It’s that time of year folks and here at the REALBrighton office we are trying to spread our Pride around, so we thought what better way to do it than go to one of the many Pride events the UK has to offer.

Pride to me is like a big gay Christmas so imagine how I felt when I realised I could enjoy more than one Christmas a year. Of all the UK Pride events the two I hear people talk about are Brighton and Soho, so I grabbed my camera, my REALBrighton t-shirt and the significant other and off we went.

London is one of those cities many Brightonians love to hate, but when the sun is shining and you’re surrounded by friendly faces it’s hard to remember why. Soho was packed as throngs of people enjoyed a wide selection of entertainment from cabaret to bar culture. The hot spots of the day were most certainly the Candy Bar street party, with the hottest female DJ line up I have heard in a long time (Even the lads were loving it), and the Fiction Dance Stage by the square, the tunes here were banging and the DJ’s were on top form.

People flooded every bar, restaurant and street in Soho although it’s a shame the cabaret area was pretty empty when we stopped to see Topping and Butch perform their infamous satirical act.

The Edge on Soho square played host to the VIP bar. Free drinks and sexy staff made this one of the more popular spots for the hordes of press folks covering the event. Outside of the VIP area the multi-floored Edge bar was alive with great tunes and a massive crowd. It was clear that every business in town had gone to great lengths to make this event happen, and the unity of the organisers shone through in it’s execution.

As Pride events go this was certainly a community lead affair, and one of the best I have been to. A special mention for Kim Lucas is in order as she organised a great deal of the event, and the Candy Bar stage was certainly one of the most diverse in terms of musical styles.

After a lot of drinking, a lot more dancing and a few Asprin we headed home, I can truly say that it’s events such as Soho Pride that bring out the best in our community and I certainly felt proud to be a part of it.

Make sure you check out Wilma's review of Soho Pride as well!