23 May 2023
GO! Southampton, the city’s Business Improvement District (BID), is sponsoring the eagerly anticipated Party in the Park 2023.
Heading to Palmerston Park on 3rd and 4th June, from 11am to 10pm on Saturday and 11am to 6pm on Sunday the self-funded Pride event will be celebrating its second year with a weekend full of entertainment and hospitality.
Party in the Park from LGBTQIA+ charity, People’s Pride, aims to be a safe, fully inclusive and accessible festival, and the organisers have undertaken extensive research to ensure it is a Pride event like no other.
With a predicted footfall of more than 10,000 people, visitors can expect an eclectic line-up, including headliners Maybe Gaga – the UK’s outstanding Tribute act to Lady Gaga. Renowned drag artist Dixie Normous and Southampton band Hunting Hearts will also bring to the stage a set of blistering anthems “built for the lungs of the marginalised and the restless feet of the movement”.
There will be a number of workshops on offer across the weekend, a designated kid’s area and teen’s tent, an adult bouncy castle, bar and a community village. There will also be the annual Pride March which will set off from Queen’s Park, Orchard Place, at 11am on the Saturday of the festival arriving at Palmerston Park by 11.30am.
The Mayflower Theatre will be hosting its own variety tent, with volunteers from the Mayflower and Mast Mayflower Studios holding youth performances, badge making workshops, a BSL sign language workshop, and more.
For GO! Southampton, Party in the Park’s fully inclusive and heavily Southampton focused ethos matched perfectly with its own core values.
The event hand picks all of its retailers to be local and accommodating of a range of tastes and needs.
For those requiring accessibility, there is a huge array of options available. Such as “Mobiloo” toilets, which enables all disabled children and adults to use the toilet or be changed with dignity. Some other options available for festival-goers include designated quiet areas for those with sensory requirements, LGBTQIA+ friendly security guards and marshalls, fully trained mental health first aiders and a proud “breastfeeding positive” policy.
Chris Blake, Chair of Trustees and Safeguarding Lead Officer for People’s Pride, said: “We are extremely excited to bring this community-focused Pride event to Southampton for a second year running.
“It is our goal to create an event where people of all ages, backgrounds, genders and sexualities can feel safe, accepted and welcome.
“We are a firm supporter of keeping this a community event which ties into the wider work that the People’s Pride engages in year-round, such as our dedicated work providing youth and adult support, adult social drop ins, pop-up shops in the markets, outreach support, community fun days and more.”
He continued: “Having the support of our sponsors such as GO! Southampton is crucial in keeping this event going, and we are so very grateful.”
Stephen Manion, Executive Director for GO! Southampton said: “GO! Southampton is proud to be supporting Party in the Park and we look forward to seeing the city come together to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community.
“As the city’s Business Improvement District, we strive to support workplaces as they commit to creating inclusive and accessible environments for all. People’s Pride do an incredible job providing support and outreach to the people of Southampton and it is an honour to work with them for such an important event.”
To book your FREE ticket for Party in the Park, click here.
Photos by Studio 13.
