Thousands come out to celebrate London Pride as Pride Month closes

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of London as part of the city's celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.

London Pride is the largest Pride event in the country, with over 1 million people expected to attend the event over the weekend.

The Pride parade set off from Hyde Park on Saturday afternoon (June 29th), with the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan leading the march, together with wife Saadiya.

Speaking about his role in the parade, Khan said in a statement: "I'm delighted that London's diverse LGBTQI+ communities and allies are once again joining together in the heart of our capital for our world-renowned Pride celebrations and march of solidarity.

"Pride is one of the highlights of my year and it is an honour to have been on every march since I was first elected as mayor in 2016."

He added that the Pride festival provides a "shining light" for the LGBTQ+ community and the need for rights to be respected.

"There is however still work to be done to achieve true equality, and as a proud ally, I'll continue to stand side-by-side with our capital's LGBTQI+ communities as we work to build a better London for all."

Celebrities, politicians and other notable figures have also joined in wishing those attending the shows well as festivities get well underway.

Events will be held across the city over the weekend, including film screenings, drag shows and parties - all of which are open and inclusive.

The city's first Pride Parade came in 1972, some five years following the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

Demonstrations began on July 1st, 1972 as this was the closest Saturday to the date of the Stonewall Riots in 1969, which proved to pave the way for LGBTQ+ rights in much of the world.

Pride celebrations will continue across the country over the summer, with cities such as Liverpool and Manchester hosting their respective festivals in the coming weeks.

Hear the latest news on Downtown on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app.