Kendal Pride is set to host its first ever parade.
It is being introduced alongside new opportunities for artists and communities, thanks to a grant from Arts Council England.
The annual event takes over the town from Friday June 12 to Sunday June 14, and this year’s theme will be ‘this is home.’
As well as the procession, the festival’s Sunday programme will expand to include acoustic live performances.
Sally Lofthouse-Jones, chairperson of Kendal Pride, said: “We often hear from queer people who grew up here, but chose to move away because they didn’t think they fitted in.
“But when they see pride and the community around it, they tell us that they can imagine Kendal being home for them again.
“This year, we’re putting that front and centre, and saying loud and clear that ‘this is home,’ for everyone.”
The new parade will set off from the Birdcage in the town centre on Saturday June 13 in the morning, and follow a route along the riverbank to the Pride Village at Abbot Hall.
Entertainment, stalls, food vendors, free family activities and a climbing wall, will take over Abbot Hall’s grounds throughout Saturday, with the main stage being hosted by drag queen Viola from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
The annual Big Pride Party will also return to The Venue at Bowness Bay Brewery on Saturday evening, with performances from drag queen Aura Gasm, drag king Adam All and vogue dancer Eric Scurato.
On the Sunday, there will be a host of acoustic performances and a relaxed space in the grounds of Abbot Hall to round off the weekend.
Luis Martins, chief executive officer of Lakeland Arts, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be welcoming Kendal Pride back to Abbot Hall for 2026.
“At Abbot Hall, creating spaces where people can come together and feel inspired is at the heart of what we do.
“As a charity committed to making arts and culture accessible to communities across Cumbria, we’re proud to host Kendal Pride Village and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ and wider local community – everyone who makes Kendal such a vibrant, welcoming, and creative place.”
Ahead of the festival, Kendal Pride will also work with three primary schools to create artwork that will be used in the procession, and pupils will learn a special song which will be performed on the day.
There will also be community choir sessions for people of all ages, with details to be released in the coming months.
Emerging queer performers will also have the chance to take to the new Drag Lab Soapbox stage at Abbot Hall on the Saturday of the festival weekend, giving them an opportunity to try out new family-friendly acts.
The festival will also commission two new queer performance works to be performed over the weekend, and two queer visual artists will be commissioned to show their work inside Abbot Hall.
Grants from Kendal Town Council, the National Lottery Awards for All, and sponsorship from TryBooking, Herdy, Douglass Grange accountants, Romney’s Kendal Mint Cake and Comida, have all helped to make the programme possible.
Sally Lofthouse-Jones added: “Without the support of our funders and sponsors, we wouldn’t be able to make this all happen, and we’re always keen to hear from businesses who might want to get involved.
“But as well as businesses backing what we do, we’re also looking for more brilliant volunteers to make the whole thing run smoothly.
“It’s a fantastic weekend, with gorgeous, warm people, so why not come and be part of it?”
Volunteers will get a Kendal Pride t-shirt and a free ticket to the Big Pride Party.
The rest of the programme for the festival weekend, including the main stage line-up, free workshops, activities and talks, and Friday night events, will be released in the coming weeks.
