Wolves Pride postponed until 2019

The leading city LGBT event was due to be held on October 13 but organisers have now postponed the popular event until next year.

The event attracts thousands of people to the city centre every year, and was headlined by former chart-toppers S Club 7 last year.

A spokesperson from the city's LGBT-plus alliance said they would not be putting on the event until they could deliver a celebration Wolverhampton 'could be proud of'.

In a statement released on its website, The city's LGBT-plus alliance said: "Wolves Pride has been postponed. We have not taken this decision lightly.

"As I am sure you can appreciate, Pride events take months of planning and considerable resourcing, not just in terms of money, but also in terms of people’s time and expertise.

"Having reviewed our plans for this year’s event, we feel it is appropriate to postpone the event until next year to enable us to deliver a Pride celebration that the people of Wolverhampton deserve and can be proud of.

"Preparations for Pride 2019 are already underway. Thank you for your continued support and we hope to see you next year, if not sooner at one of our other events."

Wolverhampton councillor Milkinder Jaspal, who supported the event during his spell as city mayor between 2013 and 2014, said he was 'disappointed' the event was not going ahead this year but hoped to see it's return in 2019.

He said: "I think it is very useful and it is great to have it in the city. I am disappointed that it is not going to take place this year.

"I thought it was very helpful and very useful for the city. Certainly when I was a mayor I found it very good and enlightening, integrating all the different communities.

"It uplifts the city centre and I took a keen interest in it. I am disappointed that it is not being held because I think it is very beneficial to the city both socially and economically."

The alliance's announcement comes as last year thousands donned rainbow flags and took to the city centre for the festival.

It was declared a huge success after 6,000 free tickets to the event were snapped up in advance and crowds gathered from all across the Black Country for the celebrations.