Brighton Dyke Pride launches new grassroots celebration in Hove

A new celebration for the community

Brighton is welcoming a vibrant new addition to its Pride calendar this September. Brighton Dyke Pride will launch for the first time on Saturday, September 5, at St Ann's Well Gardens in Hove, bringing together the local dyke community for a free, grassroots celebration.

The event has been created by a small group of passionate volunteers who are committed to building spaces that centre queer community joy and solidarity. Born out of the success of "Dyke Day" — a free gathering held earlier this year on Lesbian Visibility Day — Brighton Dyke Pride aims to fill an important gap in the local events calendar.

Truly inclusive and community-owned

Organisers have deliberately designed the event to be fully trans-inclusive, accessible, and cross-generational. Crucially, there is no identity policing, and attendance is completely free for all dykes. The event is proudly free from corporate sponsorship and "pinkwashing" — a refreshing approach that prioritises community values over commercialism.

Zoë Schulz, a co-founder, explained the inspiration behind the event: "Brighton Dyke Pride was created through collaboration, creativity, and a love for the dyke community. We are a small group of volunteers who genuinely believe in the power of coming together and sharing in joy to have a ripple effect across our community."

She added: "We are living through scary times, and spaces that are resolutely trans inclusive and community-led have never been more important. It was so important to us that this space was completely free to attend, for all dykes without any identity policing. Dykes are magic and we deserve spaces that are our own."

What to expect

The day promises to be a colourful celebration of dyke culture and community. The programme will include a market hosted by Brighton Dyke Mart, DJs, speakers, live music, queer line dancing, and cabaret performances. The focus will be on celebrating dyke artists and culture while maintaining a fully inclusive atmosphere.

Emily Payne, another co-founder, shared her vision: "A pride for dykes is something I have always dreamed of. Mainstream pride can sometimes feel really alienating, and parades feel very corporate. As a dyke I can sometimes feel left behind. I love the idea of a fully grassroots pride free from corporate sponsors centring dyke artists, culture and being fully inclusive towards trans dykes."

Billy Ballantyne, a co-founder and trans man, described the event as "a patchwork maximalist event with trans people at its centre," emphasising that Brighton Dyke Pride is firmly rooted in trans community leadership.

Looking ahead

Organisers hope this inaugural event will become an annual celebration and serve as a model for future community-led queer organising across Brighton and beyond. If you'd like to support the event, donations can be made at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/brighton-dyke-pride.

Source: New pride event to take place in Brighton for the first time next month