Birmingham Pride to return to city's Gay Village

Birmingham Pride is attended by about 75,000 people each year

Birmingham Pride has confirmed it is to return to its original location in the city's Gay Village in May next year following a search for a new home.

The ticketed festival has been held in Smithfield for the past few years, but can no longer use the site because it is being redeveloped.

Director Lawrence Barton said the move offered an opportunity to "realign" the festival with "core values" of "protest, inclusion and grassroots celebration".

"Our return to the Gay Village symbolises more than just a change of location, it represents a renewed commitment to the communities that built this event from the ground up."

Organisers also said the event was searching for new partners after deciding to "transition away" from sponsor HSBC.

"We are grateful to HSBC UK for their support over the last seven years," Mr Barton said.

"This partnership has had a meaningful and lasting impact on LGBTQ+ communities across Birmingham and the West Midlands."

A computer-generated image of the proposed Smithfield development including in its planning application

Meanwhile, Birmingham City Council has confirmed a major change to the Smithfield project, amid financial "pressures".

The scheme is set to transform the former wholesale market site into homes, retail and leisure space and a new market complex.

But an outline business case document revealed changes to the proposed cultural offer, with the Art Shed building and Round House music venue to be incorporated into a single building rather than two separate structures as originally intended.

The council said it was to reduce the need for funding, as requested by government-appointed commissioners sent in to oversee the authority's financial recovery after it effectively went bankrupt.

The document stated commissioners did not support a funding ask of £209m linked to the proposal's enterprise zone, and it had now been reduced to £172.8m.

The council also confirmed Smithfield's leisure offer was set to change and would no longer offer a "big-box style" leisure complex, including an urban adventure playground and digital immersive experience.

"The leisure offer will now consist of two smaller leisure provisions," the outline business case continued.

Additional reporting gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.