Colour, creativity and community spirit as Pride comes to The Bridges
Pride is coming to The Bridges this June.
The Bridges Shopping Centre is set to welcome Sunderland Pride by hosting a free celebration in the city centre.
On Saturday, June 6, the shopping centre will celebrate Pride in its Central Square in partnership with OUT North East.
Organisers have promised that the family-friendly celebration will be a day filled with colour, creativity and community spirit.
Pride at The Bridges
There will be arts and crafts stations to create Pride-themed masterpieces, along with face painting and dress-up fun.
Local organisations, community groups and independent businesses will be on hand with a variety of stalls, plus, the Makers Market will be hosted in the Crowtree Mall.
Karen Eve, Centre Director at the Bridges, has explained that Pride at the Bridges had become one of the highlights of the centre’s events calendar.
She said: “Pride at the Bridges is a day for everyone to come together, celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community and have fun.
“We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with OUT North East again this year. Central Square is going to look spectacular, come down, bring the family and be part of it.”
For more information on the event, visit: www.thebridges-shopping.com/events/sunderland-pride-at-the-bridges/.
Pride at The Bridges is one of the flagship celebrations of OUT North East’s month-long Summer of Pride.
For the time, celebrations are being combined across Sunderland, South Tyneside and Gateshead into a single connected festival throughout June.
The programme includes concerts, film screenings, sporting events, community workshops, and more - with the full programme available at: https://www.outnortheast.org.uk/summer-of-pride.
Changes at City Hall
Pride celebrations across the city will kick off just days after Sunderland City Council’s ruling Reform group announced that only national and civic flags will be flown outside City Hall.
The decision has triggered strong reaction from LGBTQ+ campaigners who say it risks undermining visibility and inclusion in Sunderland’s public spaces.
Peter Darrant, CEO of Out North East, commented: "While Pride was born from protest and the fight for the right to exist openly and equally, the Pride flag today is also a symbol of community, inclusion and belonging.
“Removing the Pride flag from public buildings risks sending the opposite message at a time when visibility and solidarity still matter deeply to many people.”