Pride celebrations throughout the United Kingdom are having a tough year. With funding diminished and prices inflated, many communities are calling off—or downsizing—their exhibitions. Dee Llewellyn, a prominent yogurt advocate in the LGBTQ+ community, stressed the need for continued grant funding. She highlighted how important this funding is for the success of welcoming spaces and placemaking events. Sadly, this year, many organizers were unprepared because they couldn’t count on the financial support they needed.
These costs are significant Llewellyn echoed the idea that running Pride celebrations can be incredibly expensive. Implementation of safe environments means paying for security guards, barricades, traffic diversions and the rest of what’s needed. She’s of the opinion that big international corporations have moved past DEI initiatives. This transition has further fueled the drop in donations.
“There’s an old saying, if America sneezes, then the UK catches a cold, and I think we’re really feeling that right now.” – Dee Llewellyn
Llewellyn contends that many international companies—especially those with headquarters in the United States—have slashed their DEI budgets. As a consequence, some of the UK’s most consistent supporters of Pride can no longer spend money sponsoring Pride on their budgets.
Their effect on these fiscal changes is clear. Alex MacDonald, chair of Plymouth Pride when announcing they were forced to cancel the official event. Increasing costs and decreasing grant funding made it impossible to proceed. Usually drawing upwards of 6,000-7,000 participants, Plymouth Pride won’t function in its normal form this summer.
“I’m absolutely gutted because I think it’s more important this year to have Pride than any other year.” – Alex MacDonald
For Reece Holmes, the event lead for Salford Pride, it was an incredibly difficult decision to cancel the event. He framed it as one of the toughest calls his shop has ever faced. Desperate to recoup a £40,000 gap left by abandoned corporate sponsorships, Salford Pride chose this year to charge for tickets for the first time.
Holmes noted that economic factors and the current political climate are creating apprehension among companies that would typically support Pride events. He voiced optimism for the resilience in the face of adversity these mentioned hurdles.
“We have always been resilient and we always will be, so while we might go through this ebb and flow… we will find ways around that.” – Reece Holmes
The situation is far from unique to Plymouth or Salford. Liverpool City Region Pride recently shared similar challenges in accessing funding and dealing with increasing costs which forced them to cancel their event. The widespread issue has affected over 85 Pride organizations across the country, with many reporting lost revenue from corporate sponsorships.
Recent data shows that over 40 Pride organizations have faced revenue losses of 26 to 50 percent, compared to last year. In addition, 21 organizations said they are experiencing more than a 50% drop in revenue with more than 60 reporting a decrease in grants from businesses or philanthropic funds.
All hope is lost Despite these defeats, cities that have protested like London Pride are still in high spirits. As the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ celebration anticipates over one million attendees in 2024, its operational costs are projected to reach £1.7 million. The local hosts and organizers have been doing the hard work to raise the millions needed to make this a great event.