City Pride event faces 'financial challenges'
NE1The new organiser of a city's Pride festival has said the event is facing "financial challenges" because of rising costs and reduced sponsorship.
Newcastle Pride takes place in the city each year, but the 2026 event will be the first time it is being organised by LGBTQIA+ charity Curious Arts after its predecessor, Northern Pride, disbanded.
To combat the rising costs and help pay for the event, Curious Arts is fundraising in the hope of securing £10,000.
The charity's CEO Phil Douglas said he hoped local people and businesses would support the fundraiser so they could "hold on to a Pride in their city".
"The challenges are predominantly financial because we have seen rising costs across the board," he said.
"There's a lot of festivals, Pride events and other events that are either postponing or cancelling across the country - we'd really like for that not to be the case for us."
Newcastle Pride 2026
The charity said Newcastle Pride faced rising operation costs, reduced sponsorship income, and a change to national guidance around event safety and security, which had resulted in the event being more expensive to organise.
This year's event takes place on 25 and 26 June, and will include live entertainment, community activities, markets and a march through the city centre.
It will include performances from pop star and former Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle, drag acts Danny Beard and Bimini, and 90s pop-dance group Urban Cookie Collective.
Douglas urged people to donate and raise money through rainbow bake sales.
"I think it would be a sadder, less colourful, less vibrant place to live if we didn't have a pride event," he said.
