To celebrate its 35th anniversary, Brighton and Hove Pride 2026 has announced its most iconic headliners yet: RAYE and Diana Ross!
Brighton and Hove Pride is no stranger to big headliners, with global superstars and beloved artists including Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Kylie and Britney Spears headlining the two-day event in recent years. But 2026 is the year of the pop queen of the moment, RAYE, and music legend Diana Ross.
Saturday night takes place at Preston Park on Saturday 1st August and Sunday 2nd August 2026. Saturday night will be headlined by RAYE who has previously performed at the event in 2018 and 2022. She will light up the stage with her incredible set of hits including ‘WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!’, ‘Escapradism’, and ‘Escapradism’, and tracks from her side. new album, This music may contain hope.
RAYE is the UK name on everyone’s lips at the moment, with a whopping 10 billion streams globally. In 2024, she made history by winning 6 BRIT Awards, the most ever in one year, and was also awarded the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award Grammy for “Ice Cream Man”. She is currently performing all over Europe on her This tour May contain new musicbefore heading to the UK and North America.
In an exclusive UK live show making her Brighton debut, Sunday’s headliner is none other than music legend Diana Ross. This highly anticipated show from the iconic artist is a can’t-miss career-spanning journey through her greatest moments. Fans can expect to hear some of her most beloved anthems, including ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, ‘Endless Love’, ‘Stop! In The Name of Love’, and the queer disco anthem ‘I’m Coming Out’.
During his unparalleled career, the fierce LGBTQ+ icon has received over 100 million streams, downloads and sales around the world. Diana also has over 19 major awards under her belt, including two Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards, a Golden Globe, a Tony Award, 7 American Music Awards and a Guinness World Record for having more hits than any other female artist on the charts, with a career total of over 75 hit singles. Ross is also one of the few celebrities to have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
This year is a big celebration for Brighton and Hove Pride as they turn 35. The annual and much-loved LGBTQ+ Community Parade will once again kick-start Pride weekend under this year’s theme, The power of love. The Power Of Love will bring people together in solidarity, resistance and community, as we strive for equality for all. This special 35th anniversary celebration is a chance to look back at where the march began.
Brighton’s first Gay Pride took place in 1973, organized by the Sussex Gay Liberation Front, formed in 1971 by students and local LGBTQ+ activists. The group even organized a “Gay Day” in 1972 to test the waters. Brighton were ready but only just. Only a small part of the community felt safe enough to march in 1973, and Pride did not return again until 1991. This anniversary invites you to remember the courage it took to be visible, in years when showing up at all was an act of resistance. Pride grew because people stood together, united. Determined and incurable. This is a celebration to honor these early activists and recognize how their bravery and unity moved us all forward.
CEO Paul Kemp comments: “We are extremely excited to welcome the phenomenal RAYE and the iconic Ms. Ross as our Pride on the Park 2026 headliners. Having graced our stage for the first time in 2018, RAYES’ journey over the past nine years has been nothing short of extraordinary. Welcoming the incomparable Diana Ross as our exclusive catalog of Sunday’s UK live show is a legendary catalog of UK live shows. Hits will be an unforgettable moment in Brighton Pride history As we proudly celebrate 35 years of Brighton & Hove Pride, we look forward to an unforgettable weekend celebrating the power of love in all its forms.
Additional information and more artist announcements will follow in the coming weeks. You can register for advance tickets here.
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