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It was the news that many performers, suppliers, and members of the LGBTQ+ community had been anticipating all week, but it was officially announced on Wednesday afternoon that the organisers behind Manchester Pride had gone into voluntary liquidation. Now, eight members of staff have been made redundant, and hundreds of artists and suppliers have not been paid. One artist said the situation is so bad they fear they cannot afford a vital medical prescription, another is already considering selling their drag outfits to help support their fellow performers. Manchester Pride’s Board of Trustees said, with ‘enormous sadness’, that the organisation behind the LGBTQ+ event was 'no longer financially viable' following a decline in ticket sales, rising costs, and the response to an ‘ambitious refresh of the format’ this year, which included a major new stage area outside of the Gay Village at Depot Mayfield. Whilst attempts had been ongoing in the past week, with the M.E.N understanding that organisers approached Manchester Council after this year's event for help with existing debts, the board said they could not find a ‘positive solution’ and that they were ‘sincerely sorry for those who will now lose out financially from the current situation’. Stay connected with our City Life newsletter here The Board had earlier accepted full responsibility for the position it had found itself in and ‘for our decisions based on advice and guidance’. What does this all mean for the future of Manchester Pride, which is still hailed as one of the largest LGBTQ+ celebrations in the country outside of London and sees hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the city each year? Last week, performers spoke to the Manchester Evening News about a lack of communication and clarity from organisers as they waited for payment after the event. Whilst some bigger names were able to agree to 31-day terms, most artists had agreed to 60-day payment terms. This was criticised by the Equity union as an ‘outlier’ in the industry. Bev Craig, leader of Manchester Council, said the organisation behind Manchester Pride had ‘become unsustainable and it's disappointing to see that they have entered liquidation’, but added: “We want to support a new chapter for Manchester Pride weekend, which will take place next August.” She said the council will ‘play a full and active role’ in the event’s future, with Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham confirming that Manchester Pride 2026 will take place. He told BBC Radio Manchester on Thursday (October 23): “There’s a difference between Pride as an occasion we know so well and the organisation that runs it.” According to its most recent annual report , Manchester Pride raised £105,854 for LGBTQ+ groups and organisations across Greater Manchester in 2023, supporting 81 projects. In the same document, the organisers reported a consolidated deficit of £468,000 for 2023. By December 31 in the same year, the consolidated funds deficit was £356,000. In 2023, Manchester Pride's total gross income was at £2.72m, however its total expenditure, as reported by the Charity Commission's record was £3.18m - an increase in expenditure from 2022 of £580,000. This 2023 expenditure included £837,970 of which was recorded as 'Expenditure - Raising funds'. Having consistently been at a figure of £0 for each year between 2019 and 2022, it the increased to the near £840,000 figure in 2023 alone. Earlier this year, it was announced that the team behind Manchester Pride would bid for the city to host EuroPride in 2028 . The event had been budgeted at around £3.2m, of which a large portion was expected to have come from local government and nationwide grants, as well as through sponsorship channels. Last week, 70 per cent of voting members backed the West of Ireland, making them the host location for the 2028 event. In their statement, the Trustees cited their unsuccessful bid as a contributing factor in the organisation 'no longer being financially viable'. This was after around a year’s worth of time and resources, the M.E.N understands, was spent on preparing the bid, which had first been confirmed in August 2024. Manchester Pride's annual report also showed that income from charitable activities has slowed significantly, dropping from almost £1m in 2021 to just £42,000 in 2022, and £33,000 in 2023. We put these figures to Manchester Pride’s Board of Trustees on Thursday (October 23), and were told that they ‘would not be discussing any details of the charity’ following the decision to voluntarily liquidate. They have also stated they will no longer be answering any other media queries. Before this, the Trustees did confirm with the M.E.N that Mark Fletcher, who has been the CEO for Manchester Pride since 2013, would stay on at the organisation until the liquidation process officially began. Josh Wheeler, who runs Manchester-based PR consultancy Be Broadcast, said there has been ‘tension’ surrounding Manchester Pride for a number of years now, and said he felt this week’s news was the result of ‘when ambition and financial reality drift apart’. "The intention to grow, evolve and modernise was absolutely right in spirit,” he explains of their evolution to the new Mardi Gras area this year. “But it has to be grounded in the resources and realities available. The village is the beating heart of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community, but it has a finite capacity, and we’ve never truly seen an alternative space that captures that same magic. “Then comes the question of who Pride is for - is it for Mancunians, or is it Manchester’s gift to the world? That balance has always been tricky. There’s no shame in scaling back when it means protecting trust and sustainability, but an organisation must remain rooted in its mission, and its people must be prepared to hold it accountable.” People who had pre-emptively bought Early Bird tickets to next year’s Gay Village Party, which sold out within an hour at the end of August, have already started to receive refunds following the event’s ‘cancellation ’. More details on the Council’s plans for next year will come through in the next few months. But, all the while, hundreds of artists who have worked hard to buy outfits, arrange routines, and turn down other jobs in favour of appearing at Manchester Pride remain without payment two months on from the event. In a statement, the Equity union, representing some performers affected, said news of the liquidation was ‘hugely concerning to those owed money’. "Treating working professionals like this is unacceptable,” North West Official, Karen Lockney, said, as she urged any artists who had not been paid for their involvement to get in touch with them as they undertake processes to pursue recuperation. “I wasn't surprised when Manchester Pride’s announcement was made,” non-binary drag performer Tequila Thirst said. "We all kind of thought it was going to happen, but the fact it came to light and was confirmed just hit me hard. It was like the final nail in the coffin. “The Board said they were met with rising costs and declining tickets, but surely they knew the situation before they booked so many of us? “The loss has been on our pay and livelihoods." In its statement, Manchester Pride’s Board of Trustees said that those who have not been paid, including suppliers, will soon be contacted by appointed liquidators. The Board has not been forthcoming about who has been appointed. "A lot of people are angry about the way the statement was written," Anna Phylactic, a popular Manchester drag queen and member of the Family Gorgeous collective, said. "It was quite insensitive and hardly mentioned the artists and suppliers who hadn’t been paid." On Tuesday night, Equity hosted a meeting with its members affected by the current situation. Tequila said there was a lot of 'anger and frustration' shared in the call, with people sharing how the situation was directly impacting them and their careers. "Sadly, the truth of the matter is that we're still small fish in this pond,” they explain. “Artist fees can range from £150 to the thousands, but if there's any money left to give out, it'll go to the big contractors and the big named artists first. There's no guarantee we'll see anything.” Molly Monks, insolvency expert at Bramhall-based Parker Walsh , said that now was a 'critical time' for those awaiting payment. She explained: "Now that Manchester Pride has entered voluntary liquidation, it means the organisation has formally recognised it cannot pay its debts and is beginning the legal process of winding down. “Liquidation typically signals the end of a business, unlike administration which was rumoured for the charity last week. An appointed liquidator will take control of the organisation’s remaining assets and attempt to repay creditors in order of priority. “For performers, vendors and contractors still awaiting payment, this is a critical time. Anyone who is owed money from the organisation should register their claim with the liquidator as soon as possible and keep an eye on any updates. Creditors are paid in a strict legal order. Secured creditors like banks are paid first, followed by preferential creditors such as employees. Unsecured creditors, which is the category performers, contractors and suppliers likely fall into, come after that." Performer Anna, who said she has had a working relationship with Manchester Pride for more than eight years, added: “I do hope we can salvage something out of this. “It has felt like Equity have been the ones looking after us and really trying to fight our corner. "They’re pursuing many different options to try and at least claw something back. I’m not feeling very optimistic about things right now, but we shall see what happens.“ But what has been said is that there is a chance for a new and better Pride to be born out of this ‘depressing’ situation. Some aspects of the event, like previous concerns surrounding accessibility and affordability, could be positively tweaked. “The community is very good at coming together and raising money for good causes and supporting one another,” Anna says. “Perhaps the glimmer of hope is that we can gather through this and something can continue that’s potentially better than what we can before.” "You can really feel the frustration in the community, and rightly so,” Be Broadcast founder Josh said. “People aren’t just angry about unpaid invoices - they feel disconnected from something that was supposed to represent them. “What’s coming through is that people still want Pride, but they want it back in the hands of the community. This is a lesson in trust. I know it is glib to say, but Manchester does things differently. And when the chips are down, it will find a way through." Tequila added: "One of the good things about Manchester Pride is that it really did champion members of the LGBTQ+ community and people of colour. There aren't many events who actively promise to do that. “We need to ensure that any version of Manchester Pride in the future has this same commitment for minorities and those who are marginalised., that is something that just cannot be lost. But there is a very real chance to benefit by doubling-down on this and making it even more effective and inclusive than before.” The Manchester Evening News has approached Manchester Pride's Board of Trustees for more information. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE
