A 24-acre regeneration site close to Piccadilly Station in Manchester will this year become home to an exciting new element of one of the world's leading LGBT+ festivals - the Manchester Pride Festival.

The festival's ticketed live music element, previously known as The Big Weekend, is to be reinvented as Manchester Pride Live and will take place over two days - Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 August - at Mayfield, organisers announced today (THURSDAY JANUARY 10).

About 30 global artists will perform across two stages in and around the Mayfield Depot, part of the former Mayfield Station site which is earmarked for a £1bn transformation, including residential, commercial and leisure assets, as well as new city park.

Manchester Pride Live will be staged both within the Depot and other disused spaces within the former Mayfield rail station for two days of live performances.

The announcement follows the staging of a number of ground-breaking events at Mayfield and is in line with developer U+I's 'Worthwhile' policy - driving creative, community and enterprise uses for its sites before and during development to aid place-making and deliver social and economic benefits.

The Mayfield performances are just part of this year's Manchester Pride Festival - a spectacular four-day programme of culture, performance and participation, including The Manchester Pride Parade, the Gay Village Gathering, Superbia and Youth Pride MCR.

Mark Fletcher, chief executive for Manchester Pride, said: 'Manchester Pride Live will be one of the most innovative projects we have delivered to date and our intention is to make it a world-leading celebration of LGBT+ life. The venue, much like us, is part of the foundations of our city and will provide a spectacular backdrop to what will be a uniquely inclusive experience where the LGBT+ people of Manchester can truly celebrate their culture in a safe and welcoming environment.

'The Mayfield Partnership is the perfect partner for Manchester Pride. Its commitment to creating an accessible and inclusive new neighbourhood in the city and the values it espouses are in perfect synergy with everything we hold close as an LGBT+ campaigning charity. We are excited to deliver great things together.'

In 2016, regeneration specialist U+I was appointed as development partner to deliver the Mayfield regeneration project as part of The Mayfield Partnership, which also comprises LCR, Manchester City Council and Transport for Greater Manchester.

James Heather, Development Director for U+I, said: 'It is a privilege to be able to provide a new home this year for such an iconic, ground-breaking and purposeful festival and we are delighted to be working with Manchester Pride to help create what will be a stunning weekend in a stunning location.

'Manchester Pride Live will introduce a whole new audience to Mayfield and is another important step for us as we re-introduce a long hidden and under-used asset to the people of Manchester and beyond and as we progress our long-term vision for the site. '

ENDS

For more information contact Jon Brown on 07811 451184 or email brown@thisisinfluential.com

Notes to editors follow.

About Manchester Pride:

Manchester Pride campaigns for the advancement of LGBT+ equality; celebrates LGBT+ life and creates opportunities that engage LGBT+ people so that they can thrive. As one of the leading LGBT+ charities in the UK, its work aims to challenge discrimination in relation to homophobia, biphobia and transphobia and through our grant-giving, it supports, enrich and empowers LGBT+ community groups, events and causes in Greater Manchester. The organisation fundraises by staging a number of events throughout the year, including the award winning Manchester Pride Festival, The Manchester Pride Spring Benefit, events recognising International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) and the year-round programme of culture, Superbia. Since 2003, Manchester Pride has raised and distributed over £1.5million.

https://www.manchesterpride.com

About U+I

U+I is a specialist regeneration developer and investor. With a £9.5bn portfolio of complex, mixed-use, community-focused regeneration projects including a £140m investment portfolio, we are unlocking urban sites bristling with potential in the London, Manchester and Dublin city regions. We exist to create long-term socioeconomic benefit for the communities in which we work, delivering sustainable returns to our shareholders.

www.uandiplc.com

About The Mayfield Partnership

The Mayfield Development Partnership is committed to delivering the regeneration of Manchester's historic Mayfield site. It comprises LCR, wholly-owned by the Department for Transport; Manchester City Council; Transport for Greater Manchester and regeneration and property development company U+I.

www.mayfieldmanchester.co.uk

About the Mayfield site

Mayfield is a 24-acre site next to Manchester Piccadilly station. The partnership's vision is for Mayfield to become a distinctive new urban quarter, delivering 1,300 homes, 75,000 sq m of office space, a 350-bedroom hotel, retail and leisure facilities and a new city park over the next decade.www.uandiplc.com

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U and I Group plc published this content on 10 January 2019 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 10 January 2019 11:33:09 UTC