Northern Pride Announces New Chapter for Newcastle Pride as Festival Moves to Curious Arts’ Family From 2026
Northern Pride today announces that it will hand over the Newcastle Pride Festival to Curious Futures, the new trading subsidiary of the charity Curious Arts.
This exciting move builds on years of partnership working between Northern Pride and Curious Futures and their instrumental co-delivery of the 2025 event. After 17 years of development and growth, Newcastle Pride has become one of the largest Pride events in the UK.
After the successful 2025 festival, and with heartfelt thanks to the community, partners, and donors, the trustees, along with voluntary Director Ste Dunn, have been able to close all outstanding commitments and is donating its closing balance of £8,500, along with all physical and digital assets to Curious Futures. The charity, Northern Pride, has therefore ceased trading with immediate effect.
These funds and assets will be used to help plan the 2026 Festival weekend, scheduled for 25-26 July 2026. Regular attendees will notice a slight change in dates for the 2026 event, as organisers have moved it one week later to avoid clashing with the World Cup final weekend. This adjustment prioritises community safety and ensures the city-wide celebration can go ahead smoothly without placing additional strain on city services, including emergency services. Further details about the Festival weekend, including the free programme, dedicated zones and a range of activities, will be released in the new year, whilst tickets for the Pride Arena at Times Square are now on sale.
Ste Dunn, former Director of Northern Pride said: “It has been an incredible 17 years for the Northern Pride Charity, a team of volunteers, past and present, who’ve acted with real passion for our community. We are all delighted to have played a part in how Newcastle Pride has evolved over nearly two decades. From the days of Pride on the Tyne, a precursor to the existing Pride which quickly outgrew Leazes Park, moving to Exhibition Park, and then the Town Moor which was a much-loved home for several years until our more recent city-wide takeover, Pride is now unapologetically visible in the heart of Newcastle.
“Newcastle Pride hasn’t been without its challenges, especially over the last five years - from celebrating online during the pandemic, to navigating the cost-of-living crisis and even battling the extreme weather of 2023.
“After two strong years of stability and success, now feels like the right moment to hand things over. The board and I will support the transition, and I have every confidence that the Curious family will do an incredible job as the new custodians of Newcastle Pride.
“None of this would have been possible without our amazing community. Your continued support, showing up, celebrating, and standing with us year after year, has helped Pride grow into something truly special, partnering with incredible charities, iconic venues, and welcoming tens of thousands to the city. We’re deeply grateful to everyone who’s played a part in this legacy, from past chairs, trustees and volunteers, to partners, funders, emergency services, event teams, creatives, artists, and performers. You are all simply incredible.”
Sian Broadhurst, Chair of Curious Arts said: “We are honoured to bring Newcastle Pride into the Curious family. The event will be delivered by Curious Futures, our new not for profit company created to support our region wide events, global training programme and our wide-ranging community programmes. With Pride events and festivals across Tees Valley and beyond, already delivered under Curious Arts, this is a brilliant next step for our community and the Curious team.
“I was involved in the early years of Northern Pride and it has been a joy to watch the event grow into what it is today. We’re excited to carry on this journey, with fresh ideas and our community at the heart. We will commence community consultation in early 2026 to help shape pride for the city for years to come.”
Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor said: “For 17 amazing years Northern Pride has given us an event that is both protest and celebration and makes clear that the North East is a place where you can be unapologetically yourself. I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has been involved for all of their hard work creating an event we’re all so proud of.
“But I know exciting times are ahead and I can’t wait to see what’s to come from Curious Futures. They already do so much amazing work to make our communities more inclusive, and ultimately make the North East a better place to live.”
Cllr Karen Kilgour, leader of Newcastle City Council said: “We are so proud of how Newcastle Pride has evolved and grown into the city-wide takeover it is today, and the Northern Pride team should be very proud too. They have pushed boundaries, overcome challenges and delivered year on year for the city and the region. We truly champion and recognise the value and impact of events like pride in creating a world class vibrant and inclusive city. We need events like this to continue to drive solidarity, and to raise awareness for the challenges the LGBTQIA+ community continues to face.”
Stephen Patterson, Chief Executive at Newcastle NE1, said: “This year will mark our 12th year of partnering with Newcastle Pride and we are excited to continue this support working alongside the Curious Futures team. The move from the Town Moor into the heart of the city has been an incredible success over the last couple of years, alongside the positive economic impact this event brings. It has been fantastic to see such crowds enjoying everything Pride has to offer, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2026.”
