LGBTQ+ choir festival makes debut city visit

Cities such as Manchester and London are amongst those who have held the event in recent years

UK and Ireland’s biennial LGBTQ+ choir event will perform in Bristol for the first time this summer - making it the sixth city to host the national event.

Hand in Hand festival was created in 2013 to support and bring together LGBTQ+ choirs and performers from around the country.

The event is run by volunteers and will take place at the Bristol Beacon from 16 to 18 August.

Alongside 44 choirs, 1,400 performers are expected to attend the three-day festival - which opens its doors to the public on Saturday evening.

The choirs and performers will take over the Beacon for the weekend before taking to the city centre for a variety of performances on Sunday

There will be a variety of concerts, workshops and social events at the festival.

Festival director Mark Hubbard said: "We wanted to bring this event to Bristol so that community singing is accessible to those who might feel isolated from social activities, especially post-pandemic."

Research shows LGBTQ+ people were more likely to suffer with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and eating problems, he said.

"We know that community singing is really good for people. It's good for our health, our mental health, and our connections with one another," he added.

The festival received funding from both the National Lottery and from those in the community

Up to 50 bursary places have been offered to help fund some of the travel and accommodation costs of those coming from elsewhere in the UK.

Mr Hubbard said: "The community's generosity has enabled 50 or so people to participate in this festival that might not have otherwise been able to, which is absolutely fantastic."

"This festival has great community investment. So, I think between us all, we will have an event that is absolutely brilliant, and we will do Bristol proud."