Birmingham Pride backlash over ticket cost after plan to make it free
Birmingham Pride parade in 2022 (Getty Images for the Birmingham 2022 Festival)
Birmingham Pride has come under fire after releasing paid tickets for the 30th anniversary celebrations in 2027 after bosses previously shared the intention to make it free.
In April, Lawrence Barton told BirminghamLive of his intention to make the event free to coincide with the 30th anniversary. The parade is free to attend, however a two-day event – which this year included performances from the likes of Katy B and Sigala – is ticketed.
Barton said: “In 1997 I attended the first Birmingham Pride, 2027 will be the 30th anniversary. I’d love to bring it full circle. In my own mind, I’d love for it to be a free festival.”
While the event was previously free to attend, rising costs from security, cleaning and talent booking meant organisers were forced to charge for tickets.
Tickets were recently released for the 2027 event, with standard access starting at £29.51 for single day tickets or £50.79 for the full weekend, while more costly VIP packages are also available for around twice as much.
The announcement has led to backlash from the community, with many appearing to believe that it was confirmed that the event would be free.
“So free festival in 2027 lasted about five minutes,” one person said under Birmingham Pride’s Facebook post. Another said: “Thought Pride was going to be free next year.” A third echoed: “I thought it was supposed to be free in 2027 they lied.”
Birmingham Pride’s response
Birmingham Pride responded in the comments, saying: “We have previously spoken about our aspiration to explore a free Pride, and we completely understand why people may have been looking forward to that.
“As we have developed our plans for our 30th anniversary, we have carefully considered what is needed to deliver a Pride that is safe, accessible, diverse, affordable and sustainable, while retaining the elements that make Birmingham Pride so special.
“For 2027, we’ve decided that the best way to achieve that is through our full festival programme, alongside our Big Free Community Event on Friday, affordable loyalty tickets and our Low-Income Ticket Scheme, which will offer eligible people tickets at 50% of face value.
“We know affordability matters, and it’s something we remain absolutely committed to.”
PinkNews has contacted Birmingham Pride for further comment.
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