Birmingham Pride set to kick off in city

Birmingham Pride returns to the city this weekend with Clean Bandit and Bananarama headlining the main stage.

Last year, about 75,000 people flocked to the country's second city to celebrate at one of the UK's biggest Pride events.

The parade will assemble in Centenary Square at 11:00 BST on Saturday before making its way through the city centre at 12:00 BST and ending in the LGBTQ+ village where the main festival activities will take place.

Birmingham is one of several Pride events this year to have banned political parties in "unequivocal solidarity" with the transgender community, after the Supreme Court ruled that the term "woman" in the Equality Act was defined by biological sex.

Organisers of Birmingham Pride previously said that Labour, the only party which had been booked to march at the parade, was told it could not do so, while Labour said it would "continue to protect the trans community", adding laws to protect trans people remained.

The Birmingham Pride street party will be held in the heart of the Pride Village, centred around Hurst Street, Bromsgrove Street, Kent Street and Lower Essex Street.

Previous stars to take to the Birmingham Pride stages have included The Sugarbabes, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and Steps.

This year, Clean Bandit is headlining the main stage on Saturday at 22:35 BST, while 80s girl group Bananarama is headlining on Sunday at 22:30 BST.

The full line-up for the main stage on Saturday is:

• Birmingham Royal Ballet - 16:00 BST

• Catty - 16:45 BST

• Tom Rasmussen - 17:40 BST

• Una Healy - 18:35 BST

• Clementine Douglas - 19:25 BST

• Cascada - 20:30 BST

• The Wanted 2.0 - 21:30 BST

• Clean Bandit - 22:35 BST

The full line-up for the main stage on Sunday is:

• Kitty Scott-Claus - 16:20 BST

• Vicky Jackson - 17:35 BST

• Moonchild Sanelly - 18:40 BST

• Alexandra Burke - 19:25 BST

• Claire Richards - 20:20 BST

• Vengaboys - 21:20 BST

• Bananarama - 22:30 BST

As well as the main stage, performers will also take to the dance arena, cabaret stage, and community stage.

The Birmingham Pride parade on Saturday is free to attend, starting in Centenary Square and finishing in the LGBTQ+ Village.

Organisers said: "The Birmingham Pride Parade march is one of the most important aspects of the entire festival weekend, enjoyed by tens of thousands of participants, walking, marching or aboard creatively decorated floats, and viewed by in excess of 75,000 spectators lining the streets of Birmingham."

There will be rolling road closures through the city centre while the parade takes place, affecting bus and tram services.

The following roads will be closed while the parade is held:

• Broad Street and Centenary Square

• Carrs Lane

• Moor Street. Priory Queensway to St Martins Queensway

• St Martins Tunnel for when Moor Street reopens but Tunnel is closed

• Smallbrook Queensway. St Martins Tunnel to Hill Street

• Hurst Street

The parade will leave Centenary Square, march along New Street, then up High Street before turning onto Carrs Lane, organisers said.

It will then follows St Martins Queensway, which becomes Small Brook Queensway, to Hurst Street where it will end near the entrance to the LGBTQ+ Village Street Party.

Due to the slow moving nature of the parade, with plenty of stops and starts, it will take about 45 minutes from start to finish, organisers added.

From 06:00 BST on Saturday to 06:00 BST on Monday, Pershore Road will also be closed between Sherlock Street and Upper Dean Street for safe access to the Smithfield Birmingham Pride site.

There will be a number of bus diversions in place throughout the day with some bus stops closed and temporary stops in place.

National Express West Midlands bus services 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 9, 12, 12A, 13, 13A, 16, 17, 23, 24, 35, 45, 47, 50, 60, 61, 63, 80, 82, 87, 97, 126, X1, X2, X8, X10, X21, X22 will be subject to diversions.

There will also be some bus stop changes due to the rolling road closures for the parade.

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