Bingley Pride lineup revealed: Drag stars, parades, cocktails and celebrity guests
Bingley’s first ever Pride on August 16th is fast approaching, but what can attendees expect to enjoy on the day? With celebrities like Drag Race’s Charra Tea and beloved author Juno Dawson in attendance, there’s plenty of delights in store.
The event will kick off at 1pm sharp with an opening ceremony at Myrtle Park bandstand, hosted by local drag star Doll’s Nest. The ceremony will include a speech from Bingley-born author and screenwriter Juno Dawson, whose works include ‘This Book is Gay’ and ‘The Gender Games’, along with numerous episodes of the popular TV show ‘Doctor Who’.
The opening ceremony will then be followed by a grand parade around Myrtle Park. Attendees are invited to bring flags, banners and placards to fill the parade with joy, colour, and, of course, pride.
After the parade, there will be an array of activities at Bingley Arts Centre and in the wider Bingley area. Stalls with food, ornaments, jewellery, crafts and more will be selling their wares both inside the Arts Centre and in the market square outdoors.
There will also be walkaround drag performers providing photo opportunities for attendees, as well as displaying fabulous talents such as stilt walking, fire eating and more. These include local queens Anita Biff, Trash, Angel Bites, Georgia Diamond, Miss Embers and Cole Mynes, as well as the winner of Bingley Pride’s drag factor, Amelia Reasons.
Performer Coordinator Doll’s Nest, a local drag queen and head of local drag collective Doll’s Haus, said “We felt it necessary to ensure we have local and diverse talents. Not only did we manage to book some creative and unique artists, we also have Charra Tea from RuPaul’s Drag Race joining our lineup! So come on down to Bingley Pride on the 16th of August. It will be a fun-filled day with an action-packed evening!”
Younger Pride guests wanting to socialise can access a designated Youth area in the Squire’s Room of the theatre, where trained youth group coordinators have exciting activities planned, including a graffiti wall.
For little ones attending Pride, Doll’s Haus will offer free drag story times at 2.45pm and 3.45pm. The first will be led by drag queens Georgia Diamond and Trash while the second will be led by drag king King Little. Meanwhile, those hoping to unleash their own inner drag artist can attend a live drag makeup tutorial with Angel Bites at 2:30pm at a cost of just £5.
In the wider town, three Bingley bars have entered fierce competition. Ruebens Beer and Gin House, Market Square Tavern and RumDown have each created a signature Pride themed cocktail that attendees can try on the day. Once Pride guests have sampled the drinks, they can vote for their favourite via the bingleypride.co.uk website. Will Rueben’s Taste the Rainbow, Market Square Tavern’s The Flamingo, or RumDown’s Over the Rainbow be crowned Bingley Pride 2025’s best cocktail?
For those in search of less boozy Pride treats, The Craft House cafe will offer rainbow bakes, while RumDown offers a Skittles Milkshake and Market Square Tavern provides the adorable mocktail Cuddles on the Beach.
As evening approaches, RuPaul’s Drag Race fans are in for a treat. At 6pm there will be a meet-and-greet with Charra Tea where fans can have their picture taken with the Irish icon.
Charra Tea will also be headlining the ticketed 7pm- 10pm evening show, performing alongside Angel Bites, Amelia Reasons, Doll’s Nest, Cole Mynes, Trash, Miss Embers and Anita Biff. Tickets to this show are currently available on the Bingley Arts Centre website and attendees to the evening event must be 18+.
Bingley Pride 2025 will end with a magnificent afterparty at local nightlife venue Maverick’s, where Pride guests can dance the night away to eighties, nineties and noughties tunes while enjoying a menu of themed drinks.