Pride could be bigger and better than ever before as organisers revealed expansion plans.

About 160,000 people took part in this year’s annual LGBT celebration which brought £13.5 million into Brighton and Hove’s economy.

In a bid to make the event more financially sustainable, organisers are nowlooking to extend the length of the ticket-only party in Preston Park by four hours.

There are also plans to use the fenced-off area for other non-LGBT community events over the weekend.

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It comes as Brighton and Hove City Council looks set to give Pride’s organisers a guarantee they can use Preston Park on the first weekend in August for the next three years.

Paul Kemp, of Brighton Pride community interest company, said it planned to “build on the success” of this year’s event which saw £43,000 raised for local groups.

Mr Kemp said: “Plans are very much in the exploratory stage but it is our intention that any future developments would broaden the entertainment offering of Pride weekend to appeal to a greater crosssection of Brighton’s diverse communities.”

The plan involves extending the main Pride event on the Saturday so it runs from 10am to 10pm instead of the previous noon to 8pm.

It is hoped this would alleviate congestion for the crowds of more than 30,000 which attend.

For 2014, there is a suggestion that there could be a comedy performance on the Friday for 1,800 people.

The Sunday could see an outdoor ‘proms’-type concert in the park linked to commemorations of the outbreak of The First World War.

This would ensure the facilities, which cost £400,000 and take a week to set up, are “fully utilised”.

However, officials made it clear that no decisions have yet been made.

The issue will be discussed at a meeting of the council’s economic development and culture committee on Thursday.

Geoffrey Bowden, chairman of the council’s economic culture committee said: “The council is very keen Pride succeeds and raises lots of money for local LGBT charities.

“So we’re looking at these ideas, aimed at helping them recover more of their costs and generate more for those charities supporting and delivering vital services to the local LGBT community.

“Extra dates would give an opportunity to stage events attracting audiences beyond the LGBT community, and perhaps wider age groups.”

But Sue Shepherd, of Friends of Preston Park, said: “The day we have at the moment is enough for the community bearing in mind it happens during the school holidays and it’s a public park which many people want to use over the weekend.”