Brighton Pride has defended choosing the Black Eyed Peas as its headline act after facing criticism.

Organisers of the event were slammed after the announcement in February over the American group playing in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to seven years in prison, on the first day of the World Cup.

The gig, presented by Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism, took place on November 20, the same day that the football tournament kicked off with a match between Qatar and Ecuador.

Tickets for the gig were available from £86, with some costing as much as £41,188.

One user on Twitter, Rebecca King, slammed the decision as “absolutely awful” and “disappointing”, while others said they were “not impressed” that the band had been chosen after “supporting a homophobic regime”.

Brighton Pride joined other Pride organisers across the UK in calling for a boycott of the World Cup last year, criticising Fifa for a “complete lack of consideration for LGBTQ+ people”.

In a social media post today, Brighton Pride cited several examples of the group being “proven LGBTQ+ allies”.

A Pride spokesman said: “Proven LGBTQ+ allies, Black Eyed Peas celebrate diversity and inclusivity through music highlighting police brutality racism and inequalities for marginalised communities.”

MOST READ:

In the post, organisers said the Black Eyed Peas “trolled the Polish government” by wearing pro LGBTQ+ armbands during a state TV New Year’s Eve concert. The post said the band wore the rainbow armbands in support of the queer community and dedicated hit song Where Is The Love? To “unity”.

Another graphic from Brighton Pride said Will.i.am’s latest single is “refreshingly inclusive when it comes to representing all sexualities”.

Organisers also referenced Will.i.am’s stance on gay marriage.

“People should have the right to make the decision of who they wanna be with for the rest of their life.

“Whether it is a guy that wants to be with a girl, a guy that wants to be with a guy.”

The annual festival in Preston Park, taking place on August 5 and August 6, will also see multi-platinum artist Zara Larsson, BRIT-award winner and former Spice Girl Melanie C and band Steps take to the stage.

The full line-up will be released tomorrow.