Norwich Pride 2018: Everything you need to know

Thousands of people march through the city centre to celebrate Norwich Pride. Picture: Nick Butcher Archant © 2017

Rainbow flags will be flying high across the city this weekend as thousands celebrate the 10th anniversary of Norwich Pride.

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The event was first launched in 2009 by friends Julie Bremner and Michelle Savage who felt the LGBT+ community were ‘invisible’ in Norfolk and they only expected a few hundred to take part.

Instead 3,000 people took to the streets to celebrate and a decade on they are expecting 10,000 to attend this Saturday July 28.

Ms Savage said: “We’ve found that many people come to Norwich Pride who grew up here and moved to places like Manchester and Brighton but have now realised they can feel at home in Norfolk.

“Ten years ago we were invisible and when we did a survey before organising the first event many people said it was okay to be gay in Norwich as long as it wasn’t shoved in people’s faces.

“The first year was about visibility and we didn’t know if it would fall flat but it was actually an enormous success.”

READ MORE: ‘It’s just an incredibly happy atmosphere’ - 10 years of Norwich Pride

In the build-up to the main event there will be the chance to shop for rainbow goodies, food stalls and performances in The Forum and Chapelfield Gardens from 10am.

The annual Norwich Pride parade celebrating diversity from Millennium Plain to Chapelfield Gardens passes through Norwich city centre. Photo : Steve Adams The annual Norwich Pride parade celebrating diversity from Millennium Plain to Chapelfield Gardens passes through Norwich city centre. Photo : Steve Adams

This year’s Pride will even feature Horning Junior School choir who will be performing Somewhere Over The Rainbow with the Sing With Pride Choir at 11am at The Forum - something that ‘wouldn’t have happened ten years ago.’

The parade will start at 1pm at City Hall and will include a 50-metre rainbow flag which will need 100 people to hold it.

Over 30 groups have already registered to take part and everyone else will be able to join the end of the parade which runs along St Peters Street, down Gaol Hill, through the Lanes and finishes at Chapelfield Gardens with live entertainment from 2pm.

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There will also be a Standing Proud party and barbecue at Last Pub Standing in King Street from 12pm to 8pm and a rainbow projected onto Norwich Castle

To mark ten years of the event, organisers are ‘bringing back all the best of ten years’ with acts including the Norwich Samba Band on the parade, Hannah Brackenbury, described as ‘the lesbian Victoria Wood’, and headline act Surely Bassey.

Norwich Pride events in Chapelfield Gardens

Norwich Pride 2017. Picture: Nick Butcher Norwich Pride 2017. Picture: Nick Butcher

12pm Alice d’Lumiere - Alice is a spoken word artist and will perform ‘Speaking Out and Fitting In’

2pm Natasha Curson Trans Memorial Talk - Activist Katy Jon Went in conversation with CN Lester who is a trans activitst and singer songwriter.

3pm Elly Barnes Book Launch - Dr Elly Barnes MBE launches her book ‘How to transform your school into an LGBT+ friendly place’

4pm Question Time - Peter Tatchell (Human Rights campaigner), Lady Phyll (founder member of UK Black Pride), CN Lester (Trans activist)

The Pride Show will also take place in Chapelfield Gardens from 2pm to 5pm and stars: Izzy Harjett, Titti Trash, Jacqui Cann, Kimberley Moore, Eileen Mascoll, Passion Productions, Powerhouse, featuring Chris Preece, Hannah Brackenbury and Vicky Moore.

READ MORE: Norfolk youngsters sing and march in rainbow Pride parade

Norwich Pride events in The Forum

Thousands of people march through the city centre to celebrate Norwich Pride. Picture: Nick Butcher Thousands of people march through the city centre to celebrate Norwich Pride. Picture: Nick Butcher

10.30am – 12pm Pride Storytime and Rainbow Crafts in the Children’s Library

10am – 11.30am Mr Dod Powerhooping and Laughter Yoga on Millennium Plain

11am – 11.15am Sing with Pride and Sing with Pride Juniors (Horning Community Primary School) pop-up performance inside the Forum

1.30am Zumba Sarah from North Norfolk leads a Zumba workshop on Millennium Plain

11.30am – 12.30pm Speak Out film in the Forum Auditorium

12pm Norwich Rising dance on Millennium Plain

Norwich Pride starts at City Hall at 1pm Norwich Pride starts at City Hall at 1pm

1pm People’s Parade leaves from Millennium Plain after the groups section has left City Hall.

Our Norwich Pride content is sponsored by Flaunt Norwich.