Manchester Pride’s Board of Trustees has announced the charity has begun the process of voluntary liquidation.
In a statement on Wednesday 22 October, the board said “a combination of rising costs” and “declining ticket sales” has led to the organisation “no longer being financially viable.”
The charity is responsible for Manchester’s annual pride events, which have taken place in August every year since 1985 and drawn in hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city.
The Board of Trustees said: “[We] are devastated at this situation and sad to share that our staff team will be made redundant.
“We, along with the team, have put our hearts and souls into the celebration and community activities over two decades and are very distressed at the position in which we find ourselves.
“We would like to sincerely offer our thanks to all of our staff, volunteers and supporters who have contributed so much to Manchester Pride over the years.”
The announcement comes after a number of performers were left unpaid for their work during the August Bank Holiday.
Equity, the performing arts and entertainment trade union, has urged performers waiting for payment to get in touch for support and advice.
According to the union, the 60-day payment period for most performers’ contracts expires at the end of October, meaning Manchester Pride will be in breach of agreed payment periods if performers are not paid by then.
The Board of Trustees said: “The Manchester Pride team have now handed over the details of suppliers and artists who are owed money to the liquidators who will be handling the affairs of the Charity and contacting everyone.”
Manchester Pride has also submitted a serious incident report relating to the charity’s finances to the Charity Commission, which has now opened a compliance case.
A commission spokesperson said: “We have opened a compliance case to assess concerns raised about Manchester Pride and we are engaging with the trustees to help inform any next regulatory steps.”
