Birmingham Pride Festival

Birmingham is England's second largest population center, whose wealth was a product of the multitude of trade spawned by the Industrial Revolution. The city has less historic and aesthetically pleasing architecture than most of its national counterparts due to most of its buildings being leveled during the Second World War, but it is rapidly gaining a reputation for its multi-ethnic, cosmopolitan culture and diversity. Home to three campuses and the accompanying night-spots and arts centres one might expect of a campus society, it is also boasts a colorful gay scene that furthers its youthful and progressive image. Nowhere is the colorful diversity and embracing atmosphere of the city more apparent than during the Birmingham LGBT Pride Festival and Parade.


The Birmingham Pride Festival is touted by its organizers as the largest LGBT event in the UK. The festival is held annually over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend in May, centering around Birmingham's gay village of Hurst Street. The LGBT population of the Midlands usually descends on this area during the festival which features a crowd of over 30,000 participants and spectators where the Rainbow flag reigns supreme. The centerpiece of the event is the Carnival Parade which marches through the city from Victoria Square to Hurst Street in a bewildering profusion of color, music and personality. The numerous gay pubs and bars of Birmingham's famous nightlife come alive with line-ups of famous entertainers both local and international, with the huge party tents being transformed into nightclubs which see a friendly intermixing of gay, straight and transgender revelers.


Nor is the fun restricted to adults and the night-time. Market and community stalls line the Bromsgrove, Gooch, Kent and Lower Essex streets as well as child-friendly fairground events and kids funfairground rides with the traditional cabaret marquee taking center stage. The pedestrianized layout of the city, with its attractive walkways, makes getting around during the event very easy. For more rides, you can check http://funfairgroundrides.com/.

If you find yourself in Birmingham during the month of May, finding accommodation in one of the hotels in Birmingham city centre is advised so you don't miss out on the revelry. Copthorne Hotel Birmingham is specially recommended, as it is a beautifully appointed and centrally placed Birmingham hotel located in the centre of the city within reach of its best leisure attractions. Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry. =


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