After a wildly successful first festival last year, Letterkenny Pride is back in 2024 for another celebration of diversity, inclusion and equality. The five-day programme will take over the Donegal town from July 30 to August 3.
This year’s festival, which promises to be “bigger and better than ever”, boasts the theme ‘Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion’. It will feature a variety of events for LGBTQ+ folks and their allies, such as educational workshops, open mic nights, family fun days, and, of course, the unmissable Letterkenny Pride Parade.
“We are thrilled to bring the community together once again for Letterkenny Pride 2024,” said organisers in a statement announcing this year’s programme of events.
“This event is a testament to the strength and resilience of our LGBTQ+ community and our allies. It’s an opportunity to celebrate our progress, recognise the challenges that remain, and continue working towards a more inclusive society.
“We invite everyone to join us in this celebration of love, acceptance, and pride. We are extremely grateful to the Letterkenny community for embracing Letterkenny Pride, especially our sponsors who have helped make it possible,” organisers concluded.
Letterkenny Pride will kick off on Tuesday, July 30 with a Pride Special open mic night at The Cottage Bar, which will similarly host a queer art exhibition featuring pieces from local LGBTQ+ artists.
The festival will continue on Wednesday, July 31, with a Be Your Own Beautiful Self make-up workshop for the trans community presented by BPerfect and Donegal native Kris Cannon, who appeared on Netflix’s make-up reality series Glow Up. Additional events happening on Wednesday include a Broadway Boogie, a dance class hosted by LK Fitness, and a night of queer comedy at Brewery Bar.
James McGoldrick, a representative from The Rainbow Project – Northern Ireland’s foremost LGBTQ+ organisation, will kick off Letterkenny Pride’s events on Thursday, August 1, with an informative discussion on issues facing the LGBTQ+ community.
The weekend celebrations will start on Friday, August 2, with a panel discussion on LGBTQ+ history. Friday will similarly see the return of Letterkenny Pride’s unmissable Drag Bingo event.
Rounding out the weekend on Saturday, August 3, Letterkenny Pride will host a Drag Brunch at The Orchard, followed by a day full of face painting, arts and crafts, and local entertainment at the An Grianán Theatre.
Letterkenny Pride’s unmissable Parade will close out the five-day festival on Saturday afternoon, though music events around the city will pop up as the evening goes on. A late-night after-party will then put the cherry on top of an incredible weekend of celebration.
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Kayleigh Bowery, a chairperson for Letterkenny Pride 2024, commented on the upcoming festival, saying: “LGBTQ+ inclusion doesn’t come from parties, it comes from the conversations that grow from celebrations like Letterkenny Pride. That’s why, this year, we wanted to make sure that dialogue is at the heart of everything we do.
“There will be music, laughter, joy, creativity and everything that makes the LGBTQ+ community beautiful. All of this is driven by our purpose of making this region one of the safest for LGBTQ+ people to live and visit,” Bowery concluded.
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