Pride Classical brings an evening of beloved Pride anthems to Blackpool Tower Ballroom, performed by full orchestra with Danny Beard, Alison Jiear and Matt Henry

The opening weekend of Pride Month in 2023 sees the premiere of a world first: a brand new event celebrating the music and history of the LGBTQ+ community, featuring brand new arrangements of beloved songs by iconic artists, performed by a full professional orchestra of LGBTQ+ musicians and allies.
By Rachel WhibleyContributor
Published 1st Jun 2023, 11:22 BST
World Premiere of Pride Classical at Blackpool Tower BallroomWorld Premiere of Pride Classical at Blackpool Tower Ballroom
World Premiere of Pride Classical at Blackpool Tower Ballroom

Joining them to perform the music of Kylie, Queen and Diana Ross and more will be headliners Danny Beard, Alison Jiear and Matt Henry - all stars of the West End, TV and Pride events worldwide.

Pride Classical is being produced by multi award-winning Carrot Productions, working alongside a production team from the LGBTQ+ community to create the perfect lineup of songs and community activity to celebrate what Pride means today.

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A setlist of over 20 Pride songs are all being arranged by Daniel Whibley, whose many arrangements for the BBC include orchestral versions of music by David Bowie, Tom Jones and Irving Berlin. They’ll be performed by the headliners alongside a 36-strong ensemble of professional musicians and backing singers, all chosen for both their musical talents and as members or active allies to the LGBTQ+ community.

Alongside two performances of Pride Classical, the team are working with LGBTQ+ communities across the North West to recognise what Pride means today.

My Pride Song invites community members and allies to share short videos telling us why the music of Pride matters to them. Contributions include one of the North West’s strongest allies, Julie Hesmondhalgh, alongside Joanna Lumley (and Patsy!), and members of the orchestra and LGBTQ+ community. These videos will be shared online and in an exhibition at Manchester Central Library to showcase the diversity of voices and experience across the community today.

A second project has been the creation of a brand new Pride Anthem, developed by members of Stockport LGBTQ+ PLUS Spectrum – a group for members of the community who identify as neurodiverse or pan-disabled – with support from professional musicians and composers. Their work has been arranged for full orchestra and will be performed on the main stage as part of the concert.

We have a sneaky 40% discount offer (use promo code danny40) but it’s strictly limited, so buy your tickets quickly is you’d like to join THE event of the year!

Related topics:PrideLGBTQ+Blackpool Tower Ballroom