The union representing performers at Manchester Pride said it had secured funds for performers who were left out of pocket when the charity collapsed last year.
Equity, which represents performers and creatives in the entertainment industry, said it had secured £15,000 from a social action pot put forward by Manchester City Council.
Manchester Pride went into liquidation in October 2025 due to rising costs and falling ticket sales. After the August 2025 event, more than 50 performers were left without pay.
A crowdfunding campaign led by the performer and activist Nathaniel Hall had raised £13,641 for Manchester Pride performers by February 2026.
Equity said the council funds alongside Hall’s crowdfunder meant that almost 40 per cent of the £70,000 owed had been covered.
A spokesperson for the union told Third Sector: “Equity held multiple meetings with Manchester City Council and we continued to follow up. Even when it seemed like options were running out we didn’t give up.”
Equity said it has been in contact with slightly more than 50 performers who have been waiting for more than a year for payments of between £150 and £5,000.
“We did quite comprehensive engagement and outreach to try to track down as many performers as possible who were impacted last year, but it is of course possible that there are some others who we are not aware of,” the union’s spokesperson said.
The union said it planned to distribute a percentage of the unpaid fees to each artist on its list.
Manchester Village Pride 2026 took place over the August bank holiday weekend after Manchester Pride was taken over earlier this year by a new community interest company, which signed a union agreement to guarantee fair pay for performers and creatives.
Hall said it was “encouraging to hear that Manchester City Council had found £15,000 to help creatives” who performed at last year’s event.
“Even though this won’t cover all the losses, the gesture is really welcome. Equity members have been working for months to get this result. LGBTQ+ Equity members can be proud they have a union that has their backs when times are tough.”
Karen Lockney, Equity North West official, said: “This is great news for the many performers who were left high and dry last year when Manchester Pride went bust.
“Performers are so often the people who end up out of pocket, dismissed and treated badly, but there would literally be no Pride without performers.”
Garry Bridges, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “We’ve been working with Equity to find a meaningful way to help those worst affected without using public money to meet the debts of a failed business and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to reach this constructive solution together.
“The event and its performers have a bright future under new organisers Manchester Village Pride and it’s great that they have strong arrangements in place to ensure that performers can have confidence going forwards and similar issues can’t happen again.”