A major artist is the latest performer to pull out of Manchester Pride 2024 due to the event’s main sponsor.
The event, which will take place on the Bank Holiday weekend this year from August 23 to 26, takes place across a variety of stages in the Gay Village and is one of the largest LGBTQ+ celebrations in the country. This year, the event will be sponsored by travel platform Booking.com.
Last month, three performers originally announced as part of this year’s line-up said they had pulled out of the event after alleging that Booking.com has profited from the ongoing conflict in Palestine. Research by knowledge and research organisation SOMO found that the accommodation platform had 51 listings on its website located within the Occupied Palestinian Territory between March 2021 and May 15, 2023.
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Performers Bollyvvitch and Felix Mufti, who were both due to perform as part of the Trans Filth and Joy takeover on Friday night, pulled out of the event as did Dan Chan, who had been set to perform during the Queer Asian Takeover on Saturday. Activists are also scheduled to protest the event due to its sponsorship ties.
On Wednesday night (July 31), performer Bimini, who appeared on season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, announced they had also now pulled out of the event. The artist had also been scheduled to headline the Trans Filth and Joy takeover on the first day of the festival.
Posting on Instagram, Bimini said they could not ‘in good conscience’ perform at Manchester Pride due to the involvement of Booking.com. The artist posted: “After careful consideration, I’ve made the tough decision to withdraw from headlining the Friday night at Manchester Pride this year.
“This choice is not taken lightly; I deeply value the Manchester community and the celebration of love and diversity that Pride represents. However, after learning of allegations against one of the event’s sponsors, Booking.com, I have decided I cannot in good conscience perform at this year’s event.
“Booking.com list vacation homes in disputed territories and has been blacklisted by the United Nations Human Rights Council as a company that has human rights violations concerns. As an artist and activist, I stand for justice and accountability.”
Booking.com said it was ‘incredibly disappointed’ in Bimini’s decision to withdraw from Manchester Pride, and added it continued to be a platform where ‘people can make an informed decision [on] what’s right for them, and that includes accurately labelling listings in areas that are disputed or affected by conflict’.
Manchester Pride said it ‘understood’ Bimini’s decision to pull out of the event, and added it was ‘continuing to engage in meaningful dialogue’ with Booking.com.
A spokesperson from Booking.com said: “We are of course incredibly disappointed, but we continue to engage with Manchester Pride on this topic to help understand the context behind our position.
“We firmly believe that it is up to travellers to decide where they want and need to go. Our role is to ensure that people can make an informed decision that’s right for them, and that includes accurately labelling listings in areas that are disputed or affected by conflict.
“We also remain steadfast in our commitment to making travel easier for everyone, regardless of who you love or how you identify, and to our many partnerships with organisations like Manchester Pride that share in that inclusive vision.”
David McGovern, the Chair of Trustees at Manchester Pride, told the Manchester Evening News: “We respect and understand Bimini’s decision to withdraw from the Manchester Pride Festival. Manchester Pride has always valued the principles of freedom and liberation, and we honour each individual’s right to protest in their own way.
“The team at Manchester Pride stands in solidarity with all those suffering from the devastating war in Gaza and all the innocent people subjected to violence in Palestine and Israel. At our core, we value liberation and believe nobody’s free until everybody’s free.
“After extensive discussions with Booking.com to understand their stance and actions regarding accommodation listings in occupied territory, we are continuing to engage in meaningful dialogue with them and our other sponsors.
“These discussions remain ongoing as we seek to balance the concerns of our communities with our mission to deliver a safe celebration of LGBTQ+ life in Greater Manchester. We are committed to reviewing our policies and sponsorships for 2025 and beyond to ensure we are addressing our communities’ concerns.
“As a charity dedicated to supporting and representing the LGBTQ+ communities in Greater Manchester, Manchester Pride must generate income through commercial revenue streams, and this includes sponsorship. This revenue allows us to deliver our events, activities and achieve our charity objectives.
“A core element of our work is fundraising for local LGBTQ+ grassroots community organisations, and corporate sponsorship allows us to maximise our fundraising activities. Working with large private sector organisations gives us a “seat at the table” where we can influence change in some of the world’s biggest organisations. We review all sponsorship annually and we continue to work for positive change with partners and allies who have supported the LGBTQ+ community over many years.
“Manchester Pride and the LGBTQ+ community have a long, proud history of protest. We fully recognise, respect and support any artist’s decision to perform or not perform at the Manchester Pride Festival and we continue to stand by, facilitate and champion our communities’ right to protest.
“We are a listening charity, we continuously engage with our communities to ensure our programme of activities and grant-making meets the needs and priorities of intersectional LGBTQ+ people living in Greater Manchester. We continue to consult with our artists and communities to be able to provide authentic, meaningful support in the run-up to our vital celebration of LGBTQ+ life.”
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