This summer’s Pride festival called off after row over Progress Bar

THE 2023 Salisbury Pride Festival has been cancelled.

Organisers of the event, which last year took place in July, said an ongoing dispute over the city’s Progress Bar had rendered a ‘financial impact’ on the organisation.

The bar, pictured right, closed in February, just months after opening doors with a mission to ‘promote equality and diversity in our historic city’.

It was run by and home to the Salisbury Pride UK Community Interest Company (CIC), which also organised the festival.

“We regret to announce that we have had to made the tough decision to cancel Salisbury Pride Festival 2023,” organisers said.

“Unfortunately despite the efforts to save Progress Bar Salisbury, this has also had a financial impact on the CIC.

“We know this is incredibly disappointing and is not a decision we`ve been able to make easily, but our duty is to ensure that all our events are run safely.”

The decision came after 2022 was hailed as the ‘biggest Pride yet’ in Salisbury.