The Pride festival takes place today (Saturday).

This year’s event will again be held in the Villa Marina gardens, which will also be the end of the parade route, which will start at Douglas promenade walkway.

Following the parade, which begins at 11.45am, proceedings will begin on the event stage from noon until midnight with a host of entertainers performing including the Isle of Pride Rainbow Choir and a variety of local drag performers.

Clare Barber MHK, chair of Isle of Pride, said: ‘We’ve got a brilliant line-up of drag, you can see how the drag scene on the Isle of Man has just taken off, also what’s really exciting is we’ve got drag queens, drag kings and non-binary drag, which I think is particularly exciting.

‘For me, the drag acts are just such a colourful, beautiful celebration and I think visually it really tells a story about where we’ve come.’

The event is free to enter with many of the activities on site, including those within the family tent, also available to no charge.

Mrs Barber said: ‘We think it’s an important principle that people can come to Pride and not have to spend lots of money, there will be opportunities to, but you don’t have to and you can still have a really great day out with music and activities to keep the whole family entertained.’

After a limited capacity parade during last year’s event thanks to Covid restrictions, this time the organisers are inviting anybody who wants to join in the festivities or hold up a placard to come down and join the group congregating at the Snack Shack from 11am on the day.

Mrs Barber said of the parade: ‘Pride for me has to be a balance. We can absolutely have a day where people can celebrate being totally who they are without that fear, it needs to be a safe space.

‘But we need to make sure that we’re also looking at what still needs to change, you can’t just celebrate thinking it’s all done now that’s it, there is more that needs to be done.

‘We want people to come and bring placards, bring banners and come and tell the things that they think need to be done, but also do get dressed up.’

The parade route will also go past Pride flags along the promenade.

Food and drink will also be available with stand.

Activities in the family teepee will range from arts and crafts, bouncy castles, face paint and the return of the children’s fashion show, there will also be a youth chill zone from 6 to 11pm, festival glitter and hair braiding from noon to 5pm and another teepee hosting poetry, ‘queer stories’ and a silent disco from 9pm.

With the event now set up as an annual occurrence, Mrs Barber and the committee are welcoming anyone who wants to get involved.

She said: ‘We want to make sure this is something for everyone and if you see a gap, please come along and help us to fill it.’

The charity can be contacted at [email protected].