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This weekend, Pride in London will take over the city in a technicoloured explosion of rainbow flags, facepaint-coated revellers and all-round good vibes. It's a whopping 50 years since London's first parade, which means that the organisers are pulling out all the stops to make this year's edition extra-special. But where, I hear you say, will I find my official Pride merch? Where will I purchase biodegradable glitter? Where will I sit down on a comfy sofa and meditate upon the complex and multi-faceted nature of twenty-first-century LGBTQ+ identity?
The answer is: within Pride in London’s oh-so-shiny new pop-up shop on Carnaby Street. Out front, there’s enough branded stash to satisfy your every whim, from keyrings to badges to T-shirts to water bottles to biodegradable glitter. And in the back is a chill-out space with sofas, a perky rainbow mural, and a Coca-Cola area with a fridge full of sponsored bevvies. There’s also – of course – a selfie wall, so you can grab some snaps for the ’gram in immaculately well-lit surroundings.
With its white walls, concrete floors, and omnipresent corporate branding, the vibe is more ‘IKEA showroom’ than ‘edgy queer hangout spot’, but maybe that’s okay. It’s a chilled-out respite from the heaving streets beyond, with plenty of room to host meet-ups from LGBTQ+ groups in the run-up to the big day.
Plan a seriously proud weekend with our guide to Pride in London.
It could be bad news for London’s iconic clubs G-A-Y and Heaven.