The iconic gates of the St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin have been painted the colours of rainbow, the symbol for Pride. The home of Guinness is showing it’s support ahead of the LGBTQ-inclusive rugby tournament, Union Cup which is being held in the Irish city this June.
Previously held in Copenhagen, London, Amsterdam, Brussels and Madrid, the amateur rugby tournament welcomes 45 teams from 15 countries. This year, however, marks the first time a woman’s-only tournament, the Ann Louise Gilligan Cup, is taking place.
This year’s two-day festival, held at the Dublin City University Campus on the 8th and 9th of June, is expected to be the biggest Union Cup yet. Tickets for the Union Cup are currently on sale for 10 euros per person.
Passed by approximately 2 million tourists each year, St. James Gates will remain the colour of the rainbow until June 10th. They will return to their traditional colour, black.
London, Manchester and, of course, Brighton are all joining Dublin in the Pride festivities this summer.
Currently across London, several celebrations are taking place, but the main parade is scheduled for Saturday 6th July 2019. Beginning at midday, the parade will start at Portland Place and proceed through Oxford Circus, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square before finishing at around 5:30pm on Whitehall. These areas are expected to be extremely busy during the parade so plan transport links ahead and make sure you arrive early to secure a good spot.
The UK’s biggest LGBTQ pride festival takes place in Brighton from the 2nd August to the 4th August 2019. The parade will take place on Saturday 3rd August. Brighton also offers Pride in the Park which takes place at Preston Park, just off the seafront. Headlined in 2018 by Britney Spears, this year’s headline act is pop legend, Kylie Minogue. Supporting acts include Clean Bandit and Fleur East. Tickets are currently on sale.
Coming to the end of summer, Manchester Pride takes place from Friday 23rd August to Monday 26th August 2019. Pop-princess Ariana Grande is headlining at Manchester Pride Live, Mayfield on Saturday 24th August, although tickets have now sold-out. Manchester is also hosting a Gay Village Party around Canal Street and Sackville Gardens.
Pride is the opportunity to celebrate an amazing community, but with alcohol guaranteed to be flowing and large crowds of people accumulating safety is essential. Visitors should ensure they keep a close eye on their drinks, as well as their possessions and report any suspicious activity to the local authorities.
Travel insurance is also an option for those who are booking travel and accommodation. Most policies will cover UK trips that are a minimum of two nights to pre-paid accommodation. There are a few that do not have a minimum-trip duration, too. More about this can be found in our Guide to Booking the Ultimate UK Holiday.
