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Irish Independent
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Kilkenny Pride Festival 2025: All you need to know about the inaugural four day event
Staring on Thursday, July 24, the Kilkenny Pride Festival will host a variety of events including a festival highlight, Kilkenny's first ever Pride parade, which will light up the streets of Kilkenny city on Saturday July 26. Whether you are a Kilkenny local or just passing through for the day, everyone is invited to the celebrations. With so many events to choose from during the Kilkenny Pride Festival, here are some of our top picks: Kilkenny's first Pride Parade When: Saturday July 26 Kilkenny will host its first Pride parade on Saturday, July 26, from 1 pm. The parade route sets off from the city's iconic Kilkenny Castle at 1.30pm, proceeding from Parade Plaza towards High Street and the Market Yard, before concluding at the Butler Gallery at Evan's Home on John's Quay. An Garda Síochána will accompany the procession to manage traffic. "We want to show the world what a welcoming city Kilkenny is,' said co-chair of Kilkenny Pride, Alan Slattery. 'For a destination renowned for its festivals, it's high time there was a Kilkenny Pride festival here too. "We're looking forward to celebrating a lively, positive event in the city, and we hope to see lots of people lining the streets, whether they're walking in the parade or cheering from the side lines." As the last county in Ireland to host a Pride march, this parade in particular is a momentous occasion for Ireland as it means that every county, in every corner of the country now has a parade dedicated to celebrating LGBTQI+ citizens. ADVERTISEMENT 'I heard that Roscommon and Kilkenny were the only counties in Ireland not to have a Pride festival,' Alan told the Irish Independent. 'A week after I found that out, I heard that Roscommon were now organising a Pride festival and parade. "As Kilkenny was now the only county without a Pride festival and parade, we knew we had to act. We couldn't let Kilkenny be the only county in Ireland without a Pride festival or Pride parade.' Kilkenny Pride family fun day When: Saturday July 26 Following the parade, everyone is welcome to the free family fun day, in association with Butler Gallery, Ossory Youth, and Kilkenny County Council. Organisers advise those attending "bring a blanket and settle into the gardens at Butler Gallery" to enjoy an afternoon of family-friendly fun, sponsored by State Street with performances from Seafall, MARYANN, local poet Samantha Joyce, Antanna, as well as bubbles, face painting, a silks performer and more. "We hope that this festival and parade will grow into an annual celebration, one that belongs to the whole community, where everyone has the opportunity to get involved and feel part of it,' added Alan. 'We are excited to unveil our plans for the upcoming Pride celebration." Nerd Pub Quiz: Pride Edition When: Thursday July 24 Opening night of the Kilkenny Pride Festival will see Kyteler's Inn in Kilkenny City host the Pride edition of the Nerd Pub Quiz. Doors open at 7pm with the quiz starting at 7.30pm. Tables are free to enter and Kilkenny Pride will be collecting donations to help fund the pride weekend. Karaoke night at Biddy Early's When: Thursday July 24 Also taking place on opening night is a karaoke night at Biddy Early's. Doors open at 9pm and entry is free. Kilkenny's Comedy Pride When: Thursday July 24 The spotlight turns to comedy as the Kilkenny Home Rule Club hosts Kilkenny's Comedy Pride, supported by Cartoon Saloon. The evening features headliner Gearóid Farrelly, recently seen on RTÉ's Dancing with the Stars, joined by popular returning performers Sinéad Walsh and Kate Feeney. Drag & Draw When: Friday July 25 On Friday, the Butler Gallery presents Drag & Draw, an 18+ life drawing class that blends art and performance, with drag artists as models. The session is suitable for beginners and experienced artists. Pride After Dark When: Friday July 25 and Saturday July 26 Walsh's Toyota brings Pride After Dark to Cleere's Theatre on both Friday and Saturday night from 8pm. Friday night will feature Mis White and DJ Eddie B, while Roo Honeychild, and Pól Pogba will all take to the stage on Saturday night. Tickets are €20. Queer Céilí When: Saturday July 26 Fennelly's of Callan invites all to enjoy an evening of ceol, craic agus damhsa at Queer Céilí, featuring live music from Cré and guests. The event starts at 7pm and runs until 10pm with tickets €10. Barbecue and open mic session When: Sunday July 27 The festival concludes on a relaxed note with a barbecue on Sunday, sponsored by Lighthouse Studios, followed by an open mic session held in collaboration with Cult Collective at the Kilkenny Home Rule Club. Kilkenny Youth Pride When: Various dates during the festival The Kilkenny Youth Pride Committee (Ossory Youth) has planned youth-focused events as part of Kilkenny's Pride festival, including an improv show by Dreamstuff Youth Theatre in Ossory Youth on July 24 for all ages. A film screening of But I'm a Cheerleader will be held in Young Irish Film Makers for ages 15 to 21 on July 25. While a pre-parade brunch will be held in Ossory Youth on July 26 for ages 14 to 21 with lots of food, arts and crafts, face painting, photo ops and music.
Phone Arena
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Phone Arena
Apple's 2025 Pride Collection is official — and each Watch band is one-of-a-kind
Apple has now announced this year's themed LGBTQ+ collection in time for Pride Month (June). The 2025 Pride Collection comes with a Pride Edition Sports Band for the Apple Watch, as well as new wallpapers for Apple Watches, iPhones, and iPads. The Apple Watch strap comes with rainbow stripes that are different in shape and size. Each stripe is assembled by hand and then compression-molded together, which creates striking varieties. This pretty much means that each band is slightly different than the others: no two bands are exactly alike. According to Apple, this is done to underline and reflect the individuality of all members of the LGBTQ+ community. The Pride Edition Sport Band is assembled by hand from individual stripes. | Image Credit - Apple The Apple Watch Pride edition band is exclusive to buyers from the United States. It is already available to order from the Apple Store, and is currently for sale in offline stores as well. The Watch band is priced at $49, and comes in a variety of sizes: 40, 42, and 46mm. You can choose between S/M and M/L lengths, standard for Apple Watch bands. Meanwhile, there's also a new watch face dubbed "Pride Harmony". The watch face complements the new bands and the entire Pride edition. With the upcoming software update that is now rolling out, Apple plans to bring a similar wallpaper design for iPhones and iPads. The new wallpaper is available on all supported devices with watchOS 11.5, iOS 18.5, and iPadOS 18.5. The new Apple Watch face can be downloaded through the Apple Watch app, the Apple Store app, or directly at It was all the way back in 2017 that Apple started this tradition with an official Pride-inspired Apple Watch band that the Cupertino company announced during WWDC 2017. Each year, Apple is bringing a collection like this to support the LGBTQ+ community, and each collection brings something slightly new, like new added colors or different designs.
Geeky Gadgets
08-05-2025
- Geeky Gadgets
watchOS 11.5 RC is Here: Exploring the Latest Apple Watch Features
Apple has unveiled the watchOS 11.5 Release Candidate (RC), bringing a host of new features, performance enhancements, and bug fixes to elevate the Apple Watch experience. This update is part of Apple's synchronized ecosystem-wide updates, which include iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS. Whether you are an Apple Watch user or a developer, this release introduces meaningful changes designed to improve functionality, enhance integration, and refine the overall user experience. The video below from HalfManHalfTech gives us a detailed look at the new watchOS 11.5 RC. Watch this video on YouTube. New Features: Pride Harmony Watch Face and Thematic Additions A standout feature in watchOS 11.5 RC is the introduction of the Pride Harmony watch face, a vibrant design celebrating inclusivity and diversity. This watch face offers customizable options, allowing you to adjust its appearance to match your personal style. To complement this, Apple has also released a Pride Edition sport band, allowing users to create a cohesive and expressive look for their Apple Watch. Additionally, iPhone users can now enjoy a Pride-themed wallpaper, extending the aesthetic across devices. These updates reflect Apple's ongoing commitment to thematic integration, giving you the ability to express individuality while maintaining a seamless connection within the Apple ecosystem. Enhanced Purchase Continuity Across Devices The watchOS 11.5 RC introduces an improved purchase continuity feature, further strengthening the interconnectedness of Apple's ecosystem. With this update, your Apple Watch can now confirm purchases initiated on Apple TV, streamlining the transaction process. This enhancement eliminates the need to switch between devices, making purchases more seamless and efficient. By simplifying these interactions, Apple continues to refine the user experience, making sure that its ecosystem remains intuitive and user-friendly for both casual users and those deeply integrated into Apple's suite of devices. Charging Notifications: A Practical Improvement Charging notifications have been fine-tuned in this release to address a previously reported issue. Some users experienced instances where their iPhones failed to notify them when their Apple Watch reached a full charge. This issue has been resolved in watchOS 11.5 RC, making sure that you are now reliably informed about your device's charging status. While this may seem like a minor adjustment, it has practical implications for managing your device's battery life more effectively. By addressing such details, Apple demonstrates its focus on refining everyday usability. Bug Fixes: StoreKit Stability for Developers For developers, watchOS 11.5 RC delivers a critical fix to StoreKit, the framework used for handling in-app purchases. Previously, bugs within StoreKit affected app functionality, creating challenges for developers. This update resolves those issues, providing a more stable and reliable platform for app development. Although this improvement may not directly impact end-users, it highlights Apple's dedication to supporting its developer community. By making sure a smoother development process, Apple indirectly enhances the quality of apps available to users, fostering a more robust app ecosystem. Looking Ahead: watchOS 12 and WWDC 2023 As Apple prepares for WWDC 2023, scheduled for June 9, the watchOS 11.5 RC serves as a precursor to future advancements. During the event, Apple is expected to unveil watchOS 12, offering insights into upcoming features and innovations. In the meantime, the official public release of watchOS 11.5 is anticipated on May 12. Following this, Apple may roll out subsequent updates, such as watchOS 11.6 beta, to further refine the platform. These developments underscore Apple's commitment to continuous improvement and innovation within its ecosystem. Refining the Apple Watch Experience The watchOS 11.5 RC update exemplifies Apple's ongoing efforts to enhance the Apple Watch experience. From the vibrant Pride Harmony watch face to practical updates like enhanced purchase continuity and charging notifications, this release delivers meaningful improvements for both users and developers. These updates not only improve functionality but also strengthen the seamless integration of Apple's devices and services. As WWDC 2023 approaches, the future of watchOS holds the promise of even greater innovation, making sure that the Apple Watch remains a versatile and indispensable tool for users worldwide. Stay informed about the latest in watchOS 11.5 Release Candidate by exploring our other resources and articles. watchOS 11.3 RC First Look: Uncover ALL the Hidden Updates Source & Image Credit: HalfManHalfTech Filed Under: Apple, Apple iPhone, Gadgets News, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
