Pride Village Party not cancelled after council document error sparks online confusion

Rumours dismissed

Organisers of the Pride Village Party have ruled out cancellation after a leaked internal council document sparked speculation online. The document, shared on Facebook by Tory councillor Ivan Lyons, showed the event scheduled for Saturday 31 July and Sunday 1 August 2027 marked as cancelled.

Brighton and Hove City Council has since clarified that the document was a draft of the city's events programme for 2027 that should not have been made public. Cabinet member for culture David McGregor said: "The document shared on social media is a draft of the city's events programme for 2027 and should not have been shared publicly. The programme won't be finalised until late November."

He added: "We acknowledge that errors in the draft document have caused confusion and upset. No events have been cancelled."

Discussions ongoing

Paul Kemp, managing director of Brighton Pride, said no final decisions have been made for 2027. "We have not confirmed any plans for Pride 2027," he stated. "No details for 2027 Pride events have been agreed at this point."

Mr Kemp confirmed that conversations with the council about potential locations are continuing but no formal application to host a street party in Kemp Town has yet been submitted.

Recent challenges

The Pride Street Party has faced considerable difficulties in recent years. Originally a spontaneous gathering in St James's Street, the event moved to Marine Parade last year but this location proved problematic. At a resident feedback meeting on 5 October, both the council and Pride organisers acknowledged that moving the event to Marine Parade had been a mistake.

The council's outdoor events development manager Ian Baird told the meeting: "We need to work out what we can put into St James's Street that creates a party but not where you end up with a dangerous amount of people."

Previously held in St James's Street, the event became dangerously overcrowded by 2012, leading to cordoned areas and ticket sales from 2013 onwards. By 2024, the party was losing money, partly attributed to free tickets being sold online for a discount. Residents also objected to needing tickets to access their own homes during Pride weekend.

Mr Kemp said there would be a rethink as to how and where the event should be held, while venue managers who attended the October meeting expressed a desire for it to return to St James's Street and for ownership to be returned to the community.

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