goes from strength to strength. Check out www.pridegames.org for more from this great organisation.
Group Civil Partnership Ceremony
Eight wonderful couples took part in the first group civil partnership ceremony over Manchester Pride 2007 demonstrating their committment and love. Pictures of the ceremony can be seen in our gallery.
The Big Weekend
The amazing culmination of Manchester Pride 2007 was undoubtedly the 78-hour party of The Big Weekend. All the bars and clubs in the Village pulled out all the stops to ensure over 40,000 party goers had the time of their life!
The Big Weekend Main Stage played host to some fantastic artists including amazing performances from The Gossip, Belinda Carlisle, Gareth Gates and a heavily pregnant Angie Brown! Over on the Sackville Park stage, a selection of accoustic artists, cabaret performances and orchestral pieces provided a great atmosphere to sit back and chill out.
Regular features returning for another year included the ever-popular Market with a great range of fun products and the Lifestyle Expo, with over 40 exhibitors showcasing the best of LGBT organisations, community groups and businesses.
The Village Hall was a newcomer for 2007, providing a safe and friendly community space for LGBT Youth, Pride Games, Sparkle and the Womens' Space whilst Dwell provided a luxurious chill out tent for party goers to rest their weary feet!
Don't forget to check out the gallery from 2007 to relive them memories or see what you missed from all the great events and performances from the Big Weekend!
HIV Candlelit Vigil
The spiritual heart of Manchester Pride - the Candlelit Vigil - drew the festival to a close on Monday night as Sackville Park was lit by a sea of candles and loving faces, reflecting on the past and looking forward to the future. A truly moving experience that really brings home why events such as Manchester Pride are so important to our community.