AN ONLINE digital Pride festival and series of in-person events have raised over £24,000 for LGBTQ+ community groups during the pandemic.

Although traditional celebrations have been cancelled for two years due to the pandemic, Brighton Pride supported more than 100 LGBTQ+ artists and collectives with a year-round cultural programme of smaller events, as well as supporting Trans Pride Brighton in delivering online events.

Online evens raised over £14,000, with Pride at the Ironworks raising £10,400, with the money going towards the Brighton Rainbow Fund.

Paul Kemp, director of Brighton Pride, said: "The last two years have been extremely challenging for many of our LGBTQ+ community groups.

"Everyone has had to adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic as well as rising costs.

"Although we are extremely proud to have raised these essential funds for the Brighton Rainbow Fund, we're excited to bring back our main Pride fundraiser “We Are Fabuloso” on Preston Park in August and thank the thousands of people who have already purchased tickets."

Brighton and Hove's Pride festival weekend is set to return from August 5 to 7, with American singer Christina Aguilera set to headline the Pride in the Park event.

This year's festivities will mark the event's belated 30th anniversary after Pride returned to Brighton and Hove in 1991.

The first Pride demonstration took place in the city in October 1972, with Brighton's first pride march organised by the Sussex Gay Liberation Front in July 1973.

Described as one of the most popular events of its kind in the UK, Brighton and Hove Pride brings in hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city over the weekend of celebrations, bringing an estimated £30.5 million to the economy of Brighton and Hove.

The event includes a community parade starting along the seafront heading towards Preston Park, a Pride village party in Kemp Town and the seafront, an arts and film festival, club parties around the city, and a dog show.

The last Pride event in 2019 was headlined by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, with the event also attracting performers such as Britney Spears, Blue, and Carly Rae Jepsen in recent years.

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