Malvern Pride 2025 - Visit The Malverns

Celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of The Malverns at Malvern Pride.

Malvern Pride 2025 is a tribute to Committee member Nick Houghton who died in December 2024.
The event will be scaled down, a moment to pause, to think about how far we have come and how we might move forwards.
The message remains the same Pride, Protest and Party.

The Malvern Pride Committee have spent the last few months digesting the impact of the death of Committee member Nick Houghton in December 2024. Given that the Committee is made up of his husband Sean Austin, and many close friends, the Pride event in Malvern was nearly cancelled this year. Malvern Pride has come a long way since the first Pride in 2019 and to lose that momentum now doesn’t best serve the outstanding impact Nick made.

Malvern Pride 2025 is a celebration of how far we have come and a chance to remember Nick and his legacy. Malvern Pride will take place in Priory Park, running from 3pm to 6pm, with hospitality available from 2pm. Hosted by Mrs Barbara Nice, ordinary Housewife extraordinaire and this July she’ll be “livin’ the vida loca” at Malvern Pride. Awarded a lifetime achievement award by Midland Zone for her work with LGBTQ+ communities, Barbara is guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s faces and a spring in their step. Barbara Nice is the comedy creation of Janice Connolly BEM, founder member of Women and Theatre. TV work includes Phoenix Nights, Coronation Street and the BBC’s Doctors and stage work includes panto with the late great Paul O’Grady.

Joining Barbara on the bandstand will be ElliXia Q. Valentine, the Drag Sorceress of the Malvern Hills, always dressed in something colourful, ElliXia sings and dances her way through everything. Her penchant for pop perfection means she’s ready to bring the party to Malvern Pride for the 4th year in a row. Barbara and Elixia Q will be joined by a multitude of artists including Eric Scutaro, a Venezuelan choreographer, dance performer and activist, refugee in United Kingdom who will be leading an outdoor voguing and waacking workshop for anyone who would like to join in. Vamos mask theatre company, unicorns, singers and B&B Beat’s Rainbow All Star Street Funk Collective will lead the parade with Sean Austin carrying a banner in memory of Nick at 4.30pm having shared an earlier personal tribute.

Malvern Pride has been programmed for the second year running by Dr Hannah Phillips, Director of Mobilise Arts, Co-Creative Director of Scala Worcester, former Producer of Birmingham Shout Festival of Queer Arts and Culture and the Founder of the No Outsiders Family Festival.

Phillips says, ““Malvern Pride 2025 is in memory of the exceptional Nick Houghton. A moment to pause, to remember and to celebrate the remarkable achievements of Nick, former Mayor of Malvern along with Sean, Mary, Cathy, Anthony and Alec who have worked tirelessly in a volunteer capacity to ensure Malvern has a Pride to be proud of! However, our work can’t stop here, we continue to experience ongoing challenges to our LGBTQIA+ community, most recently with the backwards step of the UK Supreme Court ruling against trans rights. Pride is a protest, an unapologetic and collective demand for human rights and visibility. We remember our history, we remember who has gone before us, we stand on the shoulders of glitter covered giants as we look forwards and reimagine our futures.”

Malvern Pride remains a free event with thanks to Malvern District Council and our sponsors. Organisations that have supported us in the past will be encouraged to join us in the parade with banners representing their organisation.