Pride in London 2025: your ultimate guide to events, parties and more

On Saturday July 26, central London will turn pink and blue as London Trans+ Pride celebrates its seventh year. This event will be extra-important this year, as UK trans rights have been jeopardised by a recent Supreme Court ruling. So it's time you showed up, whether you're part of the trans+ community or an ally. Route details are yet to be confirmed, but in previous years, a parade has marched through central London, from Trafalgar Square to Hyde Park Corner’s Wellington Arch. Since 2019, the event has sought to honour the memory of trans lives taken, uphold the next generation of trans revolutionaries and support crucial trans rights. In previous years organisers have asked people taking part to wear flowers ‘to honour the long legacy of transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming and intersex people who came before us.’

The world’s largest celebration for LGBTQ+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American and Middle Eastern, UK Black Pride celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and around 20,000 attendees are expected to descend on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for another big party and protest. The festivities will include performers, community stall-holders, food and drink, and special workshops. The theme for this year has yet to be announced at the time of writing, but organisers are promising the “biggest and boldest” edition of UK Black Pride yet.

After premiering at the New Diorama Theatre in 2023 and touring the UK, Breach Theatre’s verbatim musical about Section 28 – the heinous legislation introduced in the late ’80s to prevent the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality in schools – lands at the Royal Court Theatre, after some tweaking and with a mostly different four-strong ensemble cast. Co-writers Ellice Stevens and Billy Barrett have shaped the testimony of teachers, activists and students into songs drawing on the stylings of New Wave and electronica into a wryly hysterical yet at times quite devastating production, which skewers the politicians, pundits and homophobic media outlets who created Section 28, before dropping its satirical smile to powerfully address the similar discrimination faced by trans people now. It’s funnier, sharper and more damning than ever before. 

The rainbow flag offers an idealised portrait of the LGBTQ-plus community: people of different stripes co-existing in harmony, each taking up an equal amount of space. But the reality is messier, scribbled over with conflicts and inequalities. Iman Qureshi’s warm, complex play The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs explores just how difficult it is to create a queer space, while showing how beautiful it can be when the stars align. 

Telling the story of a disparate gaggle of lesbians who form a choir that is due to perform on the main stage at Pride, it could all be the beginnings of a dykier, hopefully less doomed remake of Glee, but Qureshi's play is way smarter than that, toying enjoyably with lesbian cliches only to reach beyond them.

The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs tackles massive themes, and it sometimes feels like it’s struggling under the weight of its ambitions, but it just about works, thanks to its winning performances and Hannah Hauer-King’s taut direction. It's a warm cosy hug of a show, full of life, wit, and pathos that lingers long after its last notes fade.

Get to know the surprising queer histories behind some of the art and artefacts in the British Museum’s vast collection on this free tour of the iconic institution. Led by a knowledgeable volunteer, the 70-minute tour takes in a huge variety of objects ranging from the ancient world to the present day, illuminating the fascinating stories behind some of the musum’s most famous artefacts and lesser-known gems, including the Townley Diskobolos, the Gilgamesh Tablet and the Warren Cup. Can’t make it to one of these dates? There’s also a self-guided version of the tour with free audio commentary you can access through your preferred streaming platform. 

The eve of Pride will be extra-wild at Natural History Museum, which is laying on an evening sesh where you can learn the kind of biology they didn't teach in school. From mollusc's marvellous mating methods to assexual Komodo dragons, the museum's scientists promise to clue you in on the more surprising sides of animal reproduction. There'll also be an animal-centric performance from drag artist Bi-Curious George, Dino Bingo!, a book stall with 'A Little Gay Natural History' author Josh Davis, and of course a chance to explore the museum's new space exhibition after hours. Out of this world. 

Escape the Soho crowds by dashing straight down to the Clapham Grand after Pride. South London's carnival of camp will be going strong on Saturday July 5, with not one but two massive parties for LGBTQ+ types. This day edition begins at 5pm, and promises an appearance from Girls Aloud's very own Nadine Coyle. And if that's not enough of an incentive, there's also sets from Silly B*tch Disco and DJ Tete Bang, the venue's Dreamteam dancers and resident queen Miss LeighDing, plus balloon drops, cocktails in fishbowls, and big screen karaoke so you can see your glittery face gurning its way through a pride anthem or two. 

Can you truly call yourself a south London queer if you don't hightail it to Clapham Grand on Pride eve? During the day, there's a camp spectacular with Nadine Coyle. Then, things hot up with an afterparty (ticketed separately) that'll boast a packed dance floor with 1,000 revellers dancing to electropop classics and pride anthems. This year the star appearances are Drag Race rebel Bimini and Tulisa, who'll be doing sets alongside DJs Bestley and Tete Bang. There'll also be all the usual trappings of a big Clapham Grand night out: balloon drops, shot, cocktails, glitter make-up and all round sweaty good times. 

Spend your pride down the waterside with Hackney Wick's first HOWL takeover this Saturday July 5. This day-to-night party is an alternative to mainstream events (so don't waltz in decked out in corporate Pride stash) masterminded by HOWL, a start-up that bills themselves as party-starters, educators, and sexual wellness brand that sells 'sex tech products'. 

The DJ line-up includes Hyperaktivist, Juliana Huxtable, Karlie Marx, THEMPRESS and loads more, spread across three neighbouring venues: Hackney Bridge, Number 90 and Colour Factory. 

Usually, a trip to Aesop is all about sampling the dizzyingly luxe scents of its toiletries range. But in Pride season, you can scrub up your queer knowledge as well as your hands, with its annual Aesop Queer Library scheme. In the few days before Pride, the store will offer complimentary books by LGBTQIA+ authors, in an installation that celebrates the power of the written word. Best of all? You don't even have to buy a tube of handcream to get your mitts on one. 

Omnibus Theatre's 96 Festival is named after the year when Clapham Common hosted an epic Pride party. Each summer, a host of queer theatremakers and performers keep that spirit alive by filling a leftfield, affordable line-up of new shows. This year's edition is typically eclectic. Check out queer improv show 'Hell Yeah!' (June 26), join a Wicked sing-a-long (June 27) or make for Joseph Aldous' debut 'Get Happy' (July 1-12), about a 30-year-old fighting to have a hot gay summer against all the odds.

Pride season happens but once a year, so it’s important to pack in as many opportunities to celebrate (and party) as possible, and the monthly drag brunch at riverside pop-up Between the Bridges is a great place to visit on your London pride tour. 

June’s event features Drag Race UK season 2 duo Tia Kofi and A’Whora, while July sees Drag Race UK season 6 star Kyran Thrax and tabloid sensation Paige Three appear alongside the Clapham Grand’s Dream Team, with resident queen Miss Leigh Ding hosting both events. 

Tickets include an hour of bottomless prosecco from midday, DJs and entertainment, with loads of great street food options available on the day too. 

Pride is one of sparkliest, campest, most fun nights out of the year, so it’s always a relief when the club night you’ve trekked to is what you’d hoped for. And there are few things more reliable than one which has been running for 17 years – enter Club de Fromage. This Pride after party is promising massive singalongs, confetti cannons and hula hooping and a clattering of pop, rock, indie, power ballads and disco, all thanks to project leader Slow Alfie and the team. Grab your ticket for a knockout party at the O2 Academy in Islington.

Named after a pioneering queer female filmmaker, The Arzner is London's first LGBTQ+ cinema: and what better time than Pride month to take a gander at its line-up? This June, it's screening films including documentary 'Are You Proud?' (June 8), iconic lesbian vampire flick 'The Hunger' (June 6) and taboo-breaking 1930s movie 'Morocco' (July 6).

Head to the club this Pride for an all-night Ministry of Sound party, featuring a stellar line-up of DJs and entertainers who’ll keep you going until the early hours. Expect sets and appearances from Fat Tony, Catz 'N Dogz, FAFF, Josh Harrison, Princess Julia, Reenie, Tete Bang, NOT BAD FOR A GIRL and a whole host of others.

Don't settle for a lukewarm WooWoo this Pride. Indulgent, clubby spot Kapara is the brainchild of ex-Ottolenghi chef Eran Tibi, and it will be laying on some delectable Pride-themed drinks and dishes to thrill the Soho crowds. These include oh-so-pretty multicoloured cocktail the Rainbow Colada, the ambitious-sounding butternut squash brew Butter Butt, and a Proud Babka, decked out with colourful pistachios and fruits. Divine.

Manchester’s underground queer club night is heading to London for a month-long residency at Metropolis. Over four weekends in July, they’ll be putting on six-hour-long late-night exotic discos spinning a mix of disco, house, techno, garage, sleaze and dirty basslines. Over Pride weekend you’ll find Jamie Bull, Laura Jackson and Kath McDermott on the decks. 

Queer bass music night CounterCxlture has made a name for itself spotlighting queer, FLINTA and POC artists, as well as priding itself on splitting its profits fairly to investing back into the artistic community. It’s teaming up with The Blocks, a party championing queer early DJ talent. Expect plenty of filthy bass lines as well as club, house and techno as fTronic, PEDRØ  errorist, Jessie Mac, MADDØG, Benebe, Dan Vari and QUEENIEPRINX take to the decks. 

Showtune-loving gays, look no further. This is THE Pride spot for you. Musical theatre bar The Room Where It Happens is laying on a full day of entertainments on Saturday July 5, starting with a Drag Brunch hosted by West End stars, followed by Pride-themed sing-a-long, and culminating in MINT Pride party which'll run til 4am. You'll be hoarse for weeks afterwards but c'mon, belting out 'Defying Gravity' with dozens of glitter-decked strangers is worth it.

Discover two decades of Black Pride history at King's Cross museum Queer Britain. This summer, a special exhibition will show photos, banners and mementoes from UK Black Pride celebrations, curated by their founder Lady Phyll, charting their evolution from a small gathering in Southend-on-Sea to today's mammoth festival.