London Pride 2024

If you will be in London throughout June, take a look below at our pick of some of the events that will be taking place as well as everything you need to know about the Pride Parade. 

Pride Parade

Pride takes place on Saturday, the 29th of June across the country, but London has one of the biggest and best parades. The original took place on the 1st July 1972 as this was the closest Saturday to the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (28th June 1969). It is estimated that around 2,000 people attended the first parade, and now around 1.5 million people will attend or take part in this mammoth event.

The route will start around Hyde Park Corner (there is a tube stop right at the start), heading through Piccadilly, past Haymarket and onto Cockspur Street before passing Trafalgar Square and stopping on Whitehall. 

There will be a full programme of events, but the main parade normally takes place between 12pm and 6pm, with over 30,000 paraders taking part. Keep up to date with the latest information about the event including times and routes here: https://prideinlondon.org/pride/2024

There will also be hundreds of events taking place over the month of June, heading into July with some sneaking into August and September so there’ll be plenty of opportunity to get involved with supporting those in the community.

Desire, Love, Identity – The British Museum

Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG

Many museums have some special events on but our favourite has to be the exhibit taking place at The British Museum. Desire, Love, Identity is a volunteer-led guided walk through some incredibly fascinating artefacts that have connections with the LGBTQ+ community. 

With some items dating back to the ancient world, this 70-minute tour will take you through the history of the objects and the importance of them for their time. There is also some of the most famous artworks by queer artists which is well worth a look. 

The tour is currently on and runs through to the end of July. Please check the website for availability, the tour can take a maximum of 30 people so book in advance. 

We think it’ll be a great insight into some history of LGBTQ+ people and how they have survived and thrived during the past.

Queer Britain Museum

2 Granary Square, London N1C 4BH

If you fancy seeing more museums, then take a trip to Queer Britain – the UK’s only LGBTQ+ museum. 

Located in Granary Square, it will take around 40 minutes to walk around, with plenty to see. Some of the exhibits are quite emotional as it discusses how the community has had to deal with persecution over the years, but there is support on hand if you need to discuss anything you see. 

On the 23rd of June, they are hosting ‘Trans Pride and Dyke March in Conversation’ a talk with two of the organisers of Trans Pride (Stav B) and the Dyke March (Shivani Dave) who will talk through the history of Pride, as well as how trans and lesbians are having their own marches or parades for full inclusivity. 

The talk takes place between 1:30pm and 3:30pm and is not to be missed if this is something you’re interested in. Tickets are pay what you can (minimum of £1) to be as inclusive as possible.

LGBTQIA+ Tour – V&A Museum, Kensington

Cromwell Road London, SW7 2RL

Sticking with museums, head over to the V&A museum for an amazing exhibit exploring gender and sexual identities with a range of objects. Tours take place on the last Saturday of the month from now until the end of November. The tour is volunteer-led so may be subject to cancellations, but book your tickets and you’ll also be able to see the rest of the V&A museum, which has some amazing exhibitions throughout the year. 

The V&A are aware that until recently, the lives of the queer community were largely ignored or vilified and definitely not shown in museums. They wish to change this and this exhibition will bring to life some of the lives of those in the past who have been fighting for equality. 
The V&A also have a whole page dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community which talks about the various volunteers or workers who are LGBTQ+, the objects elsewhere in the museum that fit into the space as well as blogs and workshops that take place.

Free Queer History Walking Tour

Meet at The Clermont Hotel, The Strand, London WC2N 5HX

If you need some fresh air after all the museums, then jump onto one of the free Queer History Walking Tours. These last for two hours and are full of facts, figures, funny stories and heartbreaking tales of those who had to hide their sexuality to function in society as well as those who were out and proud, regardless of the consequences. 

You’ll start at Charing Cross, before heading to Trafalgar Square to learn about the history of Pride. In Piccadilly Circus, you’ll learn about the lives of queer people in Victorian London and then head into Soho, one of the most famous queer districts. 

You’ll hear about drag queens, Oscar Wilde, Heaven Nightclub, how the Romans influenced queer culture, the AIDS crisis, what a Molly House was and then head into Soho Square. 

The tour starts at 11am and takes place from the 1st June, these are with a local so you’ll get all the very best gossip about the history of LGBTQ+ spaces throughout the tour. 

If you want something a little more out there – book a Unique Drag Queen Experience – either a walking tour, an escape room, drag queen tales for the children and much more. This is a great way to get to know more from the people taking part in one of the most popular forms of entertainment. These take place all year round, and are great for corporate events, hen or stag dos or just a weekend away with friends.