Shoppers and festivalgoers flocked to Preston Park as Brighton & Hove Pride returned for a glittering weekend of music, icons and fundraising , a vivid celebration that blended headline glamour with local community purpose, and left the city buzzing long after the final encore.

Essential Takeaways

  • Headline draw: Diana Ross closed the festival on Sunday with multiple outfit changes, classics and a special song, delivering a show with a nostalgic, triumphant feel.
  • Icon moments: Paris Hilton took the icon slot, performing covers and Stars Are Blind in a diamanté Union Jack dress that felt deliberately theatrical.
  • Day one highlights: Jessie J, RuPaul, Leigh-Anne, G-Flip and Raye delivered club-ready energy and pop heart, with Raye closing Saturday on a high note.
  • Varied bill: The lineup mixed legacy performers, chart acts and club culture names , Mel C even dropped a DJ set , so there was something for every Pride palate.
  • Community focus: Pride on the Park remains Brighton’s official fundraiser for local LGBTQ+ groups, keeping the weekend firmly rooted in charity and activism.

Diana Ross closed with glamour , and a bespoke moment

Diana Ross’s headline set was the kind of finale that made the whole weekend feel cinematic, with outfit changes and one of those songs written specifically for the crowd. The performance landed as a heartfelt nod to Motown’s golden era, and to the festival’s history of championing queer joy. According to local coverage, the crowd responded with warm, nostalgic enthusiasm , a reminder that legacy acts still bring deep emotional resonance. If you were there, expect a blend of choreography, costume drama and singalongs.

Paris Hilton brought camp, charisma and a Union Jack

Paris Hilton’s icon slot leant into costume and crowd-pleasing familiarity, performing a mix of covers and her signature Stars Are Blind while decked out in a diamanté Union Jack dress and matching boots. The set felt designed for spectacle , playful, glamorous and a little cheeky , which is exactly what an icon moment should be. For festival planners, her appearance underscores a trend towards pairing nostalgia acts with high-visibility pop culture names to broaden appeal.

Saturday served pop, performance and club energy

Day one of Pride on the Park packed in big-chart names and queer cultural figures: Jessie J, RuPaul, Leigh-Anne and G-Flip, with Raye closing out Saturday. Raye’s set included her biggest hits and landed with intensity that balanced the breezier, party-focused moments elsewhere. The mix of established pop stars and DJs keeps the weekend feeling both relevant and celebratory , perfect if you like your Pride packed with hits, dramatic vocal moments and a dash of runway-ready flair.

DJs, club culture and crossover acts kept the tempo high

The festival didn’t rely on vocal acts alone. Mel C’s DJ set and other club-focused bookings pulled in rave-ready energy, creating spaces where late-summer dancing felt inevitable. Industry write-ups flagged this as part of a larger shift: PAs that blend live acts with club culture attract younger crowds and extend the festival’s after-dark vibe. If you’re choosing your Pride weekend, check the daytime line-up versus the club slots , it’ll help you plan whether you want singalongs, front-row pop or a late-night dancefloor.

Why the fundraising angle still matters

Pride on the Park is Brighton’s official fundraiser for local LGBTQ+ community groups, and that purpose was woven through the weekend. Big-name bookings raise profile and ticket sales, sure, but they also translate into vital cash for grassroots organisations. Local reporting has emphasised that the event’s community remit keeps it anchored, even as headline acts grab national headlines. If you’re attending future events, look out for stallholders and charity partners on-site , it’s an easy, meaningful way to deepen your Pride experience.

It's a weekend that proves big-name glamour and community heart can coexist , and that sometimes the best encore is the work that happens after the stage lights go down.

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