PRIDE COMES TO TIMES SQUARE

Some of the UK’s finest musical talent is taking over Newcastle’s Times Square as part of one of the country’s largest free LGBT festivals. From Friday July 18, Newcastle Pride returns to the region with a newly extended three-day line up, featuring a host of live music and entertainment. For the first time in the festival’s seven year history, this will include both a main stage at the Town Moor, playing host to performers including Shayne Ward and the Vengaboys, along with a second stage at the heart of the city centre. Event organiser, Northern Pride, has just released the line-up for the new second stage, which will be based outside the city’s iconic Centre for Life at Times Square. Those set to appear on the opening day include Scottish singer Rachelle Rhienne, who has worked with a range of songwriters and producers in London, Jamaica and the Netherlands, Canadian-born Stacey Jackson, whose hits include club smash Pointing Fingers and North East singer and TV personality Sonia Strong, who is due to release her debut album, Sonogram, which she has written and co-produced. Musician and model Dee Stokes, who appeared on BBC3 fly-on-the-wall series, Shoplife based at the intu Metrocentre, will also be hitting the Time Square stage following his debut at Newcastle Pride in 2013.

On Saturday July 19, the diva from down under, Kelly Wilde, will be performing some of her greatest hits, including Nothin’ But Promises and Gloria.  She’ll be joined by Mila and British singer/songwriter Angie Brown, who was the lead vocalist on Bizzare Inc’s I’m Gonna Get You and Took My Love and recently appeared on BBC1 talent show, The Voice.

Girlband Vanquish and singer Nicki French, who sold more than five million copies of her smash hit Total Eclipse of the Heart in 1995, will both be appearing on the final day of the Times Square stage, along with Charlie Rundle, front woman of MK1 who appeared on the X Factor in 2012. The stage will be closed on Sunday July 20 by leading Steps tribute act Steptastic, who will be performing some of the group’s biggest hits following a popular appearance at Newcastle Pride 2013. Mark Nichols, Chair of Northern Pride, said:  “The Times Square stage is an exciting addition to Newcastle Pride and we’ve worked hard to pull together a strong and varied line-up that caters for a wide range of tastes. “We’re confident this will prove to be a great compliment to the events taking place at the Town Moor and look forward to welcoming music lovers from across the UK.” Newcastle Pride is free to attend, with a number of Golden Circle, VIP and Platinum tickets also available for those who wish to enjoy hospitality and prime standing positions at the Town Moor. The Times Square stage will be running from 6.30pm – 10pm Friday and Saturday, (July 18 and 19) and from 5.30pm to 8.30pm on Sunday (July 20) to ensure visitors have time to travel across from the other events at the Town Moor. On all three days a variety of North East DJs, including Steven Paulden DCM, Dan Joseph, Iain Macleod and representatives from Pride Radio, will also be playing sets between the other live performances. For more information or to see a full line up of events for Newcastle Pride 2014 visit www.northern-pride.com or follow @northernprideuk on Twitter.