'Her bra shoots fireworks like Madonna!': Preston Pride 2026 was 'biggerer and betterer' than ever - organiser
The event, which featured over 20 stalls and a variety of speeches and tribute acts, was attended by more than 200 people and was described by organisers as a beacon of inclusivity.
Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, and a firework-launching bra are just some of the things Debs Bradshaw is hoping to see at next year’s Preston Pride - but for now, the main organiser said she’s “really pleased” with how this year’s event went down.
More than 200 people descended upon the Preston Flag Market on Saturday (September 26) for town’s annual Pride market and parade.
20 stalls, including booksellers, foster agencies, and a stand for the Preston Typhoons rugby club were dotted beneath a stage outside The Harris, where a variety of speeches and tribute acts took place across the day.
Among those making themselves heard was BBC journalist John Spencer-Barnes, Preston’s resident town crier, and one of only two openly-gay town criers in the UK.
“He was fabulous,” Debs told the Lancashire Evening Post. “He wasn’t expecting to go up on stage, he thought he was just going to lead the parade. The fact we got him and the mayor was really good.
“The day was brilliant, it was well-paced, we didn’t really have any issues. The sun was out, and it was overall really good.
“Looking back at the parade, I always have a bit of a moment. Being born and bred in Preston, when we first talked about having a parade, it was near 20 years ago. We thought it was never going to happen.
“But now it was our fourth parade this year, and every year it just gets bigger.”
Debs said one of the major concerns they had had before the weekend was counter protesters who would disrupt the event.
She said a particular group of religious fundamentalists - who make a point to protest the event each year - had been swiftly dealt with after allegedly recruiting children to make hateful comments to attendees.
“There was a group of young people, about college age, and one of our committee members who is a youth worker by background spotted what they were up to,” she said.
“To the untrained eye, you’d have just thought they were young people having a chat - but she said she knew there was something going on.
“She went over and had a chat. It turns out there were a group of Christian fundamentalists, and they were using young people to tell people that it was wrong to be gay, and stuff.
“They were asked to walk over somewhere else and spout their stuff, but they didn’t have a clue what they were talking about. They were just given words to say.
“But if you wandered around the stalls, we did also have a Christian stall there, saying ‘God is love’, and they had some fantastic bits and pieces on their stall. They were really positive for the community. It’s just about trying to get the balance right.”
Following the event, Debs said she was “extremely happy” with how Preston Pride 2026 went down, and hoped it would remain a beacon of inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community in the North West.
“We had a lot of wheelchair users this year, and it was fantastic to see,” Debs said. “Later on, we did a hokey-cokey, and people hokey-cokeyed around the people in wheelchairs in the centre so they could still join in.
“I just stood back and I thought, ‘If there’s ever an inclusive Pride, that’s what we’re doing this year’.”
Now looking ahead, she and the committee will be taking a few months off before beginning to arrange next year’s event.
She is also hopeful they will succeed in finally achieving charitable status, which will allow them to provide more support to the LGBTQ+ community across Lancashire year-round.
“It’s all guns out to become a charity, that’s the plan this year. We’re looking to get more people involved in the actual organising of it, too.
“We’re also trying to get some more sponsors and possibly another act. We’ve got potentially a couple of acts lined up, like a Britney tribute who’s brilliant in Manchester, and another one who’s a Gaga tribute. Apparently, the Gaga one’s bra shoots fireworks like Madonna!
“But overall, this year, everything was brilliant. It was a fantastic day, everything was perfect, we had a great crowd, and the acts were fab. Bring on next year - it’ll be biggerer and betterer than ever!”