Manchester Pride, the charity behind one of the UK’s best-known LGBTQ+ festivals, has entered voluntary liquidation following severe financial pressures, leaving many artists and freelancers unpaid.

According to Sky News, the organisation cited rising costs, lower-than-expected ticket sales, and an unsuccessful bid to host EuroPride as key reasons for its collapse. Financial statements for the year ending December 2023 revealed a deficit approaching half a million pounds. Despite this, the charity maintained that it could continue as a “going concern”, planning strategic reviews and cash forecasts for the following two years.

However, those plans proved unsustainable. Within months, all three board directors who had joined in August 2023 resigned, signalling serious instability within the organisation.

The performers’ union Equity has confirmed that numerous artists, suppliers and freelancers are still owed money in some cases thousands of pounds for work completed at the festival. 

One of the former event managers told Sky News she had not been paid around £2,000 after a missed September payday and added that others were left out of pocket for staff they had hired in good faith.

“I don’t think the business model worked at the end of the day,” she said. “Not enough people were buying tickets.”

The Charity Commission has opened a compliance case and is in contact with the former trustees “to help inform any next regulatory steps.” The regulator will assess how the charity’s finances were managed and whether governance procedures were properly followed before liquidation.

Despite the collapse of the organisation, Manchester City Council has pledged that Pride celebrations will continue. The council said it intends to play a “full and active role” in shaping the future of the event to ensure it remains a key part of the city’s cultural calendar.

Equity, meanwhile, is gathering contracts and payment evidence from those affected to support recovery efforts. The union is also in discussions with the council and other stakeholders to ensure artists’ voices are included in plans for future Pride events.

Manchester Pride has long been a flagship celebration of LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion. Its financial downfall highlights the growing challenges of left leaning cultural initiatives across Europe and the US.

Source: Sky News

Photo: @PolishRadioLondon

Tomasz Modrzejewski