Taking over calendars every June, Pride month is officially in full swing. Originally held in New York to mark the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots – a landmark moment in LGBTQ+ history which saw protesters fighting back following a vicious raid on queer venue the Stonewall Inn – the first ever Gay Pride march, Christopher Street Liberation Day, first took place in 1970. Since then, Pride has evolved into a global movement, centred around celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, and drawing attention to continuing inequality and discrimination.
London’s Pride parade traditionally takes over Soho and its surrounding areas close to the anniversary of the Stonewall riots; this year, it’ll be held on 29 June. Attracting an estimated 1.5 million visitors every year, it’s one of the loudest and proudest parties around, with scores of floats taking over central London’s streets.
In the run-up to the capital’s biggest party, there are also countless other events to delve into, too. Here’s our pick of some of the best cultural offerings going.
Don’t miss out on the last few days of this Deptford exhibition, a solo show from theatre designer and artist Daisy Blower. “Nesting Dyke imagines and plays with queer possibility: what do we build from scratch?” Blower asks in a statement, explaining the meaning behind the show’s tiny houses, which take the form of small, domesticated little nests. A subversive alternative to childhood dollhouses, these “rushed, fragile structures” are “made from the whims and fancies of the moment”.
Parlour Gallery, Until 8 June
Attention, queer history buffs, this new play at Camden People’s Theatre delves into the undersung story of Camden Lesbian Centre & Black Lesbian Group, founded in 1984 to challenge the homophobia, racism and sexism faced by black lesbians. Long a forgotten part of LGBTQ+ history (largely thanks to the archives being stored 400 miles away, in Glasgow) and closed down in the 90s amid a wave of queer venue closures, its story is now being told by self-proclaimed “queer nerds” Vall, Bee, Jaz and Mo.
Camden People’s Theatre, 4-22 June
Now in its fifth year, Pride in Writing is set to take over Waterstones’ massive Piccadilly flagship for a special event focused on LGBTQ+ authors established and rising. Grace Curtis, Flora Dunster & Theo Gordon, and Will Tosh all appear at a panel dedicated to new queer literary talent, while writers Briony Cameron, Jiaming Tang, Samuel Burr, and Phoebe Stuckes appear at Queering the Ages. According to Hachette Pride, there will be everything from space westerns to William Shakespeare and post-socialist China.
Waterstones Piccadilly, 5 June
Bishopsgate Institute’s Archive Tour
A permanent fixture in Liverpool Street, Bishopsgate Institute has been meticulously preserving queer history for the last 125 years – and the wonderful, endlessly knowledgeable staff kindly open their doors for archive tours all year around. Still, if you’ve never visited before, Pride feels like a fitting time to change that.
Bishopsgate Institute, 6 June
North Islington’s Kings Head Theatre shines a spotlight on the best of queer theatre all year round, and so naturally they have Pride month well covered. As well as LGBTQ+ comedy night Wendy’s House, a “sexy rude harp concert”, a dramatised history of drag, and two exceedingly different queer musicals (one reflects on gay men’s experiences in post-War Germany, while the other follows an aspiring diva who sells his soul) Matthew Baldwin and Thomas Hescott’s new play Outings presents a collection of coming-out stories on stage.
Kings Head Theatre, 7, 9, 14, 21, and 28 June
Pride of the Royal Opera House
Throughout June, the Royal Opera House is paying tribute to the LGBTQ+ creatives who have helped to shape the ballet and opera institution with a month of dedicated guided tours, and promises to shine a light on everything from “pioneering composers and choreographers to gender-fluid performances throughout our history.”
Royal Opera House, 8-27 June
Desire, Love, Identity: Exploring LGBTQ Histories
Anyone for a treasure hunt? Making use of their vast existing collections, the British Museum has put together two different trails spotlighting various artefacts and objects that share an interesting link to different aspects of LGBTQ+ history. Among the selection you’ll find Sappho and her ancient Greek poems of lesbian desire, a closer look at the story of Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby (two 18th Century women who fled to live out their dreams together in North Wales) and a once-banned Roman wine cup decorated with scenes of male lovers.
British Museum, 9-29 June
Pride Panel: Trans Pride and Dyke March In Conversation
For the first time in a decade, Dyke March – a loud, proud celebration of queer women and trans and/or non-binary people – is back in the capital, with their central London march taking place on June 22 as a grassroots alternative to Pride London. This fascinating debrief the following day, alongside organisers of fellow grassroots event Trans Pride will see organisers Stav B, Shiv, and Miggy reflecting on the importance of Pride as a whole.
LGBTQIA+ Tours at the Tate
Drawing on their massive collection of classic pieces, Tate Modern and Tate Britain both run dedicated LGBTQ+ tours throughout the whole summer, helping visitors to learn more about art “through the lens of gender identity and sexuality.” In other words, the perfect Pride activity for gallery enthusiasts interested in a fresh take on art history.
Tate Modern or Tate Britain, Throughout summer
As part of the London Indian Film Festival short film bonanza Too Desi Too Queer showcases vital new work that explores the stories and experiences of South Asian LGBTQ+ communities throughout the subcontinent and diaspora. This year, it’s bringing a selection of short films and documentaries to east London’s Rich Mix.
As part of Barbican’s Pride programming, conductor Oliver Zeffman is once again heading up an orchestral celebration. Now expanded out into a 5 day celebration, highlights include a world premiere of a new commission by Fleabag composer Isobel Waller-Bridge, and the incredible-sounding new addition Classical Drag. The latter, which takes place at HERE Outernet, will see a number of musically-gifted drag performers (including Drag Race alum Monét X Change and London drag king fave Beau Jangles) staging their Philip Glass tribute Violin For Your Life.
This community-led showcase of “the UK’s best dyke artists, writers and creators” takes over Kennington’s dependably brilliant art gallery Space Station Sixty-Five next month; the perfect place to get kitted out with new clobber for London Trans Pride, Brighton Pride, or indeed this year’s Christmas presents, if you’re that well-organised.
Space Station Sixty-Five, 6 July
As well as being written by one of the world’s best-known playwrights, Shakespeare’s plays are consistently… pretty queer. From the gender-fluid plots of Twelfth Night and As You Like It to the homoerotic subtexts of Mercutio getting his “weapon” out, LGBTQ+ undertones run through the whole canon. With their summer-long series of Pride Guided Tours, The Globe are delving further into these queer readings of his classic works, and exploring what life for LGBTQ+ people attending the historic theatre might’ve looked like back in the Bard’s day.
Shakespeare’s Globe, Until 23 October