Excitement is starting to build for Manchester Pride 2013, one of the most popular LGBT celebrations in Britain, after the event's launch.

Patrons, friends, trustees and media supporters of the organisation gathered for an exclusive look at what can be expected from this year’s Manchester Pride, which begins on 16 August. 

It has been announced the theme for this year’s parade is Acceptable in the 80s. 

Opportunity 

Gay Star News are official media partners for three of the UK’s biggest LGBT events taking place this summer; London Pride, Manchester Pride and Brighton Pride and for EuroPride 2013 taking place in Marseille, France.

This is the moment when gay-fronted pop band The Feeling went Supersonic in the Concorde hangar for Manchester Pride.

The band, whose lead singer Dan Guillespie-Sells has long been involved in gay rights, performed at a red-carpet fundraising dinner for the leading pride event in north-west England on Saturday (6 April).

Guests dined under the wings of the now-retired BA Concorde plane at Manchester Airport before taking part in a raffle and charity auction.

The celebration of LGBT Pride takes all sorts of different forms around the world.

What began as a political movement, demanding equality and human rights for LGBT people, has evolved in many places into festivals, parades and parties of all shapes and sizes.

What’s undeniable is that the focus and character of a pride event is very much shaped by the city and people that it represents.

This year's Manchester Pride season kicks off with an exclusive, red-carpet event held on 6 April in the Concorde Hangar at Manchester Airport.

Inspired by the power and energy of the fastest plane in the world, the 'Supersonic'-themed fundraiser will blow guests away with a premiere three-course dinner and lively entertainment underneath a Concorde Jet.

Manchester Pride, one of the UK’s biggest and best gay festivals, is to donate £52,000 ($84,000, €64,000) to charity – but its profits have been halved by bad weather.

The event charges for entry to the streets of Manchester’s gay Village during the pride weekend but always spreads its profits around the north west’s LGBT and HIV charities.

But this year’s festival in August in the gay capital of northern England faced a perfect storm of wet weather and a UK-wide decline of 20% in charitable giving.

Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalists The Showbears will be lending some of their sparkle to Manchester Pride in northern England.

The UK TV reality show stars will be there as part of the Co-operative Group’s entry at the event on Saturday (25 August).

They will join 150 members of the Co-operative’s award winning LGBT employee network Respect in a vibrant procession through the city center, home to the company’s head office.

If you are feeling a deeper shade of blue, don’t worry because gay pop royalty Steps will be headlining Manchester Pride.

It was announced today (7 July) the British pop band, formed in 1997 and famous for hits like Chain Reaction, will be performing in the northern English city during the big weekend on 24-27 August.

Coronation Street soap star Antony Cotton, a patron of Manchester Pride, said Steps has definitely got a hold of his heart.

He said: ‘Steps have such huge appeal and we are delighted to welcome them to the Manchester Pride main stage.

Manchester Pride, the most popular LGBT festival in northern England, has announced where it spent the £105,000 it raised last year.

The festival gave the cash to 45 good causes, who got between £500 (€625 $780) to £10,000 (€12,500 $15,600), with funding focussed on LGBT causes and HIV in the north west region.

Charity Barnado’s, got a grant to help its work with young people suffering with HIV and AIDS, and Manchester Parent’s Group, a voluntary organisation supporting families and friends of lesbians, gays and bisexuals, also got funding

The LadyRock women's festival scheduled for 26 May in Manchester, North West England has been cancelled.

Scottish pop singer KT Tunstall had been confirmed to headline the festival, along with radio favourites Young Pony Club and Ronika.

LadyRock was poised to be the first event of its kind in the region. The women's-only event hoped to bring the best female talent to the stage, from top performers to up-and-coming talent.

Manchester Pride is back for another summer to present a programme of parties, arts, culture and debate.

Running from 17 to 23 August, the festival in north west England is in its 22nd year and will consist of four elements; the Pride Fringe, The Big Weekend, The Manchester Pride Parade and the George House Trust Candlelit Vigil.

Manchester Pride 2012 will have a new chief director this year, John Stewart, who is hoping to continue the festival’s success.