Chichester Pride promises seven-hour family extravaganza

But for production manager Dawn Gracie, it is also a seven-hour stage extravaganza, with a full range of performers which she has put together for the day – Saturday, May 24 between 12-7pm. Tickets are available on www.chichesterpride.co.uk.

On the day, you can expect to see: Adam All & Apples Derierres, Alfie Ordinary, Amazi Hoops, CAOS, Cherry Liquor, Born Gaga, Brighton Gay Mens Chorus, Chichester College, University of Chichester, Johnny Mack as George Michael, Kitty Scott Claus, Seal Bay, Snow White Trash, Scarlett Von Kok and Soroya Marchelle – plus non-stage performances Bubbles Man, Twisted Bliss, BSL Interpreters, Drag Queen Story Hour and Chichester Lindy Hoppers.

It's all part of the event’s growing success: “Last year we had well over 1,500 people and we would love it if we had more this year. It is a low cost event, and I do appreciate that low cost means different things to different people but generally it is the mid range price events that are suffering most and our Pride is actually very affordable. We would love it to be free like Portsmouth but we're not in a position to make it free yet. We are only a few years old.

“It costs more than £40,000 to put on an event like this and unless you get to the stage where you can generate that much money, you have to find that money from somewhere. But we do think that Pride should be free – though I would say that there are in fact benefits to being a ticketed, fenced-in event because that brings certain controls and certain safety with it. But it's just been four years for us so far, and we are certainly in a good place.

“I am the production manager and I have got 13 years of casting shows behind me. I've got a lot of contacts and I put together what is effectively a seven-hour extravaganza on a very low budget. The parade in the morning is its own thing and then Pride starts at midday and we have got performers all the way through after that. We are also using the college buildings. Last year we had some workshops, and we are doing the same this year but with different workshop leaders.

“The whole thing is very much a family festival, and all the acts we choose need to be family friendly but still at the same time make a statement about equality and diversity and inclusivity and love. And that has never been more important in a way because we live at a time when we're going backwards in certain respects in terms of trans rights. The more you can normalise the differences between people and educate people and highlight the issues in the world, then the better. People come to our events and can see the love and the fun and they can see how we can all work together.

“So what I want from our entertainers is that they are family friendly in content while still being authentically who they are as performers. We want joy and happiness but we do also want to have some serious moments and some poignant moments. Last year we had a proposal! And in previous years we have had public comings-out near the stage. It's about making the entertainment as reflective of the community as possible while still being relevant and current.

“Momentum is building with us for our annual event but as I say at the same time in the world it does feel that in certain aspects we are going backwards. It feels like certain privileges are being lost which is distressing but the festival is not just a one-day event. At Chichester Pride we work throughout the year, having conversations and supporting people. The Pride activism is all year round. And it will never stop.”