The rainbow colours came out en-masse as Newcastle city centre welcomed tens of thousands of visitors to the Northern Pride event, this year designated also as UK Pride.

Following a two-year hiatus when Pride, like many other annual events, has been affected by the Covid pandemic, participants could at last let their hair down, of all different colours.

A Friday evening fundraiser saw various acts take to the stage at the Town Moor, with the traditional Pride March the centrepiece of events on Saturday, to be repeated from 12-noon on Sunday.

Crowds, sporting rainbow flags, placards and banners bearing messages of inclusion and this year’s Pride motto of Remember, Resist and Rise Up, wound their way from Newcastle Civic Centre, on to Northumberland Street, Barras Bridge, Claremont Road and into Exhibition Park.

Read more: Newcastle: When the Northern Pride march will take place today and road closures

They then worked their way to the Pride ‘village’ on the Town Moor, where the free entertainment began in earnest, led by Northern Proud Voices, Sophia Flannagan and St Buryan.

The line-up also featured Mel C performing a DJ set, Choriza May, Karen Harding and Sequinella, plus the almost obligatory Drag Idol Show.

Sunday’s stage order features Louise Pye, a flavour of Newcastle Mela, Jackson Soul, Sam Dickinson, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Smash Hits Live!, Re-Take That, Joe McElderry, Louise, rounding off with Ibiza in Symphony with Michael Maddison.

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