Pride Cymru is right here, and the swarm of people have gathered to celebrate the power and pride of the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Cymru, formerly known as Cardiff Mardi Gras, is an annual LGBT pride festival that takes place in Cardiff, Wales, during the August bank holiday weekend. Known as Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend, it is the largest celebration of equality and diversity in Wales.
With a turnout of more than 50,000 individuals, the festival spans three days and aims to promote awareness of equality and diversity while offering support to the LGBTQ+ community. The event features a wide range of attractions, including cabaret performances, amusement rides, live music, bars, food stalls, and even a designated area for families to enjoy.
This year, Pride Cymru’s parade in Cardiff has been declared its biggest to date, with thousands of individuals joining in to honor and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Breaking tradition, the Pride weekend festivities took place in June rather than August, marking its 24th consecutive year.
Credits: Business in the News
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Pride Cymru’s parade in Cardiff has been declared its biggest to date
Described as Cardiff’s most vibrant and inclusive event, the Pride Cymru parade attracted people from diverse backgrounds, symbolizing unity and acceptance. The festivities also featured musical performances at Cardiff Caste, including Sophie Ellis-Bextor on Saturday night and Ian “H” Watkins and Clare Richards from Steps on Sunday.
Notable attendees included Billy Manton from Caerphilly and Natan Rickolva from Cardiff, who expressed the significance of Pride in showcasing the continued presence and importance of the LGBTQ+ community. Wales’s First Minister, Mark Drakeford, also joined the parade, emphasizing its tremendous impact and describing it as an “amazing” event.
Credits: Wales Online
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Quinn Lewis, who had attended a Pride event in Somerset previously, marveled at the overwhelming turnout in Cardiff, stating that it demonstrated the progress being made and provided a platform for the LGBTQ+ community to assert their existence in the face of discrimination and hatred.
Kathey Lei, a first-year student at Cardiff University, expressed joy in making new friends at Pride and described the atmosphere as incredibly welcoming. Dan Walsh, a trustee of Pride Cymru, acknowledged the celebratory nature of Pride while highlighting the ongoing need to combat hate crimes and promote equality and diversity.
The Pride Cymru parade in Cardiff served as both testaments to the achievements made in fostering acceptance and a reminder of the work that lies ahead in creating a more inclusive society.
The controversy surrounding Cardiff Council
Controversy arose surrounding Cardiff Council in 2016 when rumors circulated that they had withdrawn their support for the Pride Cymru event. The chairperson of Pride Cymru stated that she had been informed by the council that they had chosen not to permit any events during the summer of 2017.
This decision faced significant local opposition, and it prompted Sir Ian McKellen to make a personal appeal, drawing a comparison between the negative attitudes towards the LGBT community in Cardiff and those observed in his travels to India and China.
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Under mounting pressure, Cardiff Council eventually reversed its decision and allocated a later slot in August for Pride Cymru, ensuring it did not clash with other major events. As a result, the organizers took charge of running the Council’s Big Weekend open-air music festival instead.
