One of the UK’s biggest free LGBT events is hoping music fans will Keep On Movin to the North East after announcing its full line up.
Chart-topping boyband 5ive and 90s songstress Heather Small are among the acts performing at Newcastle Pride 2016 this summer.
The popular festival, now in its ninth year, returns with a host of entertainment from June through to August, including a weekend of live music at Newcastle’s Town Moor.
5ive, now featuring original members Scott Robinson, Ritchie Neville and Sean Conlon, will be headlining Newcastle Pride’s Main Stage on July 16, with Heather taking top spot the following day (July 17).
5ive, who reunited for ITV reality show The Big Reunion in 2013, have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and dominated the charts in the 1990s and 2000s with hits including When the Lights Go Out, Everybody Get Up and If You’re Getting Down.
They will be joined by a host of top stars performing from noon until 8pm on Saturday (July 16), including appearances by Scottish singer/songwriter Carol Laula, boyband The Ambition, club favourite Tina Cousins, X Factor and I’m A Celebrity star, Jake Quickenden and actress, turned-singer Heather Peace.
Transgender charity Sparkle, based in Manchester, will also be programming part of Newcastle Pride’s Saturday line-up, with performances by Shane Richie Jr and Jordan Gray.
Heather Small, who appeared on BBC show Strictly Come Dancing in 2008, will headline Newcastle Pride’s Main Stage on Sunday (July 17), with performances running from 2pm until 8pm
This includes appearances by NE Girls, X Factor finalist Keira Weathers, Britain’s Got Talent star Calum Scott, The Voice contestant Lorraine Crosby, former Brother Beyond star, Nathan Moore and 90s favourite, Sonia.
As the voice of M People, Heather stormed the charts with hits such as Moving On Up, One Night in Heaven and Search for the Hero, before enjoying success as a solo artist.
Her hit single Proud, which has been used as the theme song for a host of top sporting events, will provide a fitting soundtrack to Newcastle Pride 2016, which itself has the theme be yourself, change the world, #beproud.
On both Saturday and Sunday (July 16 and 17), festival-goers will be welcomed by representatives from Pride Radio, with a host of additional activities and themed entertainment zones in operation throughout the weekend.
This includes the Cabaret Tent, Steve Paske Health Zone and Dance Tent on Saturday, the Bear Zone on Sunday and the Family and Youth Zone, which will run alongside a number of market stalls on both days.
Mark Nichols, Chair of Northern Pride, which organises Newcastle Pride, said: “The Main Stage programme is one of the most popular aspects of Newcastle Pride and this year we’ve gone all out to offer an amazing array of acts across both days.
“With 5ive and heather Small leading the line-up, we hope that people will really make a weekend of it and enjoy everything the festival, and the North East as a whole, can offer.”
Newcastle Pride, organised annually by LGBT charity, Northern Pride, attracted a record 71,000 visitors in 2015, with an additional 480,000 listening live around the world on Pride Radio.
This year, as well as the Main Stage weekend at the Town Moor, the festival will also feature an extended range of satellite events at venues around Newcastle.
Full listings for all of these events, sponsored by Business Improvement District company, NE1, can be found by visiting www.northern-pride.com or by searching northernprideuk on Facebook and Twitter.
The festival itself is free to attend, however a number of Gold Circle and VIP tickets are available for those who want to guarantee prime viewing spots for the performances on July 16 and 17
These are priced from £12 per person, per day and are on sale now at www.northern-pride.com/shop/tickets. Some of the satellite events may also incur an additional charge.