Newport to be first Welsh city to host UK Pride

Kevin Ward – Bid manager, Newport NOW

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Later this year Newport will become the first place in Wales to host UK Pride.

Pride in the Port has become a regular fixture on the city’s events calendar in recent years.

But this September it will be bigger and better than ever because Newport has been chosen as the UK Pride host city.

That’s good news for the city because events are vital footfall-drivers that help create sales opportunities for local businesses.

Being the UK Pride host city means there will be visitors from across the nation for the festival.

That means improved business for hotels, and big opportunities for those in the hospitality sector – pubs, cafes, restaurants and clubs.

The main event takes place on Saturday, September 5, and will bring together the local LGBTQIA+ community with visitors from across the UK.

If you’ve seen the Pride in the Port parades through the city centre in recent years, they really are colourful, joyous occasions.

This year there will be another vibrant parade, along with a main celebration event with performances, speakers and community spaces, and a whole host of family-friendly areas and activities.

Events like these are about celebrating diversity and promoting belonging. They are about people being free to be themselves.

UK Pride is a network of Pride organisations from across the UK, working together to promote equality, inclusion and visibility nationwide.

Every year, one Pride is selected to host UK Pride. Newport has the honour this year – the first place in Wales to be chosen as host city.

It is a great opportunity for us to showcase our city and our community on a national stage.

Pride in the Port is run entirely by volunteers and their aim is to promote inclusion and connection and, ultimately, make Newport a welcoming place for everyone.

If you’d like to get involved in this year’s event, all the ways in which to do so can be found here: www.prideintheport.com/get-involved