WORCESTER is to get its first ever Gay Pride festival.

The Worcester Pride event on Pitchcroft is coming to the city in June 2010 with organisers hoping thousands will visit, bringing a massive boost to trade, culture and tourism.

Lee Winters, event manager and member of organisers Worcester Pride Forum, said: “It is going to be electric.

“It is very exciting, it is definitely going to happen and everybody is invited.”

The city is currently more famous for its mediaeval cathedral, historic buildings and its part in the Battle of Worcester but Mr Winters is hoping the event will highlight the city’s contemporary culture.

The festival on Saturday, June 26, will be split into daytime and evening events with the overall message on bringing people from all communities together.

On Pitchcroft, there will be food market stalls, dance and beer tents, family activities, chill out tents and fashion show with a sound stage as the centrepoint for much of the entertainment.

In the evening, the focus will be on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) community with club-owners and promoters being contacted to support the festival in pubs and bars around the city, as events continue at the racecourse.

Organisers are staying tight-lipped but confirmed support from at least two celebrities who will perform at the event.

It is estimated there are more than 5,500 people in the city’s LGBT community alone, with organisers certain they can attract thousands more.

“We want to break down the barriers of gay and gay-friendly pubs and other clubs in the city,” said Mr Winters.

“This is a completely free and inclusive event, you can be gay, straight, disabled or from an ethnic community. Everybody is welcome.”

The huge task of organising the city’s first pride festival means backers want to hear from local traders, suppliers and residents keen to help out or run a trade stand.

“We want to support local traders and, where possible, source equipment from the county,” said Mr Winters.

A series of fund-raisers is also planned between now and the summer, with the first at the Edgar Suite Bowl Extreme on Friday, November 27, with live music, compere, an adult quiz and other entertainment.

Any profit made from the event will go to cancer charities, including Worcestershire Breast Cancer Unit Campaign, which is supported by your Worcester News, and the Worcester Aids Foundation.

For more information and updates, log on to the website at worcesterpride.co.uk, e-mail info@worcesterpride.co.uk or check the Twitter and Facebook sites.