BUSINESS owners in the city were preparing for a bumper weekend yesterday as Pride celebrations got under way.
Brighton was awash with colour, as window displays flowered into life and bunting covered the city’s shop fronts.
Restaurant, pubs, bars, book shops, clothing stores and others all joined in, with hundreds of people showing their support for Pride weekend as it returns for the first time in three years.
The usual brown brickwork walkway in Dukes Lane has undergone a colourful transform and is now a huge Pride flag while Lost café in Nile Walk and Gourmet Burger Kitchen in Gardner Street went with balloon archways.
Dukes Lane will be holding a family fun day from 12.30pm until 5pm today, with live cabaret performance from drag act Lovinia Bell at 1pm, with Gaydio taking control of the tunes.
People are encouraged to head down to enjoy free entertainment to support Akt, the national LGBTQ+ youth homeless charity.
Among the most impressive displays seen in the city yesterday were the multicoloured bras hanging outside Mrs Fitzherbert’s pub in New Road, and the extravagant rainbow display in Las Iguanas, thanks to the hard work of the restaurant’s general manager Danial Palmer-Johnson.
And as the celebrations begin today, businesses are getting set for a manic weekend.
One business owner in the city said: “Pride is always a high point of the year for me, and for the event to be coming back after three years away is brilliant.
“The rainbow bunting is out. I’ve got my outfit ready and I’m pretty sure I’m not going to run out of glitter.”
Out of the city centre at Preston Park, work to ready Pride in the Park has been going on all week. Stars Christina Aguilera and Paloma Faith are among those taking to the main stage over the weekend.
Thousands will flock to the park later today for the return of the annual festival.
Any partygoers who are unable to grab a last minute ticket for Sunday's festivities at Preston Park can pick up a free one by taking part in a beach clean.
There are two cleans happening on Sunday morning - near Shelter Hall and on the beach east of the Palace Pier - with those completing a full session able to get a free ticket to the Preston Park festival for the afternoon.
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