It’s NEARLY here

Queen Bayard is incredibly excited to be back again to host the live stage at Chorlton Pride. This force-to-be gawked at, if you didn't know, is a truly gorgeous singer/musician/drag-creature based in Manchester. She sings live, lip syncs like a beast, dances the house down boots, and always serves high-frequency love at the party. Link up with QB on Instagram @QueenBayard or frequent her website at www.queenbayard.com

With a penchant for melancholic pop choruses and electronica, Dan hopes to blend this love with thumping house, breakbeat & garage to both move you and make you move. With musical inspirations spanning from downright saccharine pop perfection to the dirtiest basslines and 909 kicks, Dan is as equally joyous when screaming a chorus at the top of his lungs as he is grooving to the late hours and embracing the underground club scene. Expect high camp, big energy and fast bpms.

Batala Manchester is part of a Samba Raggae movement, created by Giba Goncalves in 1997, aiming to bring Brazilian Candomble percussion from Salvador to the streets of the world. 

Back to perform at Chorlton Pride again, Batala Manchester is one of the newest of sister bands in the UK, and nearly 50 around the world, dedicated to sharing Giba's music. As a community project, they welcome people from all walks of life, and provide opportunities to learn captivating rhythms. 

Laura and The Lesbians began as friends singing around Laura’s kitchen table in 2017 and 8 years later here they are! Their main aims are to have fun, support each other, the queer community as well as celebrating music, queer voices and visibility. They are so lucky to have each other and our LGBT+ families; we want to support and promote inclusion, diversity and wonderful music.

They are the brainchild of Laura and their musical skill and direction have put us where they are today. Laura's style of crunchy arrangements in close harmony of great new and old pop music, especially with a focus on queer musicians, gives us a great repertoire. All their songs mean something to them and their history both together and in their lives. Their name started as a great alliterative joke but as time and our experiences have taught them - it’s actually incredibly important and rewarding to be loudly, proudly visible and (without any shadow of a doubt!) queer.

Heartsmith is a Manchester-based three-piece band blending Americana-tinged emotive pop with a distinctive, heartfelt approach. The band consists of singer-songwriter Ryan Lamey, Gemma Lovegrove on guitar, bass, and backing vocals, and Dan Parr on piano and keyboards. With a foundation in rich harmonies, soaring vocals, and intricate instrumentation, Heartsmith crafts original songs that explore relationships and life experiences from a queer perspective while reinterpreting classics with their unique style.

Jo Somerset can be found every Tuesday morning at Chorlton Writers’ Café which meets in Benito Lounge https://thelounges.co.uk/benito/. She is working on a memoir of women/lesbian experience in the 1970s onwards. Her children’s novel Mission: Find Mum was published in 2024 by Stairwell Books, and was shortlisted for the Children’s Literature Festivals Book Awards and International Rubery Book Award. In 2020 Jo won the Leanne Bridgewater Award for Innovation and Experiment at Salford University, where she completed a MA in Creative Writing. Jo is a trustee of Manchester Literature Festival and contributor to Chorlton Book Festival and Chorlton Arts Festival. She enjoys the occasional open mic gig. Instagram: @jo.somerset   Web: josomersetwriter.wordpress.com

The Sunday Boys are Manchester’s fierce low-voice LGBTQ+ choir and are here to serve harmonies hotter than a Pride dancefloor in July. Founded by Michael Betteridge back in January 2016, these tenors and basses have one mission: to fill the world with bold, beautiful music that celebrates queer lives. They commission exciting new works from artists, making sure the LGBTQ+ story is heard loud, proud, and in perfect pitch. Expect everything from spine-tingling ballads to toe-tapping anthems, all delivered with heart, soul, and a little more mascara.