‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’ – ‘BRIGHTON & HOVE PRIDE’, PRESTON PARK, BRIGHTON 1.8.26 (DAY ONE)
‘Brighton & Hove Pride‘ returned to Preston Park to celebrate “The Power of Love” and its 35th birthday this weekend with a jam packed schedule of entertainment for everybody!
‘Pride On The Park’ supported by Hayu on Saturday August 1st and Sunday August 2nd featured showstoppers including global icon Diana Ross, the sensational RAYE, Frankie Goes To Hollywood star Holly Johnson, Spice Girl Melanie C, Leigh-Anne, Jessie J, Self Esteem, with RuPaul and Paris Hilton glittering in our 2026 Icons slot.
‘Pride On The Park’ isn’t just a festival, it’s a celebration of hundreds of LGBTQIA+ voices and talents lighting up the weekend! While the Main Stage and Dance Arena set the pulse, the magic spread across the park with something for everyone. There were multiple stages and immersive spaces, including Legends Cabaret, The Cocoa Butter Club, Queer Town, Party Bag, and exciting 2026 additions like Bears In The Woods, Queer Soap Box, and Outro, plus family zones and so much more.
Saturday 1st August:
Today’s reviewing duties are shared by Jess Kemp and Martin J Fuller, and our photographers on the case were Sara-Louise Bowrey and Mike Burnell. Sunday 2nd August reviews will follow in due course.
‘Brighton & Hove Pride’ 2026 kicked in for the first of the two day bonanza. Brighton Pride has always been about far more than music. It’s a celebration of identity, protest, community and joy, and as the festival marked its 35th anniversary, Preston Park once again became the beating heart of one of the UK’s most significant LGBTQ+ events. Under the Sussex sunshine, tens of thousands made the annual pilgrimage from the city centre to the park after witnessing the vibrant parade wind through Brighton’s streets.
One of the biggest talking points this year wasn’t on the stage at all – it was in the organisation. After criticism last year, the festival team had clearly listened. Entry into the site was noticeably smoother, security queues moved quickly, toilet facilities were plentiful and well distributed, and free water stations were easy to find throughout the day – it really made a huge difference to the overall enjoyment so the festival organisers deserve credit. The only casualty of the glorious weather was Preston Park itself; there wasn’t a single green blade of green grass left, the entire site reduced to a dusty golden-brown carpet after weeks of dry, hot sunshine.
MOONCHILD SANELLY (Main Stage 13:10 – 14:00)
We arrived at the park later than intended as the parade ran late. An hour late! So we missed the legendary Bimini and only managed to catch the last few songs from Moonchild Sanelly’s set. Now I had been wanting to catch Moonchild for a while as the ‘buzz’ around her has been building for a long while so securing her for Pride this year was a no brainer. You will have come across her visually, but maybe not audibly.
If you have not heard or seen anything about her, allow me to introduce you. Sanelisiwe Twisha, known professionally as ‘Moonchild Sanelly’ hails from South Africa and refers to her music as “Future Ghetto Punk.” Known for outspoken views on female empowerment and sexual positivity, she sings in Xhosa and English. The music draws from house and dance-pop, hip-hop, and dancehall, somehow, she manages to blend her source material deftly to create something taking the best from each but fusing into a sound which is both refreshingly new and familiar at the same time. The debut full length album ‘Rabulapha!’ translates from Xhosa as ‘Sip This.’ What better name could you give an album which invites you to sample from a blend of both R&B and Amapiano Beats? Rapidly gaining celebrity in her home country she reached international audiences when she collaborated with Beyonce, Major Lazer, Gorillaz and others. The second album ‘Phases’ blends South African dance genres including gqom and Amapiano as well as left-field pop. In 2025 the artist dropped what she calls her “…rawest and most honest work”, the album ‘Full Moon’.
Now you know a little more about her I think you can appreciate how special an act she is. A visual feast from the start the music is infectious. Seducing you into dance immediately. Programming her to take the stage so early seemed like a strange choice to me, but then I do find myself questioning the programming at Pride. Take for example programming Sonique and Beth Ditto Legends slot on the Main Stage at the same time Fatboy Slim in the DJ tent?! People were still complaining about missing Ditto last year, this year. Many claimed that they did not know Ditto was playing, even though it was on the poster. If Pride can take the opportunity to redress this with both Sonique and Ditto and invite Moonchild back for a later slot, it might go a long way with the audience and artists. Do take an opportunity to look at Moonchild’s albums and collaborations.
(Jess Kemp)
LEIGH-ANNE (Main Stage 14:20 – 15:10)
Leigh-Anne full name Leigh-Anne Pinnock is the pop and R&B artist who is best known as a member of Little Mix, yes THAT Little Mix. OK you have no idea who Little Mix are. They are the British girl group and X-Factor champions who had six top ten albums. She is now, like the other members embarking on a solo career. The debut single ‘Don’t Say Love’ was released in 2023 and followed by the first EP ‘No Hard Feelings’ in 2024.
Yet another insanely danceable artist programmed a little too early. Leigh-Anne still gave her performance everything, as all professionals always do. Stand out songs on the day were a cover of the classic Bob Marley and the Wailers ‘Could You Be Loved’ and ‘OMG’ from the ‘No Hard Feelings’ EP. The latter of which is catchy as hell and will no doubt be remixed for the club dancefloor. It is a real hip shaker. Watch out for Leigh-Anne storming her way up the charts and playing on rotation on a radio station near you.
(Jess Kemp)
RUPAUL (Main Stage 15:20 – 16:10)
Having followed Pride Parade through the city before making the walk up to Preston Park, I arrived just in time to catch part of RuPaul‘s DJ set, the legendary drag icon cut an imposing figure in a striking white suit paired with a black shirt, confidently strutting the length of the catwalk and orchestrating the crowd while dropping a succession of banging dancefloor fillers. It was exactly the kind of glamorous, unapologetic celebration that Brighton Pride has become famous for.
(Martin J Fuller)
G FLIP (Main Stage 16:40 – 17:30)
Next up was G Flip, who delivered one of the afternoon’s most energetic performances. Having first seen them playing the Beach House venue during The Great Escape Festival back in May 2018, it was remarkable to see just how their sound has evolved. The infectious enthusiasm that stood out in those early days remains completely intact, only now it’s projected across a huge festival crowd. Racing around the stage, jumping behind the drums before later picking up a saxophone to add another layer to the performance, G Flip never allowed the momentum to dip. Tracks including ‘Disco Cowgirl’ and ‘Bed On Fire’ were met with huge enthusiasm, combining driving pop hooks with a live intensity that perfectly suited the afternoon sunshine.
(Martin J Fuller)
SELF ESTEEM (Main Stage 17:55 – 18:45)
If G Flip brought relentless energy, Self Esteem brought sassy confidence. Dressed in white tee shirt and baggy white shorts and flanked by seven impeccably choreographed backing singers and dancers in contrasting black, Rebecca Lucy Taylor transformed the stage into something closer to an art performance than a conventional pop show. Members of the troupe sported the now-iconic “Live Love Laugh Fart” T-shirts, adding another dose of Self Esteem’s trademark humour to proceedings. During her set, she joked that she’d performed at a child-friendly festival the previous day, pointing out that today’s audience was getting something rather less family-friendly, fully justified once songs like ‘Fucking Wizardry’ exploded into life. The emotional centrepiece came with the anthemic ‘I Do This All The Time’, a song that has become a rallying cry for self-belief and resilience, delivered with the kind of conviction that had the Pride crowd singing every word back to her.
(Martin J Fuller)
JESSIE J (Main Stage 19:25 – 20:15)
Next up was Jessie J who demonstrated why she remains one of Britain’s most naturally charismatic live performers, turning her 50-minute festival slot into one of the day’s standout performances through sheer personality as much as powerhouse vocals. Dressed all in black and accessorised with a chunky gold chain, she commanded the stage from the moment she appeared, constantly engaging with the audience rather than simply performing at them. Her trademark humour and honesty shone through between songs, sharing stories about her songwriting and career with an openness that drew the crowd even closer. Introducing one emotional moment, she spoke about writing a song when she was just 17 and encouraged everyone to follow their heart, visibly moved as she reflected on her own personal journey since.
Musically, Jessie J mixed huge hits with crowd-pleasing covers. Set-closer ‘Price Tag’ prompted one of the biggest singalongs of the afternoon, while ‘Domino’, which she described as her favourite song she’s ever written, had Preston Park singing along with gusto. A lively rendition of ‘LaserLight’, and her takes on Luther Vandross’s ‘Never Too Much’ and Rufus & Chaka Khan’s ‘Ain’t Nobody’ showcased her ability to make familiar covers feel fresh. One of the most touching moments came during ‘Living My Best Life’, as Jessie explained how the song had helped her through her recent cancer treatment, giving the performance an added emotional weight. As the set drew to a close, she thanked the audience for their support, spoke warmly about how much she was enjoying being back on tour and encouraged everyone to “live it up” before bringing her band and crew onto the stage to share the applause, a fittingly generous end to a performance built on warmth, resilience and crowd connection.
(Martin J Fuller)
RAYE (Main Stage 21:00 – 22:25)
RAYE‘s much anticipated headline performance was an immersive theatrical production, effortlessly blending cinematic storytelling with moments of pure pop euphoria. Right on cue, her impeccably dressed orchestral band walked onto the stage in trademark evening wear as bursts of flamethrowers erupted at the front of stage, setting the tone for an unforgettable finale to the first day of
the Pride’s celebrations. Moments later, RAYE emerged wrapped in a sumptuous faux fur coat before dramatically casting it aside to reveal a stunning sparkling red dress that glittered beneath the lights, her radiant smile and natural charisma lighting up the stage.
Launching into her 2023 No.1 hit ‘Escapism’, she immediately reminded everyone why she has become one of Britain’s most compelling live performers before slipping into ‘Beware.. The South London Lover Boy’. Alongside her extraordinary voice, one thing became clear throughout the evening: RAYE loves to talk. Whether sharing stories behind her songs, chatting with the audience or occasionally singing snippets of her conversations, she created the feeling of an intimate show despite performing to tens of thousands. She even confessed she’d had to drop one song from the set due to the 10:30 time curfew.
During ‘Skin & Bones’, a song about the realities of modern dating, she encouraged audience participation before pausing to reflect on what Brighton Pride meant to her. Having appeared here four years ago as a relative unknown, she spoke movingly about how the Pride audience had embraced her long before much of the music industry had, telling the crowd it was “an honour to play” and thanking the LGBTQ+ community for believing in her as an artist from the very beginning. Throughout ‘Worth It’, the audience seemed to know every word, while RAYE constantly exchanged smiles, jokes and affectionate comments with her musicians, repeatedly referring to them and the crowd as “my darlings.”
As the show progressed, RAYE demonstrated why she’s become one of the finest musical storytellers of her generation. ‘Oscar Winning Tears’, ‘Winter Woman’ and ‘Nightingale Lane’ unfolded like miniature films, each packed with dramatic themes and emotional detail. Violinist Kirsty became one of the evening’s secret stars, her soaring strings adding another layer of grandeur, particularly during the spectacular climax of ‘Nightingale Lane’, which built into one of the night’s biggest musical moments.
Supported by her two exceptional backing singers dressed in the same sparkling red ensemble, the set then shifted into a beautifully restrained down-tempo section that showcased the sheer quality of RAYE’s songwriting. A quality cover of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ silenced the park before she sat down to deliver an extended, deeply emotional performance of ‘I Know You’re Hurting’, offering words of reassurance that “it’s going to be alright” to anyone struggling, appearing visibly moved whilst introducing the song.
The tempo was dialled right up once more as ‘Click Clack Symphony’, her collaboration with Hans Zimmer, introduced sweeping cinematic textures that underlined just how ambitious her live show has become.
Having taken the audience through heartbreak, vulnerability and hope, RAYE closed by unleashing a run of songs designed simply to celebrate life. ‘Secrets’, ‘You Don’t Know Me’ (her collaboration with Jax Jones from a decade ago) and ‘Life Boat’ steadily increased the tempo before ‘Prada’ turned the park into an enormous open-air nightclub. ‘Joy’ arrived as an uplifting declaration of optimism, RAYE almost preaching to the audience as she celebrated resilience and togetherness before one final explosion of energy.
By the time the 2025 No.1 smash ‘WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!’ brought the set to its tumultuous conclusion, the entire park was bouncing in unison, with every chorus echoing far beyond the festival site. After an hour and a half of emotional highs, humour, dazzling musicianship from her band coupled with her world-class vocals, RAYE thanked Brighton Pride for being such a beautiful crowd and once again acknowledged the community that had championed her long before the arena tours and award ceremonies that have followed.
It was a fitting headline performance for a landmark anniversary: spectacular without ever feeling over-produced, deeply personal while connecting with tens of thousands, and further proof that RAYE has grown into one of the UK’s most captivating live artists.
(Martin J Fuller)
