Northern Ireland’s annual LGBTQ+ event, Belfast Pride Festival, will form part of a UK delegation joining this year’s São Paulo Pride Parade for the British Council’s UK/Brazil Season of Culture 2025-26.
Taking place on Sunday 7 June, the Parade is the world’s largest Pride event, with an estimated 4 million people attending. In 2026 it will also celebrate its 30th anniversary.
Belfast Pride Festival is an independent charity and one of Belfast’s biggest festivals, hosting more than 150 events across 10 days. Its Pride Parade is a highlight of the LGBTQ+ calendar and the biggest cross community parade in Belfast, promoting equality, solidarity and celebrating the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Belfast and beyond.
Belfast Pride Festival will be represented in Brazil by Trustee, Gráinne Gibson, and drag artist and DJ Rusty Hinges.
The UK/Brazil Season of Culture 2025-26 is a joint initiative between the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, and Instituto Guimarães Rosa (IGR), part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil.
The season marks 200 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries and includes a free and diverse programme of events aimed at deepening cultural ties, promoting rich cultural heritage and building lasting relationships between both nations.
Other members of the UK delegation will include representatives from Pride in London (England), Pride Cymru (Wales) and Oban Pride (Scotland). During their visit, the UK delegates will also take part in roundtables, social projects, cultural exchanges and networking activities, including engaging directly with approximately 90 Pride organisations from across Brazil.
Colm McGivern, Director, British Council Northern Ireland, said:
‘We’re delighted to bring a Belfast buzz to Brazil, and support Belfast Pride Festival’s participation in São Paulo Pride. It offers a powerful platform for Northern Ireland’s artists to share their creativity and connect with global audiences. This collaboration celebrates inclusion, cultural exchange and the developing ties between Northern Ireland and Brazil.”
For more information and interview opportunities, please contact Hayley Willis, Senior Media and Campaigns Manager, British Council: hayley.willis@britishcouncil.org
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2024–25 we reached 600 million people.
About the UK/Brazil Season of Culture 2025-26
August 2025 to June 2026 marks the celebration of the UK/Brazil Season of Culture, a joint initiative by Instituto Guimarães Rosa (IGR), part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, in charge of Brazilian cultural diplomacy, and the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
The Season is part of the commemorations marking 200 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, featuring a free and diverse programme across multiple cities in both Brazil and the UK. Its aim is to strengthen ties through events that explore a wide range of artistic expressions and promote cultural dialogue as a powerful tool for transformation and connection between people.
Key themes include climate emergency, technology, joy, diversity, and representation; topics that reflect global challenges and opportunities. The initiative invites audiences to engage in creative and collaborative experiences, fostering lasting connections among artists, cultural leaders, and institutions from both nations.
About Belfast Pride
Belfast Pride Festival is one of the biggest festivals in Belfast with over 150 events across 10 days. The festival runs from Friday 17th July to Sunday 26th July with Pride Day and the centrepiece Pride Parade on Saturday 25th July. The Belfast Pride Parade is the main event in the LGBTQIA+ calendar, a major city event and the biggest cross community parade in Belfast. It is a protest and a celebration, a call for equality, a stand for solidarity and a celebration of the lives of LGBTQIA+ people in Belfast and beyond.