Case of 'if not now, when?' for town's first Pride

A town's first ever Pride event was a matter of "if we don't do it now, when is it going to happen?", organisers have said.

Didcot Pride will take place in the south Oxfordshire town on 13 June, with separate events in the afternoon and evening Northbourne Community Centre.

A family-friendly daytime event will take place between 12:00 and 16:00 BST, followed by an adult-only ticketed event that night.

It comes two years after a planned free Pride festival in August 2024 was cancelled over fears of anti-social behaviour at a previous music event at the proposed venue.

Drag artist Scarlett Von Kok will be performing at this year's evening show and is also one of the producers of Didcot Pride.

"We've got some big plans that we're hoping to be able to pull off but it will be a great statement of 'there is pride wherever you go'," Scarlett said.

"We're not just the big capital pride, we're not just the obvious ones.

"There are people that you will find everywhere in this town and they need to be seen and supported and loved."

The free family-friendly event during the day time will feature local charities and community groups alongside food vendors and entertainment.

From 18:00, the ticketed evening event is set to include cabaret, comedy, drag and burlesque shows, with Scarlett saying it was "a bit of fun, all whilst spreading the message that Pride is a protest".

Scarlett said the event was "bringing together people and communities".

"With everything going on at the moment in the world, I think it's a massive way to bring communities together and be like 'we are all human, love is love, and it always will be'."