WIGAN Pride will take place on Saturday with the whole community is invited to come along and enjoy the day.

A huge community parade will leave Mesnes Park at 11am and travel to Wigan town centre to launch the event.

The event promotes and celebrates equality and diversity by bringing together arts, music and positive messages at a big annual event.

Entertainment will begin on the main stage, Unity Stage, in Wigan town centre, at 11.45am and run until 5pm.

MC’s Lunna Rose and Vic Cook will host the stage, which will feature artists including Dani Graham, as Definitely Dolly (Dolly Parton tribute), Paula Randell as Cher, returning musicians and favourites Josh Robinson and Gypsy Darling.

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Wigan Pride 2018

New to the Wigan Pride stage will be Jordan and the Inkblots, the North West Ambulance Service Choir and singer Zha Olu.

Several artists including Jack Williams, Kieran Gallagher and Jess Havens, who made their Wigan Pride debut on the Believe Community Stage last year, will also perform on the main stage this year.

Wigan folk rock band, Merry Hell, will headline the stage at 4pm.

The Believe Stage, which offers talented new artists a chance to perform in public, will be on Believe Square, with music from 12-4.30pm.

Wigan Pride spokesman Dan Bonney said: "We’re really excited to welcome so many fantastic artists to Wigan Pride this year.

"This year’s event marks 50 years since the Stonewall riots, a series of protests in New York, which led to the movement towards equality for all.

"It’s important to remember how hard won some of the rights that we take for granted have been and to think of some of the things that still need to change both in this country and abroad.

"However, it’s also important to celebrate the progress that’s been made in the last 50 years towards creating a more equal society and Wigan Pride is a chance to both reflect and celebrate."

Wigan Pride is led by the area's LGBTQ+ community and run in partnership with Wigan Council, including the council’s youth group BYOU, Wigan Borough CCG and the LGBT Foundation.

The event is also run in consultation with Wigan’s Autism Friends.

Key sponsors this year are Wigan Athletic Community Trust, Bithells Waste Management, NW Boroughs Healthcare, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust, the Wiend Bar and hosts of 2019’s after party, local bar Fatbird.

Asda Wigan and Subway will provide refreshments for this year’s volunteer stewards.

Dan added: "We’d like to thank everyone who has contributed towards making the day a reality; our main partners, local businesses and organisations and the many volunteers.

"We hope to see everyone there on Saturday."

Anyone wanting to start their Pride celebrations early next weekend is welcome to attend the screening of the film, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, presented by Leigh Film Society at The Old Courts in Wigan on Thursday at 6.30pm.