Leeds Pride

Leeds Pride, Yorkshire's biggest Pride, takes over the city centre for a weekend in mid July. It started in 2006 with around 6,500 people, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post, and has since grown to fill the streets.

The parade kicks off near the Town Hall and Millennium Square, winding its way to Lower Briggate, where you'll find a strip of gay bars under the rainbow-painted railway bridge - what locals call Freedom Bridge. This is where the street festival, cabaret stages, and dance arena set up shop, with the morning build-up happening on Millennium Square. It's free to get in, and there are raised viewing areas on Millennium Square and Lower Briggate for better vantage points. By mid-afternoon, the bars on Lower Briggate are packed.

In 2023, the Yorkshire Evening Post reported a record 75,000 people. The 20th anniversary in 2026 marked the first two-day edition, on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July, with the parade happening on the Sunday. A controversy in 2024 over parade slogans led to a rule change, which was later reversed. The organizers have already announced the 2027 dates: Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July, and they're sticking with the two-day format.