Pride in London announces triumphant return for 2021
London Mayor Sadiq Khan during the parade at Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England. (Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Pride in London)
Pride in London 2021 is officially set to go ahead in September, bringing joy and queer abandon to the capital’s LGBT+ community.
Queer people were devastated last year when Pride in London was cancelled, alongside every other Pride festival in the UK, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There were hopes that the event, which usually takes place over the course of a weekend in June, would be able to go ahead in 2021.
It has now been revealed that the event will take place on the weekend of 11 September, although it is not yet clear exactly what the festivities will look like.
“We’re delighted to announce that Pride in London will take place on the weekend of 11September,” Michael Salter-Church and Alison Camps, co-chairs of Pride in London said.
“Now we have the roadmap from the government, we’re working closely with the mayor’s office, Westminster City Council and other key bodies in London to finalise what our plans will look like.
“We’ll be announcing further details of the event, including what format it will take and how to participate or volunteer, in due course. We will continue to monitor and adhere to the necessary health guidance.”
Salter-Church and Camps said they “can’t wait” to bring people together once more to “champion LGBT+ rights across the capital and beyond”.
Organisers also said they are working on plans to mark Pride’s traditional anniversary in the summer.
Pride in London was called off in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic
The news comes just days after prime minister Boris Johnson announced England’s roadmap out of COVID-19 restrictions on Monday (22 February).
In a four-step roadmap stretched across at least four months, England will see a series of cautiously phased re-openings and eased restrictions – as long as strict conditions are met.
The fourth and final step of the plan, due to go ahead no earlier than 21 June, will see “no legal limits on social contact” – meaning major events like Pride festivals could go ahead once more.
Pride in London’s momentous announcement comes just two days after Birmingham Pride announced plans to host its festival on the weekend of 25 and 26 September.
“We firmly believe that delaying until later in September gives us the most realistic opportunity to finally deliver a safe and enjoyable Pride for us all,” Birmingham pride organisers said in a statement on Wednesday (24 February).
It is not yet clear what shape Pride events will take in 2021. Even after restrictions are lifted, it is unlikely that life will immediately return to the way it was before March 2020.
While there might be no legal limits on social contact after 21 June, regulations around social distancing could remain in place.
“Ahead of step four, as more is understood about the impact of vaccines on transmission and a far greater proportion of the population has been vaccinated, the government will complete a review of social distancing measures and other long-term measures that have been put in place to limit transmission,” the government’s roadmap document states.
