The annual celebration drew crowds from across south-west Wales on Saturday, with a procession winding through the city centre to the Grade I-listed Guildhall, where a stage, stalls and a full day of entertainment awaited.
Hundreds of people took to the streets of Swansea on Saturday as the city’s annual Pride parade made its way through the city centre, filling the route with colour, music and community.
The procession set off from Wind Street, passing St Mary’s Church and the Quadrant Shopping Centre before heading up Whitewalls and onto Oxford Street — the city’s main shopping street — turning right onto Dilwyn Street and then left at the Kingsway Roundabout onto St Helen’s Road, finishing at the Guildhall.
A vintage open-top double-decker bus, branded with the Swansea Pride swan logo, led the parade through the streets, with the march stretching back the full length of the route behind it.
Host Jamie J addressed the crowd before the march set off, taking to a plinth near Wind Street with a megaphone and a Progress Pride flag to get the procession moving.
Drag queens Ruby Slippers and Diana D rode on the upper deck of the open-top bus at the head of the parade, greeting the crowds lining the route as the march wound through the city centre.
Chae with a C — also among the day’s hosts — rode on the open-top bus alongside Ruby Slippers and Diana D, the trio greeting the crowds from the upper deck as the parade made its way through the city.
SwanScene, Swansea’s largest LGBTQIA+ community platform, led the march with their banner at the front, with performers, community groups and members of the public stretching back behind them through the city streets.
The march brought together people from across the full breadth of the community — from pups, fursuits and leathermen to drag queens, staff groups and campaigners.
Among those making the journey to take part was the diversity group from Treorchy Comprehensive School in the Rhondda Valley, some of the youngest marchers on the route, carrying flags and their school banner through the city centre.
Representatives from the National Museum of Wales joined the parade wearing their bilingual “Hoywam Hanes / Gay 4 History” T-shirts, connecting Wales’s LGBTQ+ heritage with communities across south-west Wales.
St John Ambulance volunteers also joined the procession, carrying a banner reading “Volunteering with Pride / Gwirfoddoli gyda Balchder” — one of several organisations to march under a Welsh-language message on the day.
The parade finished at the Guildhall complex, where a stage and stalls were set up in the rotunda outside, with further stalls filling the Brangwyn Hall — its walls lined with Frank Brangwyn’s famous murals — throughout the day.
Entertainment at the Guildhall ran until 7pm, hosted by Ruby Slippers, Jamie J, Tallulah Bandersnatch, Aluna Tick, Chae with a C, Zoe, Jake, Bitchelle Flowers, Jay and Eden Goode.
Performers on the day included Donna Marie as Lady Gaga, True Colours Choir, Lywis, Jessica Rarebit, Jordropper, Wayne King, Brooke Darci, Khloe Buttlift, Rikki Withers, Justin Drag, Will Whitehead, Taylor Marc’s and Gypsy Divine, alongside Kara Von Site, Ben Bateman and Emi.
Swansea Amateur Operatic Society, celebrating their 125th anniversary, also took to the stage — the society is currently performing We Will Rock You at the Taliesin Arts Centre, with shows running from 20 to 23 May.
