Tens of thousands of revellers have joined Eddie Izzard at Brighton Pride, turning the seafront into a dazzling display of feathers, glitter and rainbow colours despite torrential rain and disruptive train strikes threatening to dampen their parade.
With a line-up including Black Eyed Peas, Steps and Melanie C, dedicated attendants in elaborate outfits – or just their swimming trunks – are pushing through the elements to celebrate the event.
Pictures show revellers struggling in the weather as they take to the streets in ponchos – some with their pets dressed in rainbow coats – for a parade during the annual International Pride Festival.
Eddie Izzard is among those braving the strong winds and rain as Storm Antoni lashes the UK. The 61-year-old comic – who is bidding to become Labour’s candidate for the Brighton Pavilion seat – was all smiles as she applauded others for getting out onto the streets. Izzard has previously spoken about her gender-fluid identity and requests to be referred to with she/her pronouns.
Dame Kelly Holmes – who publicly game out as gay in June last year – was also spotted out and about with friends at the festival. Wearing a poncho with bright glitter around her eyes, the Olympian beamed with her thumbs up amid the downpours.
Saturday’s parade was expected to draw 300,000 people to the city’s streets, among them community groups, small businesses and NHS services, as they march to the official Pride community fundraiser Fabuloso in the Park at Preston Park.
Tens of thousands of revellers have joined Eddie Izzard (pictured) at Brighton Pride, turning the seafront into a dazzling display of feathers, glitter and PVC despite torrential rain and disruptive train strikes threatening to dampen their parade
With a line-up including Black Eyed Peas, Steps and Melanie C, dedicated attendants in elaborate outfits are pushing through the elements to celebrate the event
Revellers wait to travel on a coach to Brighton Pride event at Victoria Coach Station as the train drivers union ASLEF’s strike disrupts travel across England
Dedicated revellers take part in a parade during the annual International Pride Festival in Brighton, Britain, August 5, 2023
Dame Kelly Holmes (centre) was also in attendance at Brighton Pride. The Olympian publicly came out as gay in June last year
A dachshund wears a rainbow coat as revellers brave the heavy rain and strong winds. The weather has not dampened the spirits of revellers
Two dedicated men brave the strong winds wearing just their swimming trunks. The annual event always draws large crowds but less are here this year due to the poor weather and train strikes
Pride participants struggling in the weather while holding a rainbow flag, as they take part in a parade during the annual International Pride Festival
Cheer up! Brighton Pride’s managing director Paul Kemp said that the train strikes ‘won’t derail us’ and ‘the show goes on’
Brighton Pride’s managing director Paul Kemp said: ‘We’ve encouraged people to wear ponchos so it might be a little bit Glastonbury. That wouldn’t stop us from having a great celebration and a great Pride in our city.’
The annual celebration is the city’s largest single event, expected to boost the economy by more than £20million over the weekend.
The popular event has been partially marred by the ongoing train strikes, forcing revellers to travel on coaches from London Victoria. Govia Thameslink Railway will not be running any trains between London and Brighton on Saturday, blaming an overtime ban by the drivers’ union Aslef.
Mr Kemp said organisers were disappointed a compromise could not be found. He said: ‘It will affect turnout absolutely because people will be cut off from the rest of the country. I’m sorry for people who booked hotels and paid for accommodation and now can’t get in.’ However he said it ‘won’t derail us’ and ‘the show goes on’.
Jamie Sanders, 36, travelled from Hastings, East Sussex, as one of the organisers for Sainsbury’s parade group.
While he was able to book a hotel overnight, out of 100 colleagues expecting to take part in the company’s parade, only 60 were able to make it due to the travel disruption.
But he said the ‘buses were brilliant’, picking people up across other locations to help them get there.
Brighton Pride gets under way in appalling weather. But it’s not stopping revellers having a great time at the famous festival
Revellers in carnival costumes brave the heavy rain and strong winds as they prepare to walk along the route during the Brighton & Hove Pride 2023
And others make sure their weather-gear is on brand – with rainbow crocs and a glamorous umbrella
Two carry bravely carry their flags through the rain and wind to the parade as they get ready to march
The march got underway despite marchers looking sodden – as attendees braved the soggy conditions to take part in the city’s Pride celebrations
Some Brighton celebrants took no risks when they dressed for the weather – as one hides within their poncho
One attendee – in a metallic rainbow cap – watches on as an open-top bus passes by the gathered crowds
Others battle wrestle with a giant pride banner to make sure it is not blown away into the sky
Also travelling down from London, Leo Gonzales and his friends drove down from the capital this morning in what he described as a ‘quite smooth’ journey.
‘It’s so friendly, like a family, the community is very engaging and inclusive.’
This year’s event, with the theme Dare To Be Different, marks the 50th anniversary of the first Brighton Pride march, organised by the Sussex Gay Liberation Front in July 1973.
Mr Kemp said: ‘Those early pioneers 50 years ago who put their head above the parapet in different times, it was a very different environment for LGBT people at that time.
‘We’re recognising the trailblazers around the city, we have lamp posts around the city of people who have been part of the movement and are current trailblazers. We’re celebrating being different.’
He said that while Pride is about celebration it is also about protest and in the UK ‘we’re standing by our trans siblings’.
He added: ‘There’s a feeling from the LGBT community we’re being slightly politicised for political reasons, when people really should be focused on the real issues like the environment, cost of living, the things that really affect lives.’
Ina Baena and her friends got the train from London to Brighton a day early to attend Pride, while some of the group had to drive down on Saturday to join them.
The annual celebration is the city’s largest single event, expected to boost the economy by more than £20million over the weekend
Revellers brave the heavy rain and strong winds as they watch the procession at Brighton Pride. Large parts of the UK are being lashed by Storm Antoni
A group of revellers wearing rainbow heart t-shirts march through the streets of Brighton as they celebrate the annual festival
The popular event has been partially marred by the ongoing train strikes, forcing revellers to travel on coaches from London Victoria
A woman shelters under an umbrella and braves the heavy rain and strong winds as she prepares to walk along the route during Pride
The 30-year-old celebrating her first Brighton and Hove Pride said so far it was ‘really great…everybody is so lovely’.
As the clouds began to clear with the first sunshine of the day, she added: ‘The worst thing is the weather, but there’s hope.’
Storm Antoni is the first storm that has been serious enough to be named since February last year and has forced Brits to batten down the hatches amid warnings for gale force winds and flooding.
For many up and down the country, summer seems to be a distant memory as temperatures struggled to climb above 17C. In Ireland, residents were evacuated from their homes due to flooding.
The weather has also forced the cancellation of a series of events across the country, including the annual Dorset jazz festival and the Chale Show on the Isle of Wight.
An amber weather warning for high winds has been issued in areas of southwest Wales and southwest England between 11am and 7pm. The warning level indicates flying debris is possible and could lead to injuries or danger to life.
A yellow warning for ‘unseasonably windy weather’ is also in place for southern parts of the UK until 8pm and a yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued until 10pm for south east England and East Anglia.
As well as impacting Brighton Pride, the wild weather has also wreaked havoc for Moto GP racers in Silverstone after causing one driver to fly off his bike.
