Manchester Village Pride has a chance to rebuild its reputation

Businesses and community groups have formed Manchester Village Pride CIC and contributed £120,000 to support this year’s event after Manchester Pride Events Ltd went into liquidation, and organisers say the CIC model will prioritise transparency and return profits to LGBTQ+ charities and grassroots groups.

Manchester Village Pride CIC has been set up by businesses and community stakeholders to run this year’s Pride weekend in the Gay Village after Manchester Pride Events Ltd entered liquidation last year. Organisers say the new CIC will be run by unpaid directors and direct any profits back to LGBTQ+ charities, grassroots organisations and community services. The move follows concerns about funding and finances at the former Manchester Pride organisation. Prestwich Pride, which has operated as a CIC since 2023, is cited as an example organisers hope to emulate. What is known: - Businesses across the Gay Village pooled £120,000 to support this year’s Manchester Pride and helped form Manchester Village Pride CIC with support from Manchester City Council and the Equity union. - The CIC’s board will be unpaid volunteers and organisers say the structure legally requires assets and profits to be used for community benefit; tickets for the weekend have been announced starting from £25. - Manchester Pride Events Ltd and its Events subsidiary were put into liquidation; liquidators reported at least £3.14m owed to creditors across both organisations. - At least 50 artists supported by the Equity union remain unpaid for the 2025 event, with an estimated collective sum of around £70,000, according to reporting. - Founding board members, including Carl Austin-Behan, say the new CIC will use open-book management and aim for radical transparency about funding. Summary: The new Manchester Village Pride CIC intends to restore a community-led model for Pride in the city centre and has announced plans to return the Village weekend in August with lower starting ticket prices. Outstanding matters from the previous organisation — including creditor claims and the sale of Manchester Pride trademarks and domains — remain unresolved. Organisers say they will emphasise accountability and transparency as they rebuild the event’s local role.