Rotherham Pride 2027

Rotherham is a town of around 130,000 people on the River Don in South Yorkshire, right next to Sheffield. It has its own Pride, simply called Rotherham Pride, and entry has always been free. Earlier editions were held in Clifton Park, centred on the park's bandstand.

Then came a five-year gap with no Pride in the town at all. A small team of three trustees revived the event in the mid-2020s and moved it from the park into the town centre. The day now spreads across several spots: All Saints Square hosts the stage and live music, Upper Millgate is lined with information and craft stalls, and Minster Gardens is where the food and drink vendors set up. It usually runs from late morning into the early evening and has become one of the largest free events Rotherham puts on. Funding comes through a grant from Rotherham Council, paid for by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

The organisers are active outside Pride day as well. They present a weekly radio show on Rother Radio on Sunday afternoons and run stalls at other local events, among them the Roots Street Carnival, the Women of the World Festival and the Rotherham Show. The team has won a local Community Achievement Award and was shortlisted for Pride of the Year at the Gaydio Pride Awards.

For year-round support there is The Rainbow Project, a registered charity based at Wath Town Hall in Wath-upon-Dearne, in the north of the borough. It works with LGBTQ+ adults through one-to-one peer support and group meetings, including groups for people in recovery, asylum seekers and refugees, and neurodivergent people. It is also a hate crime reporting centre and helps people report incidents to the police.