GARY'S ALTERNATIVE MANCHESTER PRIDE GUIDE 2021
There’s so much amazing stuff going on at Superbia Weekend we’ve had to summarise it all up in it’s own article…CLICK HERE! But here’s everything else that’s going on outside of the wristbanded Manchester Pride zones to give you a more alternative experience this Bank Holiday Weekend in Manchester. As always the city’s queer promoters, artists and events people have turned it out and give a great alternative or complimented to the controversial main festival perfectly...
FRIDAY
Spectrum Showcase: An Evening of Indie Queer Films looks fabulous at Chapeltown Picture House at GRUB from 7pm if you want to start the weekend with some films.
Kiss Me Again start their takeover of Ducie Street Warehouse which runs all weekend and features them, guest DJs, drag brunches and more. Banksie's infamous Mischief Cabaret is unmissable at HATCH (the last one got shut down which is the kind of drama even we at Make A Scene haven't fully achieved yet!) and Brett Denning continues a fine weekend of programming at LeSocial at KAMPUS. RebeccaNeverBecky is taking over Freight Island tonight bringing black queer excellence to this mega venue.
SATURDAY
Saturday is a day for fundraising, community, activism and dancing. There's Love Party at Le Social at KAMPUS which is free to attend and perfect for waving banners opposite The Village, we're raising money for Not A Phase and the Safer Sex Packs Fundraiser. The line up features Kiss Me Again, Good Afternoon,. Drunk At Vogue DJs and Marilyn Misandry, Joshua Hubbard and Yandass on dancing and hosting duties. Did I mention it's free this year. Crazy!
Earlier in the day join the Reclaim Pride Protest across the city to protest against commercialisation of Pride, over at Islington Mill community collective Partisan host Pride is a Protest and afternoon of speakers, workshop and open decks. Similarly Alt Femme is over at the Old Abbey Taphouse with performance, workshops and dancing.
You can whizz around and do all of this and come Love Party after, I promise. They all look amazing!
Homoelectric is at Hidden from 10pm, Dance Urself Clean is at YES from 11pm and Kiss Me Again continue their Ducie Street Warehouse takeover if you're looking for something closer to the Village.
SUNDAY
Superbia Pride Cinema Day 1at Ducie St includes films by Jordan Roberts and House of Noir followed by a specially commisioned Pride dance by our fave Joshua Hubbard.
Creatures of Catharsis run by our Beau take over takeover at Freight Islandwith Performance is Power which runs 6pm-1am and is our recommendation of the day as it is free and busting at the seams with talent, taking over the whole venue with trans fashion shows, DJ sets, a chat show hosted by Lill, House of Ghetto...sounds amazing!
BOLLOX Queer Pride is back at Deaf Institute and the OG alt drag cabaret Cha Cha Boudoir returns 11pm at Cruz. Kiss Me Again are throwing a proper party too, not at Ducie Street warehouse but at their Northern Quarter home SOUP. If you like pop then Monopoly Phonic's iconic queens of pop night Girl's Night Out is at Gorilla.
MONDAY
More film? Yes please! Superbia Pride Cinema Day 2 hits Ducie St Warehouse with a new selection of local queer shorts.
Daytime outdoor R&B vibes from Queer Latfiah over at the Carton Club 1-8pm and Homoelectric have another party but this one is free and at Freight Island it starts at 2pm and ends at 1am. Do the whole 11 hours I dare you!
THE WHOLE WEEKEND
Check out us all cultured like! There's great exhibitions across the whole weekend includingFreedom Exhibitionat Kampus which tells the stories of different queer Mancunians with QR codes to tell their stories. There's a great queer artist exhibition at Hilton House (above Feel Good Club in the Northern Quarter) calledNew Normalthat I recommend you check out plus the sparkly return of Bearded Bruteson Deansgate which takes bearded gay blokes and covers them in glitter!
Whilst you are wandering the streets of Manchester please also pop into the city's first queer book shopQueer Litwhich opened earlier in the week. Support these queer businesses, please I beg you!
Sorry if I missed anything out! There's so much going on this weekend!
We hope you have the best Pride. Take a fucking lateral flow test. Don't go out if you have symptoms even if that gives you FOMO. Better you have FOMO than all your friends get covid. Love yourself and each other.