Furness Pride festival returns to Barrow for 5th edition

Furness Pride will add a splash of colour to Barrow town centre on May 20 from 11am, with the parade starting at 12pm.

This is the fifth edition of the event and the third time it is being taken to the streets of town as in the years of 2020 and 2021 the event took place online due to the pandemic.

The event is going to be hosted by the local Drag Queen Nova and see performances of local artists and workshops across the town hall, The Forum and Holiday Inn. 

Furness Pride 2023. (Image: Cath Corkill)

Each year the pride event has a theme. Last year's theme was harmony and this year it will be education. 

Cath Corkill, one of the organisers of the event, explained that the choosing of this theme is to educate people about where pride has come from.

She said: "We feel that there is more education that can be delivered in terms of the LGBTQ+ history in events but it is more about making people aware of where pride came from.

"It is great that we have a brilliant day with lots of bright colours and dancing and music but the history behind that is obviously a protest. We are going to be staging something at the event that will educate people about where it has come from and then we are doing our workshops with young people and they are learning about the education behind pride."

Drag Queen Nova on Furness Pride last year. (Image: Cath Corkill)

This year two Pride festivals are scheduled across south Cumbria with Ulverston hosting its first event for the first time.

When asked about the growth of pride festivals in the community, Cath said: "It is really positive because the more we celebrate diversity and inclusion the area is a nicer place to live. 

"Furness Pride is all about inclusion, so it is for everybody. It encompenses the LGBTQ+ community but it is about everybody coming together. No matter who you are and where you are from."

The full line up of the festival is set to be revealed over the next weeks.