Bolton Pride is set to return in July - all you need to know

A new parade route has been drawn up with a launch party taking place in Victoria Square.

Bolton Pride will return to the town on July 28 to July 30 with events being hosted Friday to Sunday.

On Friday July 28, Pride will be launched with an official launch party in Victoria Square with live entertainment from 5pm until 10pm with last orders and entertainment finishing at 11pm.

There will be live music, entertainment and stalls throughout town and there will also be food and drink on sale, with vendors to be confirmed.

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Bolton Town Hall will be lit up in rainbow colours and there will be a bigger stage in front of the grand civic building in Victoria Square.

At the event there will be accessible toilets, a VIP zone, and there will also be an quiet area in the Museum at Le Mans Crescent.

On Saturday, July 29, Victoria Square will open at 10am and the event will start with a parade through the town centre.

Attendees need to arrive at the meeting point, The Sward Building (University of Bolton) opposite The Chancellor's Building, no later than 10am.

Pride is returning to Bolton (Image: Bolton Pride)

At 10.45am, the parade will begin and proceed onto College Way looking left towards McDonald's, the parade will continue down Trinity Street, past Sainsbury's on the right and Morrison's on the left, all the way past the train station up to Bradshawgate.

At Bradshawgate the parade will travel past Primark and up to Deansgate.

The parade will continue down Deansgate. The vehicles will tear off to the right just after Wilko and the pedestrians in parade will continue on down the pedestrianised Deansgate up to Market Street.

At Market Street the parade will continue up and turn right onto Hotel Street.

The parade will reach its end point to be welcomed into Victoria Square where the opening ceremony and entertainment will begin.

There will also be speeches by key spokespersons to kick start the event.

There will then be a day of entertainment for all to enjoy in the town centre including Taylors Theatre Academy as the opening act alongside tribute acts including Making It Madonna, Absolute Britney, Keith George (Boy George tribute), Kelly Wild and more.

People need to register for the parade before the event on the Bolton Pride website.

On  Sunday July 30, there will be a family fun day with Pride organisers working closely with Bolton Wanderers in the Community.

Bolton Pride Festival director, Kev Wright, and Rob Wright, associate festival director, said they cannot  wait to welcome people back to the town for a weekend of great fun and entertainment.

Rob said: “The feedback last year was fantastically positive and last year we had about 12 weeks to execute it and I think we did a really good job.

Parade route (Image: Google Maps)

“The feedback we got at the end of it was fantastic, but we took some learnings from that as well, we listened to what people wanted and we have tried to do those four big things: a new stage, new timings, a new parade and keeping it grassroots based.

“And now as it approaches, I feel extremely excited, I’m proud to be delivering Pride and developing its growth and building on it.

“I would like to thank everybody for supporting us because Pride couldn’t happen without the support.”

• Also read: Holcombe pub Shoulder of Mutton re-opens under 'excited' new owners   Kev added: “Based on the success of last year, I was amazed with the response and the attendance and growing on the feedback from last year, I was delighted with the feedback so based upon that we have listened and given them what they want.

“What I think is really good for Bolton is our parade will be the second largest in Greater Manchester after Manchester Pride itself.

“I think that is fantastic for the borough and we look forward to bringing Pride 2023 to everybody and delivering another successful event.”

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno.