Bradford Festival Highlights LGBTQ+ Heritage

Back in the Pink festival returns to Bradford in October

A festival celebrating the LGBTQ+ heritage of Bradford is scheduled to take place from 10 to 12 October 2025. The event, titled Back in the Pink, aims to highlight the histories, activism, and culture of Bradford’s LGBTQ+ communities, particularly focusing on the late 20th century. It is co-produced by Castles In The Sky Projects in partnership with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

Event programme and activities

The festival will feature a variety of activities including walking tours, exhibitions, film screenings, panel discussions, cabaret performances, and club nights. The aim is to showcase the achievements and stories of LGBTQ+ people in Bradford, with an emphasis on community and activism.

Key events during the festival

• Big Nights OUT – 3pm to 6.30pm, 11 October at Bradford Playhouse (BD1 5DL)
  This series of conversations will explore LGBTQ+ activism and nightlife in Bradford. The first panel will focus on the visual culture of protest and celebration, featuring curator Zorian Clayton from the V&A, artist Alan Richardson, and DJ/graphic designer Leon Davis. The second panel, hosted by Tash Walker of the podcast The Log Books, will discuss the role of support phonelines in the 1980s, including Bradford Gay Switchboard and Lesbian Line.
• Pink After Dark – 8.30pm to 2.30am, 11 October at Loading Bay (BD1 3QR)
  This event will celebrate historic LGBTQ+ venues such as the Bavaria and the Junction through live art, performances, drag acts, and DJs. Performers include David Hoyle, Unknown Amazon, Jude Kershaw, Jenn Wilson, Lavender Café Orchestra, and musician Jasmine Kennedy. DJs Michael Upson, MelaD, and Luscious will provide music throughout the night.
• Back in the Pink Cinema Special – 11am to 2pm, 12 October at Bradford Playhouse
  A programme of films reflecting the LGBTQ+ community’s use of cinema in the 1980s will be screened. Central to this is the documentary Before Stonewall (1984), which was originally shown in Bradford in 1988 to support the campaign against Section 28. The film documents LGBTQ+ activism in the USA prior to the Stonewall uprising.

Additional festival activities

• Bradford LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour – Various times, 10-11 October
  Led by Alice Parsons, founder of Castles In The Sky and curator of the festival, this walking tour explores Bradford city centre to reveal the city’s LGBTQ+ activism, nightlife, and community history. (Note: tours are sold out.)
• OUT All Night – 12pm to 3pm and 8.30pm to 2.30am, 11 October at Loading Bay
  A free pop-up exhibition featuring archive materials from the newly formed Bradford LGBTQ+ Archive, including new commissions by Jude Kershaw, Jenn Willson, and SHARP.

The festival is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and is part of Bradford’s UK City of Culture 2025 programme.

Source: Bradford 2025 press release