Communities are being invited to help make Kendal Pride 2026 happen by getting creative, singing or volunteering.
The annual event takes over the Cumbrian town from Friday June 12 to Sunday 14, and this year’s theme will be ‘this is home.’
In the run up to the festival, people will be making pride decor from scrap materials with Ragtag Arts and raising their voices in a new community choir.
Sally Lofthouse-Jones, chairperson of Kendal Pride, said: “Singing together and making together are joyful and unifying things to do so we can’t wait to bring people together at these sessions.
“Our community is at the heart of what we do and this year with our theme, we are extending that and involving people even more – we’re building a shared home together.
“They say it takes a village – so come and be part of making pride happen.”
During the creative making sessions people will be creating the site decor which adorns the Pride Village from scrap and recycled materials, reusing things that other people might throw away.
There are three sessions for adults on Thursdays May 14 and 21 from 6-9pm, Sunday June 7 from 10am to 4pm and a family day on Saturday June 6 from 10am to 4pm, all hosted at Ragtag Arts’ new space in Elephant Yard.
For people wanting to get vocal, the community choir sessions take place on Tuesday May 26 and Tuesday June 9 from 6 to 7.30pm at the Castle Street Community Centre.
The choir will perform as part of the first ever Kendal Pride procession on Saturday June 13 starting at the Birdcage at 11.45am, and on Sunday 14 on the Pride Village Stage at Abbot Hall which runs from 1pm until 6pm.
People of all abilities are encouraged to sign up for a free place to take part in either the creative sessions or the community choir and no previous experience is needed.
Looking ahead to the festival weekend itself people are also being encouraged to sign up and volunteer across the weekend.
Anyone volunteering will get a free Kendal Pride t-shirt, ticket to the Big Pride Party at The Venue, lunch and opportunities to meet new people.
Grants from Arts Council England, Kendal Town Council, Kendal BID, 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.
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.
Tickets to the Big Pride Party are on sale now priced at £20. For more information about Kendal Pride, to sign up for a creative making or choir session, or to register to volunteer visit www.kendalpride.co.uk
