Crowds flocked to Preston Park as Brighton and Hove Pride kicked off its two-day festival, Pride on the Park, bringing headline acts, DJ icons and a charity-driven programme that matters to the local LGBTQ+ community. Here’s what made day one buzz, who owned the stage and why this year’s line-up felt especially celebratory.

Essential Takeaways

  • Headline energy: Raye closed Saturday with a heartfelt, high-energy set that mixed hits and gratitude, leaving the crowd buzzing.
  • Icon slot impact: RuPaul's DJ hour delivered party anthems and a theatrical finish with a remix of a Whitney Houston classic.
  • Diverse roster: Acts from Jessie J to Moonchild Sanelly offered varied styles , pop, queer-forward alt-pop and club-ready beats.
  • Community focus: Pride on the Park remains the official fundraiser for local LGBTQ+ groups, keeping charitable roots centre stage.
  • Festival feel: Preston Park filled with colour, big singalongs and a friendly, festival warmth that makes Pride a weekend highlight.

Raye closed with gratitude and big pop moments

Raye’s headline slot felt like an open thank-you note sung at full volume, with the crowd responding in kind. She thanked the LGBTQ+ community for its support and threaded that intimacy through a set of recognisable, anthemic songs. According to event coverage, her tone was both personal and celebratory, and you could feel the affection in the air.

This kind of headline performance matters because it keeps the relationship between artist and crowd real , she wasn’t just there to perform, she was there to acknowledge a fanbase. If you’re choosing which future gigs to catch, look for artists who bring that mix of familiarity and sincerity; it makes the moments linger.

RuPaul’s DJ set was equal parts party and performance

RuPaul took over the icon slot with an hour of non-stop dancefloor energy, kicking off with their own track before slotting in crowd-pleasing anthems. The set built momentum and finished theatrically with a remix of a Whitney Houston song, complete with costume-led storytelling.

Festival DJs in the icon slot often bridge nostalgia and now, and this set did exactly that. If you love a high-octane, theatrical DJ hour, RuPaul’s approach is a reminder that DJs can be front-and-centre performers, not just background.

A line-up built for variety , from pop to alt-pop

The Saturday roster read like a pop festival sampler: Jessie J’s powerful main-stage presence sat alongside the more experimental, queer-forward pop of Self Esteem and the boundary-pushing Moonchild Sanelly. G Flip and Leigh-Anne added their own flavours, giving audiences a varied musical diet.

That mix is deliberate , Brighton Pride programmes acts who can both headline and represent different strands of queer culture. For a festivalgoer, that variety means you’re unlikely to get bored; you’ll move from singalongs to electro beats without leaving the park.

Pride on the Park stays rooted in community fundraising

Beyond the music, Pride on the Park remains the official fundraising arm for local LGBTQ+ groups, and that gives the event a purpose beyond entertainment. Attendees weren’t just enjoying live music , they were supporting community projects and services in and around Brighton.

When you buy a ticket, you’re contributing to a cause, which changes the way the day feels. It’s not just a party; it’s a public show of support. If you’re planning to go next year, consider volunteering or donating directly , it amplifies the impact of the weekend.

Atmosphere: friendly, colourful and singalong-ready

Preston Park filled with familiar Pride colours, loud crowd moments and that easy festival camaraderie. Reporters noted big singalongs and joyful reactions throughout the main stage slots, a reminder that live music at Pride is as much about collective emotion as it is about setlists.

If you attend, bring ear protection, a reusable water bottle and a sense of patience , peak times get busy, but the vibe rewards the wait. And if you’re photographing or recording, capture faces and reactions as much as the stage; that’s where the weekend’s warmth lives.

It's a small change that can make every Pride moment feel a bit closer.

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