A gay pride event in Rochester has been given the go ahead by Medway Council.

Medway Pride 2021 will be a family-friendly event run by volunteer group Medway Pride CIC, and will include live music, speeches and stalls from the voluntary sector.

Medway Pride CIC also runs Medway Pride Radio and the festival will include an appearance from DJ Tommy C, as well as ABBA Chique and drag queen River Medway, among others.

It will be held in Doust Way, Rochester Riverside on Saturday, August 21 between 11am and 8.30pm.

It will be ticketed, with a limit of 1,500 people, to keep it safe from covid and to maintain social distancing.

Speaking of what pride meant to the LGBT+ community, chairman of Medway Pride CIC Hilary Cooke said: “Pride is a very important festival for the LGBTQIA+ community as it shows them that within the areas they live there is support and also gives them the opportunity to meet organisations which can give them that support.

“Medway Pride Festival is the first face-to-face festival that we will put on.

"We were going to have pride last year but due to covid that was cancelled and we had a week-long virtual event instead.

“It is not just for the LGBT communities but for all the communities of Medway. It is a cohesion event to break down those barriers.

“In terms of location, the area running between Star Hill and Sun Pier has always been home to the LGBT community. Lots of venues down there support the community."

Organisations running stalls on the day will include Medway Community Health Care NHS Trust, Kent Police and Kent Fire and Rescue.

Medway Pride will be the last event of an eight-day festival in the county which starts with Gravesham Pride on Saturday, August 14.

Medway Council's sub-licensing committee agreed the go-ahead at a meeting yesterday.

Read more: All the latest news from Medway