Thousands of people marched through Brighton on Saturday as Trans Pride Brighton returned for its 13th year, in what organisers had expected to be the biggest edition yet.
Crowds gathered at Valley Gardens from late morning, with speeches from 11.30am before the march for trans liberation set off at midday and made its way through the city centre to Victoria Gardens. An accessible section of the route assembled outside the Old Ship Hotel on the seafront, with free accessible taxis running from the Corn Exchange to venues throughout the day.
Organisers had said they expected more than 30,000 people across the weekend. The event began on Friday evening with warm-up events at 19 pubs across the city, before Saturday’s march and a full day of performances on two stages.
Trans Pride Brighton was founded in 2013 and was the first trans-specific Pride event in the UK. It has grown into what organisers describe as the largest event of its kind in Europe, and it remains entirely volunteer-run, funded by donations rather than headline sponsors.
Once the march finished, the day spread across several city-centre sites. The Brighton Dome Corn Exchange hosted performances and community stalls, while the Dome foyer held the Trans Pride Makers Market, with crafts from trans, non-binary and intersex creators and a designated quiet space for anyone needing to step away from the crowds. Dorset Gardens was given over to a family-friendly picnic area and New Steine Gardens to further community stalls. Entry to every part of the event was free.
The Actors pub brought back its Trans Pride street party, and the day closed with an after party at the Corn Exchange running from 7pm until 2am, hosted by Polyglamorous.
Organisers again asked political parties to stay away, repeating a position first taken last year, and invited individual politicians to attend “as humans first, not as party representatives”. Their stated message for 2026 was to keep party politics out of the event. Brighton & Hove City Council flew trans flags from its town halls across the weekend in support.
Brighton Local Angle
For a city that describes itself as the LGBTQ+ capital of the UK, Trans Pride occupies a particular place in the calendar. It sits deliberately apart from the much larger Brighton & Hove Pride in early August, which draws hundreds of thousands and functions as a major commercial event for the city. Trans Pride is smaller, free, unsponsored and framed first as a protest. Local businesses across Kemptown and the city centre reported a busy weekend, and the event has become an established fixture that brings visitors to Brighton several weeks before the August Pride weekend.
Related Reading
- Marching with Trans Pride: Brighton’s Support for TNBI Communities
- Why Is Brighton the LGBTQ Capital of the UK?
- Brighton Pride Celebrations Attract Hundreds of Thousands
