Provisional date set for Pride next year (From The Argus)

Provisional date set for Pride next year

12:30pm Tuesday 4th September 2012 in News By Ben James

Pride and council bosses have announced a provisional date of August 3 for 2013’s event following the success of Saturday.

Early estimates suggest that ticket sales were up on last year with more than 100,000 thought to have taken to the streets for the parade and 30,000-plus inside Preston Park.

Despite the event’s future being in doubt just weeks ago, Saturday’s popular and largely trouble-free day has convinced organisers to start working on next year’s Pride.

They are also looking to move the event back to its usual early August date, having been pushed back because of the Olympics .

Officials said the date is provisional, subject to a review of this year’s event and landlord consent.

Pride director Trevor Edwards said: “I would like to thank everybody who worked so hard to make this happen.

“Pride is such an important date in the calendar for the city and we are now looking forward to next year.

“We only had 24 weeks to get Pride 2012 together. With almost a whole year for 2013’s, expect it to be even better.”

Following last year’s much criticised clean-up, Pride contracted workers to set about tidying the site as soon as the music finished at 8pm on Saturday.

The council also had an extra 50 members working |to clean up areas around the city. In total the City Clean team recorded a total of 42 tonnes of rubbish.

Following the parade they collected 8.42 tonnes alone with a further 10.6 tonnes from the Gay Village Party in Kemp Town. 

Just over 14 tonnes was picked up across the city on Sunday morning. And then a further 8.7 tonnes from the St James’s Street party on Sunday evening.

Leader of the council Jason Kitcat praised organisers for delivering a “happy” and “safe” day.

He said: “The city continues to celebrate its unique equality and diversity through Pride and this puts Brighton and Hove firmly on the national and global LGBT map. This is a city where people feel free to be who they truly want to be.

“Congratulations to all residents, the organisers, contractors, the volunteers and the many Brighton and Hove City Council officials who worked tirelessly over many months to deliver this event.”