23-05-2025
Pride uncertainty- Birmingham's biggest annual event without a home next year
Birmingham Pride is the second-city's biggest community event of the year.
It brings in tens of thousands of people from across the world, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, inclusion and acceptance.
For the last five years, it's main festival site has been at Smithfield in the Gay Village. But from 2026 it won't be.
Work will begin later this year to develop the 17-hectare site into 3,000 homes, restaurants and event space, costing £1.9 billion pounds. It's a project that is now backed by the King's property company.
Festival organisers and Birmingham City Council say they've been working together to find a venue space for next year.
But Lawrence Barton, festival director of Birmingham Pride, says he doesn't feel hopeful that the council will be able to provide them with one.
Instead, he's posing an idea - to bring the festival back to the streets of the gay village.
He said: "It's been a challenge with the council because they haven't found us an alternative home we desperately need. But they can't perform miracles either.
"Birmingham pride is one of the largest in the UK. It needs protecting in my view. And the council do have some responsibility in that.
"It's time for us to reform what Pride is. There isn't a large park or another large space like Smithfields so we're going to bring Pride right back to the heart of the gay district and it's going to become a pride village.
"So it changes what pride is, it's going to be more community-focused, but it's time for change.
The idea, which is in its early stages, would see roads such as Sherlock Street, Kent Street and Hurst Street used as festival sites, with main stages, marquees and street parties on the roads themselves.
Southside Business Improvement District says original plans to develop Smithfield included a festival space for Pride, but those plans have since downsized.
Jo Kinsella, Chairman of Southside BID, said: "Well the BID is working with the council to look at festival space actually in Southside so the Hippodrome square at that lovely rainbow we've got there.
"Originally, the designs for Smithfield had festival space on there, but as the plans have changed, that's gotten smaller and smaller. So there is still quite a lot of work to be done to make sure that we can keep pride in Southside moving forward."
A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council and Lendlease, the developers for Smithfield, said:
'We've been in regular contact with the organisers of Birmingham Pride as plans for the regeneration of Smithfield have progressed. It's been a great site for Pride in recent years and we recognise the important role it has played in helping the festival grow and thrive.
'Birmingham Pride is now the largest community festival held in this city and is a fantastic celebration of our diversity. It has been great to see it grow from strength to strength, and its success means it is more of a challenge to find a suitable venue, and the City Council will continue to work with the organisers and partners to help secure its future.
'This year's Pride will be a particularly meaningful celebration as it marks the final event at Smithfield before the next phase of transformation begins. Construction work is set to begin later this year; bringing much-needed new homes and public spaces.
'One of the centrepieces of the masterplan, Manor Square, will be a major new civic space designed to bring people together year-round, with active retail and public areas to support community life. At every stage, the development is being shaped to be welcoming and inclusive, reflecting the energy, creativity and diversity of Birmingham's communities—including the spirit of Pride itself.
'We're proud to have played a small part in hosting Birmingham Pride over the years, and we'll continue to work closely with the organisers and the wider community as Smithfield evolves.'
