North Devon to host UK's 'largest queer festival'

The organisers said they were "excited" to bring the festival to its new home near Bideford

The UK's "largest queer festival" is coming to North Devon, organisers have said.

The Out & Wild Festival, billed as the UK's largest festival celebrating the lesbian, bi, trans, and queer women and non-binary people community, is set to take place in June near Bideford.

Organisers said the event, which started during the Covid-19 pandemic, had a focus on "outdoor experiences".

Polly Shute, co-founder of the festival, said a number of different activities would be on offer during the three-day event including "wild swimming, archery and pottery".

'A massive success'

She said: "It's designed specifically for queer women and those who are non-binary.

"I spent five years working on the board of Pride in London and, whilst I loved it, it really gave me an insight into the fact that most queer events that happen are focused on male audiences."

The organisers said they were "excited" to bring the festival to its new home after an effective launch in Pembrokeshire.

They said: "After a successful pilot event in 2021, where the attendees begged us to launch Out & Wild, we ran our first full festival in June 2022.

"It was a massive success and we are proud to have grown to become the biggest festival for queer women and those who are non-binary in the UK."

Out & Wild will take place in Devon between 13-16 June.