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Pictures: Brighton Pride parade bursts with emotion

Eddie Mitchell A person wearing a green and blue sparkly jacket over a Little Mermaid tshirt. The man has rainbow face paint on his face. He is looking to the sky with his eyes shut and mouth openEddie Mitchell
The Brighton Pride parade was packed with colours, emotions and fantastic dancing

An estimated 300,000 people danced and cheered in the streets of Brighton on Saturday for the annual Pride parade.

The parade was bursting with colour, happiness and fantastic outfits.

Departing from Hove Lawns on Saturday morning, the parade headed through the centre of Brighton and finished at Preston Park, where spectators will watch Girls Aloud at We Are Fabuloso, the official Brighton & Hove Pride charity fundraiser.

Speaking at the city's 51st Pride, the event's managing director, Paul Kemp, said it was still about both protest and celebration.

Eddie Mitchell Pride Hub buses making their way along Kings Road. People are stood on the top deck of the open top buses waving rainbow flagsEddie Mitchell
Pride Hub buses making their way along Kings Road

"Brighton & Hove Pride has a proud mix of both, driven by all that is good about our LGBTQ+ communities," he said.

“This summer, as we celebrate our diverse communities, we shall continue to press for a world where everyone can live freely and safely, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.“

Eddie Mitchell A woman in a black coat with brown hair and sunglasses holding a white-haired dog in a brown bagEddie Mitchell
It wasn't just humans who enjoyed the parade
Eddie Mitchell Crowds of people watching the Brighton Pride paradeEddie Mitchell
An estimated 300,000 people took to the streets

Supporting MacMillan horizon centre in Brighton & Hove, Emma Winder said: "We are just showing our solidarity with the community and showing that everyone is welcome at the Horizon centre for support."

All of the ticket revenue raised from Brighton Pride goes towards the running costs of producing the festival, LGBT Community Parade, Pride Village Party and community fundraising for the Rainbow Fund and Pride social impact fund.

Eddie Mitchell Two people wearing golden headdresses. Man on the left, woman on the right. The man on the left hair a large pink feather tail behind himEddie Mitchell
The outfits burst with colour and creativity
Eddie Mitchell People onboard an open top bus waving rainbow and trans pride flagsEddie Mitchell
People said they came to celebrate inclusivity and togetherness

The parade finished at about 15:00 BST, but the party continued across the city. Many parade-goers headed to We Are Fabuloso at the end of the route, while others headed for the Village Party in Kemptown.

Eddie Mitchell A group of people in colourful costumes waving and smilingEddie Mitchell
It was smiles all round at this year's Pride parade
BBC/Anthony Martin Drummers drumming in the street while wearing rainbow clothingBBC/Anthony Martin
Music filled the air as people danced their way through the city

Other acts appearing at We Are Fabuloso over the two-day event are Mika, Billy Porter, Sophie Ellis-Baxter, S Club, Gabrielle and Bjorn Again.

BBC/Anthony Martin Thousands of people walking from Hove to Brighton along the seafront road. To the left is the sea and beachBBC/Anthony Martin
Thousands of people make their way from Hove towards Brighton
Eddie Mitchell Police liaison officers in blue vests taking a selfie with a woman during the parade. The elderly woman has a purple shirt and is carrying a rainbow flagEddie Mitchell
Police liaison officers take a selfie with a woman during the parade

Police, paramedics and fire crews also made appearances in this year's parade and were on hand to keep partygoers safe.

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust urged those attending to plan ahead and stay safe across what is a busy weekend.

Eddie Mitchell Six people from Crews from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service in the parade. Five in black shirts with a rainbow stripe, one man on the right with a red shirt and rainbow stripeEddie Mitchell
Crews from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service in the parade
People selling rainbow flags outside Brighton Railway Station. The sky is most grey and cloudy, with a patch of blue
Flag sellers were at Brighton Railway Station from about 09:00 BST

Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services to and from Brighton, said it expected stations and trains to be "extremely busy".

Over the weekend, more trains and extra carriages were being added to services to help people get to and from the city safely.

There will also be a queuing system in place at Brighton station, colour coded by route.

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