Max SteventonManchester Pride has gone into liquidation due to rising costs and and reduced ticket sales, according to a statement by Manchester Pride’s board of trustees.
In the statement, they said staging the event was “no longer financially viable” with the failure to host Euro Pride also a contributing factor.
A BBC investigation also found that one of this year’s headliners was not paid, with more artists and performers expected to remain unpaid.
The financial issues followed the introduction of a new format for Manchester Pride, which this August included two-day feature Mardi Gras as part of the celebrations.
Manchester Pride highlighted the impact the event has had, particularly in the years following Covid. They stated that the event has “achieved a great deal since its creation,” generating an economic impact of £104.8 million for Manchester and attracting more than 230,000 visitors to the city.
The details of the suppliers and artists who haven’t been paid will be handed over to the liquidators, according to the statement.
Manchester Pride’s board emphasised their commitment to ensuring the event has a lasting impact: “We hope and believe that this leaves a positive and lasting legacy for the Pride movement in Greater Manchester and that it will continue long into the future. We will do everything we can to support this moving forward.”