City hosts UK Pride celebrations

Doncaster Pride was at the centre of UK Pride celebrations for 2024

Doncaster has taken centre stage as it hosts the UK Pride 2024 celebrations.

The city won the honour after its bid was judged the best by members of the Pride UK Organisers Network.

Organisers said to have been chosen as hosts was "so special".

The festival, which has moved from Elmfield Park to Town Fields, is a celebration of LGBTQ+ communities and the event is free and open to all.

Jenny Dewsnap said hosting UK Pride meant a great deal

One of the founders and organisers of Doncaster Pride, Jenny Dewsnap, said she was thrilled the event had been chosen as the host of UK Pride.

"I think it means so much because you're chosen by your peers," she said.

"We've been selected by other people who organise Prides up and down the UK and they chose Doncaster.

"I think that's why it's so special."

Doncaster Pride traditionally begins with a Parade of Unity through the city centre

The 2024 parade began at Duke Street and went through St Sepulchre Gate, High Street, Hall Gate, and South Parade before ending next to the main Pride event at Bennetthorpe

The unions Unite and Aslef joined the parade which marched to Town Fields

Headliners for the main Union Pride Stage at Town Fields were Queenz, a drag act performing covers of songs by artists including Whitney Houston, Britney Spears and the Spice Girls.

The headline act on the City Stage, which features local performers, was Stars, lead singer of Doncaster band Bang Bang Romeo and now a solo recording artist.

Michelle Alexandria at Town Fields, where the Doncaster Pride 2024 event was held

Organisers estimated about 18,000 people attended Doncaster Pride in 2023.

For the first time, the 2024 event had a Youth Pride section for under-18s, providing information on health and wellbeing.

Another new feature was the Cabaret Marquee staging drag act performances in the evening for an adult-only audience.

Organisers say the move to Town Fields has meant a better layout which can be more easily secured

Jenny Dewsnap said everyone was welcome: "There's still a campaigning part of Pride, there's still an educational part of Pride so that people really understand we're really not that different.

"We're just human beings. Our sexuality might be different but we're all human beings.

"The thing about Pride is it's there for everyone."

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Punjabi Roots travelled to Doncaster from Leeds and Bradford