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Pride in Trafford 2025

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

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Pride in Trafford

Waterside, Manchester
13-18 May 2025

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

From £0.00
Pride in Trafford
Image courtesy of Dawn Kilner.
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Exploring and celebrating LGBTQ+ arts, we’re thrilled that Pride in Trafford is back for 2025. Packed with comedy, storytelling and performance alongside family activities and networking events – the festival is now in its seventh year and brings an exciting blend of performers and artists to the borough of Trafford.

Running for six days this May and hosted by our friends at Waterside, this year’s festival spills beyond Sale to include events in Altrincham. Driven by community engagement and championing emerging Queer talent, we love that this year’s festival is brighter and bolder than ever – bringing an eclectic mix of familiar events and some brilliant new additions.

I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar
I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar. Image courtesy of Lucy Ridges.

Performance highlights include Holly Redford-Jones’ I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar (16 & 17 May), a witty, heartfelt celebration of sapphic nightlife past and present, and BUFF (15 May), a solo show tackling body image, online dating, and the search for self-worth with honesty and humour.

Don’t miss the wonderfully absurd The Wheel of Nouns (14 May) – Hook’s cabaret-style game show exploring gender and queerness with puns, prizes, and playful chaos. Equally unmissable is A Northern Tr*anny Hootenanny (13-17 May), a genre-smashing parody musical from trans artist Hunter King, filled with twisted fairytales, Disney bangers, and cowboy hats.

A Northern Tr*nny Hootenanny
A Northern Tr*nny Hootenanny. Image courtesy of Hunter King.

The festival also features A [Cupboard] Full of Tomboys (16 May), a brand-new solo show from performance poet and writer Jay Farley – blending storytelling, comedy and verse in a heartfelt look at gender, growing up, and finding pride in the spaces in-between.

And on Saturday, the Family Block Party takes over Waterside Plaza (17 May). Expect an afternoon of free, outdoor fun with live music, circus performers, arts and crafts, and a feel-good BIG FATT Dance Party guaranteed to get the whole family moving.

From punchy performances and artistic showcases to moments of reflection and joy, Pride in Trafford offers a welcoming and dynamic space. Whether you’re here to be moved, entertained, or inspired, there’s something for everyone.

What's on at Waterside

Where to go near Pride in Trafford 2025

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Bean and Brush Art Café

Bean & Brush is a family art café in Sale which serves simple, tasty food with ingredients sourced from local suppliers. The bonus for parents is the arts and crafts studio which keeps the kids busy being creative while they can join in or relax with a coffee.

Manchester
Park
Grosvenor Square

Grosvenor Square is one of the few open spaces along Oxford Road Manchester; on sunny days, students from the nearby Manchester School of Art come out to bask.

Manchester
Park
Walkden Gardens

Walkden Gardens in the Manchester suburbs has all the makings of a fairy tale garden. As a venue, it’s hard to imagine a more magical gateway, a wonderful escape only a short(ish) stroll from the Brooklands Metrolink stop..

Sale
Restaurant
Meze & More

An intimate supper club in Sale, South Manchester, with a specialist focus on Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine.

shop
Stretford
Shopping Centre
Stretford Mall

Stretford Mall has undergone a major transformation, turning a 60s shopping centre into a vibrant, community-led town centre. Led by Trafford Council and Bruntwood Works.

longford park ben williams
Manchester
Park
Longford Park

Longford Park in Stretford was created in the grounds of Longford Hall, the grand entrance steps of which remain.

Manchester
Park
Wythenshawe Park

With a 17th Century hall set in 109 acres of open parkland, Wythenshawe Park makes a super day out for all ages. Explore the historic woodlands, lush grasslands and meadows; take a stroll around the many themed gardens and check out the sports and leisure facilities on offer.

Beech Road, Chorlton
Bar or Pub
97 Chorlton

97 is a smart new cocktail bar from the team behind Tariff & Dale and The Lead Station, based on Beech Road in Chorlton.

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