Thousands of people of all ages partied through the day and night at Pride in Ely 2023.
With twice as many vendors, and the event running for twice as long thanks to a cheesey disco in the evening, the city came together to celebrate all things LGBTQIA+.
Sandy Fosh, organiser, said: "It was so good to see parents brining their children along and it's fantastic to have them there knowing that there' a space for them as they get older.
"We had some really good feedback from people. One family said they were rreally happy to be able to stay and dance through the evening.
"People used our trans changing room which was on-site, too.
"We had several deaf attendees and there was a BSL interpreter stage who was fantastic and got really into it.
"The cabaret went down really well and we had Pride in Ely's first ever drag king, Justin Muff, perform.
"Drag king-ing is becoming more and more popular - it was a really evocative piece about trauma and accepting themselves for who they are.
"We had a lot of audience members come and say they connected with the piece, who said they were emotional."
Nigel Murfitt also read stories about LGBTQIA+ history, so it was nice to bring something educational to the event.
Pride in Ely ended on a high note, says attendee Lyn Gibb-de Swarte
The celebration of Pride in Ely ended with a fabulous disco, as event manager Simon Pittock welcomed the beautiful revellers at the door of The Maltings.
Assisting him on the door, Pride merchandiser Craig Slaven was kept busy stamping hands and selling luminous bunny ears, glow in the dark specs and rainbow feather boas.
The ‘Cheesy Pride Disco’ at the after-Pride party played all the gay anthems and that familiar old high-energy beat thundered out its timeless message - We will Survive.
A gay old time was had by all, and Stunnalina the drag queen who had compered all the day’s acts in Jubilee Gardens was spotted having a well-earned night out relaxing with a handsome boyfriend.
Sipping an elegant-looking drink, she said: “I had a wonderful time.
“All the visitors to the event who came to watch and enjoy the acts who performed so well during the day were very appreciative.
“It made all the hard work of everyone involved in putting on this great show really worthwhile.
“It was absolutely fun for everyone from start to finish!”
Each year, the Pride in Ely committee presents two awards at the event.
The first, the Rainbow Eel award, is awarded to organisations in the local community that hold up LGBTQIA+ values and help to educate and share those values with the community.
The second, The Mike Rouse Ally Award, went to Jo and Andy Chatwick of PositivEly Magikal for their continued support and overcoming vandalism as a result of that support.
The total amount raised for charity is still being counted but is expected to be announced very soon. Sandy and the team are now putting plans in place for next year's Pride event, which is confirmed to take place on August 3.
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