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Party time: the 2008 event attracted more than 100,000 people |
Axed: Soho Pride 2009
Organisers say mayor’s withdrawal of funding a major factor
SOHO Pride, one of the biggest events in the gay calendar, has been cancelled because of a lack of funding and disruption caused by Crossrail.
Organisers made the shock decision to pull the festival at the beginning of August, which attracted more than 100,000 revellers from across the country to the unofficial gay capital of Britain last year, because they said it was “impossible to create the standard of event” they had hoped for.
The announcement has been met with disappointment by the area’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, as well as residents and businesses, who had grown to love the colour and vitality of the event.
Soho Pride organisers Kim Lucas and Adrian Eleftheriou released a statement explaining the decision. It said: “Partly it’s down to increased road works in Soho making the area unsafe and impossible to create the standard of event we require.
“We have grown the event over the years, adding additional stages and entertainment. It would be a backward step to reduce the event this year.”
They go on to cite the decision by the Mayor of London’s office to withdraw £10,000 of funding from the event, which would have been in its seventh year, as a major factor in their decision. The duo also assured festival fans that they planned to come back bigger and better in 2010.
“Also being in an economic downturn, sponsors funding is now far and few between (which began with the mayor withdrawing the money we got from his office, citing duplication of our event by London Pride, which started two years after Soho Pride) and many gay clubs, bars and local Soho businesses not contributing to the event last year, even though they have benefited.
“We would also like to thank hugely all our wonderful sponsors and those businesses that did contribute to Soho Pride, who helped make the event possible for the last six years and keep your eyes peeled in the press for some exciting news for 2010.”
Peter Lloyd, news editor at the Pink Paper said: “The decision is a massive blow. Soho Pride had really established itself on the map and it offered something completely different from London Pride, which is more political. People would come from all over the place to party, drink and make merry. It’s a shame but with the mayor’s money, the recession and Crossrail, it’s not all that surprising.”
Nigel Robinson from the Soho Society said: “It’s a real shame it’s not happening this year. I think everyone in Soho welcomed the festival. It was a big deal, and we hope it does return next year.” |
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