People’s Pride Southampton bring their annual flagship event, Party in the Park, back to Southampton this weekend.
The free, ticketed event takes place in Palmerston Park in the city centre on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th June.
The event will kick off on 3rd June with a pride march assembling in Queen’s Park, Southampton, SO14 3BP by 11am. They will depart at 11:15am, travel along Briton Street, High Street, pause momentarily at the Bargate as their accessibility joining point, continue to travel north along Above Bar Street, follow Pound Tree Road and lead into Palmerston Park. Assembly time for accessible joiners is 11:20am.
Free tickets can be obtained in advance online with VIP tickets available for £20 which entitles the holder to an exclusive merchandise bag and access to meet the entertainment performers. Tickets can also be obtained for free on the gate.
The entrance to the event site will be located centrally in Palmerston Park by the stone circle on the West of the event site, gates will open at 11am on both days with the Saturday pride march expected to arrive at 11:45am. The event will close at 10pm on Saturday and 5pm on Sunday.
Headline acts at the event include Maybe Gaga, Audio K9 Brad Chapman, Southampton band Hunting Hearts and many more. In addition to festival music which everyone has come to expect at mainstream pride events, they will also be hosting further entertainment choices such as bouncy castles for both children and adults, an assault course and a separate variety tent provided by Mayflower Theatre and much more. The vast majority of the planned activities will be free.
They will also be further improving upon their inclusivity provisions based on feedback from their first Party in the Park event last year, and will be including a special educational needs area (SEN), accessible viewing area, safe area teens tent for ages 17 and under, a Mobiloo toilet, on site mobility scooters available with nominal deposit, and a quiet area where they will be providing ear defenders.
The Vice Chair of People’s Pride Southampton, Ellery, said: “As someone who is most of the alphabet by themselves, I’m massively proud to be part of People’s Pride Southampton. We as a charity have grown and improved immeasurably since our inaugural event. Last year our accessibility and inclusivity exceeded expectations, however we have worked hard to develop this even further. As an ambulatory wheelchair user, it is incredibly important to me that we continue to work to include as many people as possible within our events. This year I am confident that with the work we have put in, we will excel even further within these areas.”
At the first Southampton Party in the Park an estimated 8,500 people were in attendance. This year, organisers are expecting more than 10,000 people to attend.
People’s Pride Southampton is a registered charity and fundraises all year round to provide events and support services within the local community, including a regular market and outreach stall and pop-up shops in the Marlands.
For more information, visit the website, Facebook page, or email info@peoplespridesouthampton.com
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