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For the first time since 2019, UK Black Pride returned to London in full force on Sunday August 14. Taking place at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, the festival was a great day of live music, speeches and workshops.
The star-studded bill saw artists such as Emilé Sande, Sadie Sinner and Gok Wan perform on the main stage alongside London’s collective of queer and women performers, The Harem of No One.
West London musician Dréya Mac, 22, headlined the main stage in addition to international Beyoncé impersonator Aaron Carty who performed the iconic Beyoncé live experience. Other appearances included Netflix’s ‘Heartstopper’ actor Yasmin Finney and Labour MP Dawn Butler.
UK Black Pride in London is Europe’s largest pride celebration for LGBTQ+ people of African, Caribbean, Latin American and Middle-Eastern descent. This year marked the first event held IRL since 2019, as celebrations were forced online due to the pandemic.
The event was founded in 2005 by co-founder and executive director Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, known as Lady Phyll. First taking place in Southend-on-Sea, the festival’s attendance has grown exponentially over the years. The last real-life Black Pride event saw more than 10,000 people celebrate in Haggerston Park in Hackney. This year, attendance climbed to 25,000 people, making it the most successful turnout on record.
Check out these joyful pictures of UK Black Pride 2022:
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