SIR Ian McKellen, the veteran actor best know for his roles as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and as Magneto in X-Men, has been announced as the Grand Marshal at this year's Manchester Pride’s Parade.
As Grand Marshal Sir Ian will lead the parade through the streets of Manchester on Saturday 29 August
McKellen - who was born in Burnley in 1939 and has a star in Wigan's Believe Square - is a leading LGBT rights campaigner and recently joined 27 Nobel laureates in addressed an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking out against 'homosexual propaganda'.
Mark Fletcher, Chief Executive of Manchester Pride, said: “We’re privileged that Sir Ian will be leading the parade through Manchester City Centre in this milestone year, where we are marking 25 years of charity fundraising events celebrating LGBT life in Manchester.
“Sir Ian is a genuine inspiration for the global LGBT community, not only for his status as one of the world’s most acclaimed actors but also for his unwavering dedication to campaigning for LGBT rights.”
Sir Ian McKellen leading prideAs Grand Marshal Sir Ian will lead the parade - which this year is expected to consist of around 2500 people - through the streets of Manchester on Saturday 29 August.
This year’s parade will also take a new route, setting off from Liverpool Road down Deansgate, turning up Peter Street, then leading onto Oxford Street, Portland Street and Princess Street. The parade will then turn onto Whitworth Street ending outside Manchester's world-famous Gay Village on Fairfield Street.
A host of big names including Texas, Union J and DJ Fresh will perform in Manchester during the Big Weekend. They will be joined by Lucy Spraggan, Heather Peace, the Shane Ritchie Band and many more to be announced this month.
The Parade is a free event that is part of the wider Manchester Pride Festival. The Big Weekend tickets are currently priced at £25 for a weekend ticket, £15 for day tickets and children's tickets are also available from £5.
bigweekend.manchesterpride.com
