Margate Pride

The supertrendy seaside town gears up for pride this weekend


If you think it’s enough to be proud for one weekend a year, then you couldn’t be MORE wrong! Yes, we’ve done London and sure, we’ve just had Brighton, but Pride doesn’t stop now! The glitter-splattered juggernaut keeps on rolling and it’s Margate’s turn in the sun this weekend.

If you’ve never been to Margate, you really should. It only takes about an hour and a half on the train from London and it manages to marry the British seaside glamour of yesteryear with a really exciting DIY queer culture. Margate Pride is in its second year of its current incarnation, with Amy Zing, one half of Sink The Pink, at the helm, so you can be assured that it’s going to be a camp, trashy mess!

Over the week, there’s a whole host of parties, exhibitions, film screenings, and other creative happenings throughout the town. Here are the pick of the bunch!


Parade

It wouldn’t be Pride without a parade! They’re setting off from the Lido on Saturday at 2pm, marching along the seafront, before reaching the achingly retro Dreamland for an afternoon of performances from queen of the Casio Lorraine Bowen and the Fabulous Lounge Swingers. From 6pm onwards, DJs take over as the sun goes down, including Sister Bliss from Faithless!

Cockles and Muscles Afterparty

The gloriously messy Cockles and Muscles will be returning to Dreamland for the Pride after-party, with a stellar line-up of popstars, DJs, and drag queens in the ballroom and roller disco! Bree Runway and FEMME will be performing live, along with drag shows from the Sink the Pink crew. There are also DJs galore until 2am, with Hannah Holland going disco and Keziah spinning UK Garage! Tickets are a tenner and can be bought from dreamland.co.uk.

Harbour Barbecue

If the previous night’s escapades have left you feeling a little ropey on the Sunday, then head to the harbour from midday onwards, where the cute cafes and salty pubs will be clubbing together and hosting a barbecue with some surprise entertainment too!

Sundowners

Can you think of a gay bar with a view? Like, an actually nice view? Well, Sundowners is Margate’s only homo-tavern and has a terrace out front that looks out right onto the beach. They’re open pretty much the whole Pride weekend, with catty cabaret coming from Son of a Tutu, Boy George Experience and seaside staple Baga Chipz!

For more info, head to margatepride.org

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