Kendal Pride ‘back and bigger’ for 2024

Kendal Pride will return this June with a bigger festival programme for 2024.

The now annual event – billed as ‘pride done differently’ – will take over the Cumbrian town for its second year from Friday June 14 to Sunday 16, offering a host of activities for people of all ages.

And this year organisers say it will be bigger thanks to grants from Arts Council England, National Lottery Awards for All, Kendal Business Improvement District and Kendal Town Council.

Jamie Hooper, chair of the organising group, said: “We were absolutely blown away by the enthusiasm for our inaugural Kendal Pride last year, and were determined to bring it back bigger for 2024.

“The festival is focused on celebrating the LGBTIQA+ community, getting out into nature and enjoying the arts, that’s why we’re thrilled to have received such strong support from our funders.

“And, we’re also really looking forward to taking the Pride Village to its new home at Abbot Hall, giving more space for people to come together on the Saturday of the festival weekend.”

The Pride Village will take place at Abbot Hall on Saturday 15 from 10am to 7pm and will feature a range of stalls, talks, entertainment, and family activities from Ragtag Arts. Plus, for the final two hours, there’ll be a special family friendly finale with details to be revealed.

Alongside the village the programme across the weekend will include everything from free walks, cycles, climbs and open water swims, and much more besides. And, on Friday evening there’ll be films with an LGBTQIA+ outdoor theme with tickets set to go on sale soon.

The ‘Big Pride Party’ will also return to Bowness Brewery on Saturday evening, with an increased capacity as the whole of the site and Barrel House is taken over by Kendal Pride. Kendal-based drag queen NOVA GINA will host the event, with headliner and Britain’s Got Talent auditionee drag queen RUBY SINCLAIR wrapping up the evening.

In the build-up to the festival, Kendal Pride will also commission two drag performers to create brand new material themed around nature and the outdoors, which will be premiered at the festival.

And, six people from Cumbria will have the chance to participate in ‘drag school’ to learn the skills needed to be a drag performer and create their own acts.

Helen Stalker, Associate Curator for Lakeland Arts, added: “It’s an honour to host Kendal Pride this year at Abbot Hall in the heart of the town’s Cultural Quarter.

“The festival is a joyous and inclusive celebration of our community with a host of activities for everyone to enjoy.

“We’re really looking forward to celebrating what is set to be a brilliant, vibrant weekend.”

As well as the funding received, Kendal Pride is being made possible thanks to the generous support of sponsors Douglass Grange chartered accountants, Levens Village Shop and Penningtons Tea and Coffee.

Tickets for Kendal Pride’s Big Pride Party are on sale now priced at £20 per person, with more details about the free elements of the programme to be released soon.