Weekend festival to be town's first Pride event

Banbury Pride will take place from 31 May until 2 June

An Oxfordshire town is preparing to host its first-ever Pride event.

Banbury Pride 2024 will take place from 31 May until 2 June on Butchers Row, featuring live entertainment and street performances.

The street will be closed to traffic for the whole weekend.

Tom Staples, chair of the Banbury Pride Committee, said they really wanted "to lay the foundations this year to make this an annual event".

Tom Staples (with the black T-shirt in the middle) said the event committee was excited to "show the best of Banbury"

Mr Staples said the event had had a "phenomenal" response from businesses and the public.

"I've lived in Banbury for about eight years and I've seen many different committees trying their hardest to get a Pride on and get the funding for it," he said.

"We are so excited because so many of the community have got behind us."

He said that it was "a real show of support for the LGBTQIA+ community" in the town.

"We have events planned all weekend. There will be live music, bands, drag queens, karaoke, quizzes," he said.

Organisers are encouraging people to travel to the event by public transport but parking will be available in Bolton Road, Castle Quay and Market Place.