Accessibility

We are dedicated to making sure our events are accessible to everyone. Each year we continue to conduct numerous accessibility listening groups, and we also seek expert advice from relevant disability charities and communities who we feel can offer valuable input on our accessibility offerings for all of our events.

Accessibility Policy

You can read the full policy here.

Our Gay Village Party Accessibility Policy was implemented with support from key stakeholders including:
- Members of the LGBTQ+ community who participated in focus groups hosted by Manchester Pride.
- Quiplash, a disabled and queer-led disability consultancy group.

Accessibility at Manchester Pride Festival

Manchester Pride makes temporary, reasonable adjustments to the area to provide access to the event site and staged event areas. Manchester Pride is aware of the limitations and restrictions of making the event site fully accessible due to the nature of the location of the event and provides alternative access where access is restricted.

Carer/Personal Assistant Tickets

We kindly ask that you purchase your own Gay Village Party ticket online first, and then complete our form to request your complimentary Carer/Personal Assistant Ticket. Please note that you do not need to buy a ticket for your Carer/Personal Assistant, as this is to be applied for separately.

You will be asked to kindly upload relevant supporting documents when completing your application. We appreciate that some people may require assistance but not receive DLA - please contact us to discuss your access requirements. Each request will be looked at individually.

How to apply

1) Purchase your ticket(s) – Carer/Personal Assistant Tickets to be applied for separately
2) Complete the Access Application Form to let us know about your access requirements
3) Upload your evidence via the form
4) We will reply to you within 10 working days with an outcome to your application

Check back soon when our application form goes live.

Accessibility at our events

We care deeply about inclusivity. Manchester Pride is aware of the limitations and restrictions of making the Gay Village Party event site fully accessible due to the nature of the location of the event, and so we provide alternative access where access is restricted. We have a dedicated access team on site at Manchester Pride Festival across August Bank Holiday weekend who will be able to assist with any individual needs. This is in addition to other provisions such as British Sign Language Interpreters on our stages, accessible toilets as well as downloadable resources that customers can bring with them to our events.

At the Gay Village Party, we offer a free Carer/Personal Assistant Ticket for all customers with access requirements. Customers with a disability that require full-time assistance should purchase their own ticket, and then head apply for a complimentary Carer/Personal Assistant Ticket. Once applied for, our dedicated accessibility team will be in touch closer to the event to introduce themselves and confirm any access requirements.

Statement of Intent

This access statement does not contain personal opinions as to our suitability for those with disabilities, but aims to accurately describe the facilities and services that we offer all visitors.

Manchester Pride Festival

Manchester Pride Festival is a multi-strand event which takes place in venues across the city over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

The Festival is made up of: Gay Village Party, Manchester Pride Parade, Youth Pride MCR, Family Pride MCR, Superbia Weekend and The Candlelit Vigil.

The Gay Village Party takes place in Manchester’s Gay Village, The Candlelit Vigil takes place in Sackville Gardens and Youth Pride MCR, Family Pride MCR and the Superbia Weekend take place in various venues across the city centre.

Manchester Pride makes temporary, reasonable adjustments to the area to provide access to the event site and staged event areas. Manchester Pride is aware of the limitations and restrictions of making the event site fully accessible due to the nature of the location of the event and provides alternative access where access is restricted.

Accessibility Info Pack

Before each Manchester Pride Festival, we send Accessibility Info Packs to all Manchester Pride Festival customers who have sent in Accessibility applications. If you require our Accessibility Info Pack in a different format, for example in audio format, please get in touch with our team at accessibility@manchesterpride.com.

Accessibility contact information

Our accessibility team are available and on hand throughout Manchester Pride Festival weekend to assist customers with any queries.

The team is also available year-round and aim to respond to enquiries within 3-5 working days. Please direct any accessibility enquiries to accessibility@manchesterpride.com.

BSL Interpreters at Manchester Pride Festival

To make performances as accessible as possible, BSL interpreters are present at several of our Gay Village Party stages over Manchester Pride weekend. Interpreters are usually located on the left of our stages. Please check back in the run-up to Manchester Pride Festival 2023 to find details of our BSL Interpreter schedule.

Assistance Dogs

We welcome assistance dogs to the Gay Village Party event site and our wider Manchester Pride Festival events. If you are a visitor to Manchester Pride Festival and encounter an assistance dog, please remember they are at work and should not be petted or distracted.

Getting to Manchester Pride Festival

Manchester enjoys first-class transport links, making it easy to get to the city, Manchester Pride Festival and for exploring Greater Manchester.

For travel information to get to Manchester please visit here.

For travel around Manchester once you arrive in our fabulous city, there are a number of transport networks to choose from:

Metrolink

Manchester's light tramway system runs a fast and frequent service and is ideal for getting to Manchester Pride. Metrolink is accessible with step-free platforms. Manchester Pride takes place at multiple venues across the city, and is accessible from most city centre stops. The nearest Metrolink stops to the Gay Village are Manchester Piccadilly (approximately 5 minutes away) and Manchester Piccadilly Gardens (approximately 5 minutes away). The Parade works its way across the city and so any number of Metrolink stops will get you close to the action.

Free Metroshuttle

Getting in and around the city centre is easy and free with Metroshuttle. The shuttle buses pick up outside Piccadilly Station, on the approach and travel to key areas including Oxford Road, Deansgate, Portland Street and Spinningfields. The Metroshuttle is fully accessible with step-free access to pavements.

Bus Network

Greater Manchester has an extensive bus network. The nearest bus stop to The Gay Village is located on Portland Street just outside Caffé Nero, or on the opposite side of the street next door to Yates bar. Manchester Piccadilly bus station is a short walk (approximately 5 minutes away) from The Gay Village.

Parking

Manchester City Council offers over 15,000 secure parking spaces as well as on-street parking. There are a number of accessible car parking facilities around the city close to our Event Sites. The nearest accessible NCP Car Parks to Manchester Pride Festival are Minshull Street, Sheffield Street and Piccadilly Plaza. Please check the NCP website here for fees and further info.

Website Accessibility

We want everyone to be able to use our website regardless of their computer knowledge or disabilities. We have designed our website to be as accessible as possible, in accordance with guidelines laid down by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

Help with seeing the page

You can easily make changes to your computer to help you see what's written on the page more clearly.

Most internet browsers, such as Internet Explorer or Safari, allow you to force the text on a web page to be the size and colour you want. Many operating systems also come with a built-in screen magnifier that allows you to enlarge a portion of the page to several times the original size.

Help with your keyboard and mouse

Many people think they can't use a computer because they can't use a mouse, but it's perfectly possible to do away with your mouse and use a keyboard instead.

If you can use a mouse, but find it difficult, there are ways to make your mouse easier to use in your settings on your computer.

What provisions do you have in place for customers with accessibility needs at Manchester Pride events?+

Please see our Accessibility hub here on our website which will provide you with the information you need to ensure an enjoyable experience at Manchester Pride events.

We have a dedicated access team on site at Manchester Pride Festival to assist our customers, along with other provisions such as British Sign Language Interpreters on our stages, accessible toilets as well as downloadable resources made available prior to the event that customers can bring with them over the weekend.

Will there be an Accessibility team on site at Manchester Pride Festival?+

Yes! We have a dedicated Accessibility team on site at Manchester Pride Festival across August Bank Holiday weekend who will be able to assist customers with any individual access needs. Please email accessibility@manchesterpride.com to get in touch.

Do you offer Carer/Personal Assistant tickets for the Gay Village Party?+

In our commitment to making Manchester Pride Festival accessible to everyone, we provide ticket holders with a disability that require full-time assistance, with a complimentary ticket for their carer/personal assistant. Carer/Personal Assistant Tickets are limited to 1 per applicant. We kindly ask that you purchase your own Gay Village Party ticket online first, and then complete our form to request your complimentary Carer/Personal Assistant Ticket when applications open.

Do you provide alternative access routes at the Gay Village Party?+

Manchester Pride is aware of the limitations and restrictions of making the Gay Village Party event site fully accessible due to the nature of the location of the event, and so we work to provide alternative access for our customers where access is restricted.

Will there be BSL interpreters at Manchester Pride Festival?+

We ensure that British Sign Language interpreters are present at Manchester Pride Festival stages and events. They are usually located on the left of our stages.