Lurgan Pride Celebrates Third Annual Event with Parade and Park Festival Despite Small Counter-Protest
Lurgan Pride celebrated its third annual event on Saturday with a colourful parade through the town centre followed by a family-friendly festival in Lurgan Park, drawing hundreds of participants and supporters in what organisers described as the most successful edition yet — a milestone for a community event that has grown steadily since its founding in 2024 despite facing opposition from some quarters of the local unionist community.
Background
Lurgan, a town of approximately 25,000 people in County Armagh, is not the most obvious location for a Pride festival. The town has a complex sectarian geography, with predominantly nationalist and unionist areas separated by interface zones that have historically been sites of tension, and its political culture has traditionally been more conservative than that of Belfast or Derry. The decision by a group of local LGBTQ+ activists to establish a Pride event in 2024 was therefore a deliberate act of visibility — a statement that LGBTQ+ people exist and deserve recognition in every community, not just in the larger urban centres.
The first Lurgan Pride in 2024 was a modest affair, drawing a few hundred participants and attracting relatively little attention beyond the local area. The 2025 event was larger and more ambitious, and attracted some controversy when a group of unionist councillors on Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council raised objections to the parade route. Those objections were ultimately unsuccessful, and the 2025 event proceeded without significant incident.
By 2026, Lurgan Pride has established itself as a fixture in the local calendar, with a growing volunteer base, a more ambitious programme, and a level of community support that would have seemed unlikely just three years ago. The event is hosted by local drag queen Onya Becks, who has become something of a local celebrity in the process, and it draws participants from across County Armagh and beyond.
Key Developments
Saturday's event began with participants assembling at the Iceland car park at noon before the parade set off through Market Street and the town centre at 12:15pm. The route was lined with supporters, many of them families with children, and the atmosphere was described by participants as joyful and celebratory. A small counter-protest was present along the route but remained non-disruptive, and the PSNI reported no significant incidents.
The parade concluded at Lurgan Park, where a "Pride in the Park" festival ran from 1pm to 3pm, featuring live stage performances, a craft fair, food stalls, and community information stands from local organisations working with LGBTQ+ young people and their families. The afternoon programme was followed by a drag extravaganza and bingo show at The Cellar Bar and Lounge, and an official after-party at The Batcave that continued into the early hours of Sunday morning.
Organisers had anticipated an attendance of up to 400 people for the parade and park festival, and early indications suggest that figure was comfortably exceeded. A GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of the event raised more than its target in the weeks before the festival, reflecting the level of community support that has developed around the event.
Why It Matters
Lurgan Pride matters because visibility matters. For LGBTQ+ young people growing up in a town like Lurgan — where the social environment can be conservative and where the nearest large Pride event has historically been in Belfast, an hour's drive away — the existence of a local Pride festival sends a message that they are seen, that they belong, and that their community includes people who celebrate rather than merely tolerate their identity.
The growth of Pride events in smaller towns across Northern Ireland — Lurgan, Newry, Ballymena, Enniskillen — reflects a broader shift in social attitudes that has accelerated significantly since the extension of same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland in 2020. Unlike the Republic, where marriage equality was achieved by referendum in 2015, Northern Ireland's path to equality was longer and more contested, and the Pride movement in smaller towns carries a particular resonance as a result.
Local Impact
The economic impact of Lurgan Pride on the town centre, while modest compared to the Belfast or Derry events, is real and growing. Local businesses along the parade route reported increased footfall on Saturday, and the hospitality venues hosting the evening events were fully booked. Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has not formally endorsed the event, but several individual councillors from Sinn Féin, the SDLP, and Alliance attended in a personal capacity.
What's Next
Organisers have already confirmed that Lurgan Pride 2027 will take place, and are planning a more ambitious programme that will include additional daytime events and a larger outdoor stage. Discussions are under way with the borough council about the possibility of formal recognition and modest financial support for the event, which would allow organisers to reduce their reliance on crowdfunding and volunteer labour.
