Swansea is about to get its glitter on. Swansea Pride returns on Saturday 16 May – and this year’s lineup includes a Lady Gaga tribute headline act, a Y Llais singing sensation, a performer literally called Wayne King, and a host who has been there since the very beginning.
The march sets off from Wind Street at 11am, weaving through the city centre along Oxford Street and St Helen’s Road before arriving at the Guildhall in what has become one of the most joyful processions on Swansea’s annual calendar. Be on Wind Street by 10.45am if you want to be part of it. Individuals and small groups just turn up – groups of ten or more need to register in advance.
From noon until 7pm, the party moves to the Guildhall and the Brangwyn Hall – and it’s completely free. No tickets. No wristbands. Just Pride.
Closing the show is Donna Marie as Lady Gaga – a full tribute experience that promises drama, glamour and more than a few power ballads. Channel your inner Little Monster.
Before the headline act, the stage will be graced by Will Whitehead, Rikki Withers, Justin Drag, Khloe Buttlift, Brooke Darci, Jessica Rarebit, Jordropper and LYWIS – a singing sensation who lit up Welsh language talent show Y Llais.
Then there’s Wayne King – previously seen at the Swansea Grand Theatre’s all-star cabaret – whose name requires no further editorial comment. You either get it or you don’t.
Holding it all together on stage will be a team of hosts including Jamie J Rampage, the face of SwanScene and a featured member of the Pinc List, alongside Swansea drag icons Ruby Slippers, the double act of Tallulah Bandersnatch and Clem Dandy, and Zoe and Benjamin.
Ruby Slippers deserves a special mention – she has hosted every single Swansea Pride since the event returned in 2019, making her as much a part of the day as the Guildhall itself.
Swansea Pride started as a grassroots idea in 2008, when a group of local LGBTQ+ people decided to organise an outdoor event entirely by volunteers. The first event – Pink in the Park – took place at Singleton Park in 2009. After a difficult period that saw events cancelled in 2015 and 2016, Pride bounced back in 2019 with the first ever parade through the city centre. COVID wiped out 2020 and 2021, but it returned in 2022 bigger than ever – and hasn’t looked back.
Today Swansea Pride is a registered charity, entirely community-led and volunteer-run. Every pound raised goes back into the event and the LGBTQ+ community it exists to celebrate.
Last year’s Pride drew huge crowds to the Guildhall, with thousands marching through the city centre. More acts and the full running order are expected on the Swansea Pride website as the day approaches.
Saturday 16 May. Wind Street. 10.45am. Free entry. 🏳️🌈
