Brighton & Hove Pride 2025 review

I remember coming to Brighton Pride when its only dance tent was little more than a wedding marquee. Since then, it has grown progressively larger and more ambitious, encouraging people from across the world to come and lose their inhibitions, innocence, and often some items of clothing. Now, you’re greeted by acres of smiling faces, loads of different stages offering everything from cabaret to the latest underground music, and a main arena welcoming global icons.

After a lazy breakfast, we decamped to Preston Circus to watch the Community Parade. As always, this was a spectacular display of creativity and joy. Snaking through the streets were floats adorned with dazzling decorations, performers in stunning costumes, and the obligatory army of drags. I’d not managed to catch this for a couple of years, and so had forgotten how contagious the sense of energy was. It was heartwarming to see so many different walks of life joining to celebrate our LGBTQ+ community.

Buoyed by the whole city seemingly turning out to see the procession, we made our way to Preston Park, desperately trying to finalise meeting plans on WhatsApp and making some new friends along the way.  

Inside, the park’s atmosphere was electric, filled with screams of laughter, vibrant colours, and a shared sense of purpose. There were numerous stalls from local businesses providing all manner of goods, apparel, food, and… err… equipment. There was also a splendid showing from a broad range of organisations and charities offering advice, resources, or just a friendly welcome. It was great to see so many groups represented, and hopefully raise some awareness of their year-round activities. People of all ages and backgrounds were smiling and saying hello to each other. In a world that seems increasingly dark and dangerous, this was heartening to see.

Were there any downsides to the day? A few minor ones. Obviously Pride is a space for the entire community, but this year seemed quite hetro-heavy. Maybe the usual “colourfulness” had been toned down, but there was a noticeable lack of the fabulous or freaky randoms offering those memorable encounters. Unless the trend this year was to dress up as a hen party. Maybe I wasn’t getting it.

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Another complaint was the queue to get in. I’m not sure if there was a different system this year, or if selling cheap tickets to those who were happy to be in the park before 3pm had created a surge, but it took a long time to get in. Not that it mattered, we just had a party in the lines outside. Next time, if you’re going to make us wait so long, give us a bar and disco outside the main gate.

While much of the country was being whipped by fierce storms, the weather on the south coast remained warm and agreeable. It might have been overcast, but as a veteran of many cocktail-soaked afternoons spent under an unforgiving sky, you don’t want it too sunny on these days. Sunstroke is no laughing matter when you’ve stood waiting for a pop goddess to come onstage at 9.30 in the evening.

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The entertainment was all fantastic, particularly someone my friend says was Bimini. I know nobody will believe me, I had made studious notes of every performer I’d seen. Unfortunately, I last saw those during the down-under disco-laden chaos of Confidence Man.  The high-energy Auddie foursome was arguably the highlight of the day, wowing the sizeable crowd with hits like Holiday, Boyfriend, and Feels Like a Different Thing.  

I’m feeling physically and emotionally drained by the end of their set, but after a quick sit down, I’m ready for the evening’s main attraction. Miss. Mariah. Carey.

From the moment she walked onstage, the crowd was melting down. Bribing a touch of Hollywood glamour and New York cool to my hometown, she flawlessly powered through classics like Vision of Love and We Belong Together, in a set many of us will never forget. It seemed like the whole crowd was singing along at some moments, or perhaps it was just me… It was certainly 90 minutes that I will never forget, the Queen of soulful pop showing her support for all members of our community with a jacket reading “Protect The Dolls” on the back.  

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Then suddenly, it’s all over. Mariah has done her bit, bringing the last eight hours to a crescendo, then leaving us slightly deaf (or hoarse) from the screaming. It was certainly one to remember. As we walked away from the park, pedestrians for a brief moment wrested control of the streets from the cars, and you could hear the incessant buzz of excited chatter all around. There are discussions of after-parties, heading down to the seafront in search of more adventure, or maybe a few promises being called in. Tomorrow will bring the delights of performances from Sugababes, Will Young, and Fat Boy Slim. But, right now, you feel that nobody really wants this day to end.

Get ready for Brighton & Hove Pride 2026 by visiting: www.brighton-pride.org

Main image by Sam Hussein

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