The organisers of Brighton & Hove Pride 2024 hailed the event as a “weekend of joy and celebration,” attracting about 300,000 attendees to the city’s parade. This was followed by two days of concerts at Preston Park, featuring headliners Girls Aloud and Mika.
A spokesperson noted the event “brought music, culture, and joy in abundance for another spectacular year.” Mika shared his excitement, calling Brighton his “first ever proper Pride concert” and revealed he had recently moved near the city.
Departing from Hove Lawns on Saturday morning, the parade headed through the centre of Brighton and finished at Preston Park, where spectators will watch Girls Aloud at We Are Fabuloso, the official Brighton & Hove Pride charity fundraiser.
S Club and Olly Alexander also performed, contributing to the £1.3m raised for the Brighton Rainbow Fund. Alf le Flohic, who helped lead the parade, described the atmosphere as “very special.”
Controversially the Coca-Cola float in Saturday’s Brighton Pride parade was halted when protesters blocked the route. Brighton Pavilion MP Sian Berry and other demonstrators argued that Coca-Cola is an inappropriate sponsor for the event.
According to Green Party literature shared on Ms. Berry’s X account, Coca-Cola has been urged for years to remove its factory from illegally occupied land in Palestine but has not complied. Coca-Cola stated it respects the right to peaceful protest and decided to withdraw the float due to safety concerns for its staff and attendees.
