Mablethorpe Pride event gets fresh focus from roaming performers

The event in Mablethorpe at the weekend featured roaming performers to entertain the crowds

Roaming performers were the focus as a Lincolnshire seaside resort celebrated its second ever Pride event at the weekend.

Mablethorpe's inaugural Pride event in 2022 was held on a central stage, but budget constraints meant a different approach this year, organisers said.

Stilt-walkers and a steel drummer were among the performers who took part.

Organiser Matthew Dickinson said Saturday's event was a celebration of "love, diversity, and inclusion".

Organisers said they were "surprised" by how many people attended the event in the seaside town

Mr Dickinson said despite the change in format to this year's event, it had been a "fantastic day".

"Taking our celebration on tour allowed us to raise visibility and awareness for the LGBTQIA+ community beyond just the High Street," he said.

"At one point we were performing in a pub and the next minute we were in the fairground."

Mr Dickinson said all the organisers had been "so surprised with the amount of people who turned up".

Audience participation was encouraged at Mablethorpe's 2023 Pride celebration

He told BBC Radio Lincolnshire that Pride celebrations were particularly important in towns like Mablethorpe as it could be hard living in a small coastal community with "no representation".

"Hopefully, next year with funding we will be back on the main stage because this event has to happen on the east coast," he said.

"Being seen and just speaking to people. It's a massive thing for us."

The Mablethorpe celebration was "a reminder of how far we have come, and how far we still have to go", Mr Dickinson added.