Hopes for a bigger and better Peterborough Pride event - despite the loss of sponsorship

Organisers hope to surpass 2024’s figure of 5,000 participants throughout the day – with the new location of the Embankment allowing for greater numbers.

But with the event having lost all of its sponsors from last year – the festival section is to be ticketed this year.

"All of our sponsors have stopped supporting the event,” said Teddi the Drag Queen, chair of Peterborough Pride.

"The parade will always remain free, but we are selling tickets to the festival this year as we have no sponsorship or funding available.”

Teddi said this was due to a mixture of budgetary issues, the recent Supreme Court ruling on gender, companies choosing to support global war relief efforts instead, and Donald Trump’s approach to LGBTQ+ rights in the US.

“One of our former sponsors have their head office in Texas, so we feel the Trump effect has played its part,” she said. “But it’s not just us. There has been a nationwide downturn in sponsorship support for Pride, with big events like Liverpool Pride having to be cancelled due to a lack of funding.”

Despite the financial challenges, Teddi and the team say the show will go on – with a fantastic line-up of entertainment planned for the main stage.

Beginning at 4pm, local performers with take to the stage, with various drag acts, poets and musicians. This will culminate in headlining acts from Rupaul’s Drag Race, singers, including a Whitney Houston tribute, and a DJ.

"Peterborough Pride seems to grow more and more each year, which is great,” explains Teddi. "When we started in 2018 we only had around 200 people in the march, and last year we saw that grow to around 3,000 in the march alone, with 5,000 overall.

"We will have more room at the Embankment, so we are hoping for around 6,000 people this year. That’s our dream goal.”

Visitors to the event will also get to browse a huge selection of stalls on the day.

"We have a massive stalls section planned, with around 30,” Teddi adds. “This has grown hugely from the four or five we had when Peterborough Pride first began.”

Reflecting on the reason Peterborough Pride is such an important event, she went on: “At the core of Peterborough Pride, for myself and the organising committee, is the commitment to serving the local LGBTQ+ community in Peterborough.

"We will continue to support diversity in our city and let people know that we exist, and will continue to exist.

“Another message for us this year would be for companies to show their support by putting their money where their mouth is. There are a lot of LGBTQ+ people who work for businesses in Peterborough. It’s never too late to receive sponsorship.”

She added that other ways companies can show their support is by adding the Pride emblem to their business logos, or flying the rainbow flag during Pride Month.

Tickets to the Pride Festival are £7.50 (under 16s go free). For more details, visit the event’s ticket page.

The full line-up

Home Brew section:

• Hosted by Mx Holly Would (drag queen) & Ritzy Crackers (drag queen)

• Local acts: Mia Mann (drag queen), Jo Henry (poet), Lemmy Rott (drag king), Charlie Tooke (singer), Keenan Music (rapstress)

Tuesgays Takeover

• Hosted by Christeen Mcqueen (drag queen) & Ritzy Crackers (drag Queen)

• Featuring Bailey J Mills (Tiktok sensation & drag artiste) & Robyn Juuls (drag queen)

‘Get the Party Started’ section:

• Hosted By Teddi, The Drag Queen & Ritzy Crackers (drag queen)

• Featuring Etta Courgette (drag queen), Luci Collins (singer), Awhora (Rupaul’s Drag Race), Rileasa (Rupaul’s Drag Race), Michelle lawson (Whitney Houston tribute), Joel Mignott (DJ)