Wigan Pride is back for 2025

Wigan Council Cabinet Member, Councillor Dane Anderton, Carmel Baines from Wigan Pride Committee, and Kim Ratcliffe, Claire Smallman and San Johal from Calisen.

Dress yourself in rainbows, find your flags, and get ready to celebrate a fabulous, feel-good, summer party in style: Wigan Pride is back for 2025 and it’s the 10th anniversary!

The Wigan Council backed event, that celebrates diversity and promotes inclusion, will return to Wigan town centre on Saturday August 16.

And this year, Wigan Pride is proud to announce this year’s headline sponsor as Calisen, owner and installer of smart energy infrastructures that help power a more sustainable world.

Kim Ratcliffe is a Managing Director at Plug me in, part of the Calisen Group, and also sponsors the organisation’s Progress Network, which ensures diversity and inclusion is supported and promoted within the company and local community.

Kim said: “As company leaders and as allies of the LGBTQ+ community, we know how important diversity both within a company and within a community is. We believe it leads to teamwork and to greater success.

“Wigan is a huge part of our company life and as we expand our office base here, it’s going to become an even bigger part, so sponsoring Wigan Pride is just one way of showing our commitment to the borough.

“Negativity towards people from different communities often stems from a lack of understanding and Pride events can be a great way to educate people as well as offering an opportunity for people to feel seen and accepted.

“At Calisen, we feel it’s more important than ever to show allegiance with diversity, equality and inclusion work and sponsoring Pride events links in with our ethos as a company; we’ve always believed it’s important to use any influence that we have for good.”

The programme for Wigan Pride 2025 is still being finalised but the free event promises to include an opening parade, music and entertainment across two stages, and family friendly activities. Organisers are working hard to make sure that 2025’s 10th anniversary Wigan Pride event will be extra special.

Councillor Dane Anderton is a Cabinet Member at Wigan Council.

He said: “The event in August will be a great opportunity to celebrate the diversity of the borough we live in and to give a strong message that Wigan Borough is a place where everyone is welcome and where everyone can feel comfortable being themselves.

“We’re proud to be forming a partnership with headline sponsors Calisen this year and I want to say a big thank you to them for supporting this important local event.

“Pride has a serious message at its heart, as it promotes core values of kindness and acceptance, but Wigan Pride also offers a fantastic day of free excitement and entertainment in the town centre for all the family, so we hope lots of people will come along on 16 August and enjoy the day.

“This event is a moment to celebrate who you are and the place we call home. Embrace our differences, take pride in our shared journey, and recognise that we are united by more than what sets us apart.”

Scott Williams is chair of the Wigan Pride Committee, a group of volunteers, who, together with Wigan Council, are working to deliver the 10th anniversary event.

Scott said: “As we work hard behind the scenes to plan our biggest event yet we want to thank Calisen for joining us, not only as our headline sponsor, but in becoming active in our committee meetings to help us create a 10th anniversary event that Wigan Borough deserves.

“We cannot run an event like Wigan Pride without the support of local businesses, organisations and volunteers and so we’re always looking for more people to help us deliver this event and the Wigan Pride events for the future.

“I can’t wait to welcome everyone to Wigan town centre for a day and evening of arts, culture and celebration of our diverse communities on 16 August.”

More information on artists, entertainment, special guests, and activities at Wigan Pride 2025 will be announced between now and August.

To keep up to date with the latest information on the event please follow Wigan Pride on Facebook and Instagram.

If you have a local business and would like to sponsor Wigan Pride 2025, please contact info@wiganpride.com