From a Ru Paul's Drag Race star to a screening of Bohemian Rhapsody, rainbow flags will be flying high across the city for the whole month to celebrate Norwich Pride.
A jam-packed programme of events has been announced which will culminate in Pride Day on Saturday, July 27, with a colourful parade, live music, dance and more.
This year's Pride will coincide with Norfolk Day and this year also marks 50 years since the Stonewall Riots when protestors hit back against homophobic police raids in New York and it ignited a cultural revolution.
Norwich Pride is part of a global movement to fight the inequalities faced by LGBT+ people and is a place to celebrate diversity and build a community.
Ahead of Pride Month, here is the full programme of events taking place in Norwich:
July 1 to 5: Pride Week in Schools
Schools across the county will be having Pride celebrations of their own. Email education@norwichpride.org.uk if you would like to be sent resources.
July 1, 8, 15, 22: Playwriting with Pride
Workshops at Stage Two and showcase at Norwich Playhouse on July 22, enquiries call 01603 598600 or email stagetwo@theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
Local queer scriptwriter James McDermott leads a series of writing exercises, group discussions and scene readings, to learn tools and techniques to help create queer characters, stories, forms and structures in plays.
READ MORE: All you need to know ahead of Norwich Pride 2019
July 2, 9, 16, 23: Samba with Pride
7.30pm to 10pm, The Talk, Oak Street, £6 (£4 concessions), first rehearsal free, norwichsamba.orgIf you would like to join the Samba Band at the front of the Pride March, then come along to the open rehearsals on Tuesday evenings at
The Talk. Beginners are always welcome, no experience necessary and all instruments are provided.
READ MORE: All you need to know ahead of Lord Mayor's Celebration 2019July 3: Riot Act
7.30pm, Norwich Theatre Royal, £12, theatreroyalnorwich.co.ukNorwich Theatre Royal's Stage Two are hosting this powerful solo verbatim piece created from playwright and performer Alexis Gregory's interviews with one of the only remaining Stonewall survivors, a 1970s London radical drag artist and a prominent 1990s AIDS activist.
July 4: Bohemian Rhapsody
10.30am, Cinema City, tickets £4 per student, pheducation.wixsite,com/pheducationSpecial screening at Cinema City for Pride Schools Week.
July 4, 11, 18, 25: Sing with Pride
7pm, The Elms, Unthank Road, £6 (£4 concessions), first rehearsal free, singwithpride.org.uk
If you love singing in the shower, you'll love singing with the Pride choir.
July 5: Before Stonewall
6pm, Reindeer Pub, Dereham Road, £6, meetup.com/Norfolk-LGBT-Meetup A special fundraising screening for Norwich Pride of the documentary 'Before Stonewall', in association with Norfolk LGBT+ Meet Up. Barbecue also available (not included in the ticket price).
July 6: David Shenton: - Knitting Coming Out Story
3pm to 4pm, The Millennium Library, The Forum, free
Join David Shenton as he performs "His Story of Knitting in Sixty-Three Stanzas" - a male knitting activism poetic play.
July 6: Fundraising for Norwich Pride in Morrisons Riverside
Help keep Norwich Pride free and accessible for all. Please give generously.
July 7: Vita and Virginia
5pm, Cinema City, picturehouses.com/cinema/Cinema_CityAdapted from Dame Eileen Atkins' stage play of the same name, this film at Cinema City is the fascinating story of the affair and friendship between two authors uncompromising in their insistence to live, love and create to the fullest.
READ MORE: All you need to know as the Norwich Lanes Summer Fayre returns for 2019July 9: Creative Writing Workshop
2pm to 4pm, The Maddermarket Theatre, £5, to book your place email joe@norwichpride.org.uk
Paul Burston and Sophia Blackwell from the Polari Literary Lounge are offering a two-hour workshop which will focus on flash fiction.
July 9: Polari Literary Salon
7.30pm, The Maddermarket Theatre, £9, box office on 01603 620917 or online at norwichpride.org.ukLondon's award-winning LGBT+ literary salon comes to Norwich for the Stonewall 50 celebrations. Hosted by author Paul Burston, Polari showcases the best in established and emerging LGBT+ literary talent.
July 10: Jonathan Harvey in Conversation
7pm, The Maddermarket Theatre, £9, box office on 01603 620917 or online at norwichpride.org.ukJoin acclaimed writer Jonathan Harvey (Beautiful Thing, Gimme Gimme) in conversation with writer James McDermott.
July 10: Drag Quiz
7.30pm, The Birdcage, £3
Fundraising for the education group Know Your Pride, David Mills' part Drag Show and part quiz comes to The Birdcage in Pottergate.
July 11 to 13 and 17 to 20: Waiting in the Wings by Noel Coward
7.30pm (2.30pm matinee on July 20), Sewell Barn Theatre, £10/£9, sewellbarn.orgWaiting in the Wings by Noel Coward The Wings is a charity home for retired actresses. Memories, feuds and point-scoring span decades; old age is greeted with humour and lived with courage.
READ MORE: 9 things to do in Norwich at night - from retro bowling to laser tagJuly 11 and 18: Mapping Norwich's LGBT+ Past
11pm to 1pm, Norfolk Heritage Centre (located on second floor of The Millennium Library, The Forum), free
Help create an interactive map of Norfolk's LGBT+ history. View maps from the collection and add your own LGBT landmarks.
July 14: Hopster Toddler Time
Cinema City, picturehouses.com/cinema/Cinema_CityCinema City invite you to discover a range of heart-warming stories featuring positive LGBT+ characters. These short animated films encourage children to celebrate diversity and dare to be who they want to be.
July 16: A Queer History of Norfolk
1pm to 2pm, The Millennium Library, The Forum second floor, Vernon Castle Room, free
Join Jo Foster-Murdoch, Queer History MA student, as she takes us on a tour through Norfolk's LGBT+ histories and shares her research on the topic.
July 18 to August 7: Mann Upp
Gallery in the Lanes, 25 Bedford Street, free
Mann Up is a showcase exhibition featuring ceramics, textiles and fine art pieces by artist, designer and lecturer Mark Mann at Gallery in the Lanes. It is a celebration of the domestic interiors created by homosexual men in a time when homosexuality was illegal. The work often uses
coded imagery to convey queer meaning.
July 19: Steve Nice Pride Quiz Show
8.30pm, Bowling House, £2.50, bowlinghouse.co.ukSteve Nice invites you out of the closet and into the Bowling House for a fun-filled quiz night celebrating 50 years since the Stonewall Riots with prizes including £50 cash.
July 12: It's Miss Hope Springs
8pm, Norwich Playhouse, £17.50, norwichplayhouse.co.uk Live at the piano, join celebrated comedy cabaret chanteuse Miss Hope Springs who will be playing and singing original musical numbers from her self-penned vintage Vegas repertoire.
July 13: Storytime with Auntie Titania
10.30am, The Millennium Library, The Forum, Early Years Library, ground floor, free
Inspired by the drag story times of New York, Titania Trust will be telling stories and singing songs that open up the world, inspiring imagination and acceptance. Please arrive up to 30 minutes before the event to collect a sticker.
July 13: NOCTURNAL Suzi Ruffell
8pm, Norwich Playhouse, £12, norwichplayhouse.co.ukStar of Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Roast Battle and Live From The Comedy Store, Suzi Ruffell brings her critically-acclaimed show to the city.
READ MORE: 9 unusual things to do in Norwich - from a Rage Room to Snow TubingJuly 20: Guerilla Knitting Workshop
4pm, The Millennium Library, The Forum, ground floor
Join local artist and illustrator David Shenton for a guerilla knitting workshop.
July 20: Stonewalls Roller Derby Sevens Tournament
11am to 5pm, Epic Studios, spectator tickets £8 available on the door
Norfolk Roller Derby will be welcoming skaters from across the country to raise money for Norwich Pride.
July 22: Pimp my Unicorn
St Margaret's Church of Art, St Benedicts Street, free
A brand new two-week festival of art, poetry, performance and politics celebrating 50 years since the Stonewall Riot.
July 22 to 26: Pride of the People - Helping History out of the Closet Exhibition
10am to 4pm, The Millennium Library, The Forum, free
Curated by Ancient House Teenage History Club, this exhibition explores what it was like to be an LGBTQ+ or queer person in the past.
July 22: A History of Pride with Matthew Todd
6pm, Waterstones Norwich, available at waterstones.com and tickets are redeemable against the book on the night
Waterstones Norwich is delighted to welcome author Matthew Todd, who also wrote acclaimed memoir "Straight Jacket", to talk about his latest publication "Pride" which documents the milestones in fighting for LGBTQ+ equality.
READ MORE: Ru Paul's Drag Race star Peppermint heading to NorwichJuly 23: An evening with Sue Lane and friends
7.30pm, Stage Two, £10/£7, theatreroyalnorwich.co.ukJoin singer/songwriter Sue Lane and friends at the Theatre Royal Norwich's Stage Two to celebrate Norwich Pride by performing a whole host of songs.
July 24: Mind Rainbow Garden Party
4pm to 6pm, 50 Sale Road, free
Relax in the lovely gardens and find out about the new pilot project exploring the wellbeing and mental health needs of the LGBTQ+ community.
July 24: Are You Proud?
6.15pm, Cinema City, picturehouses.com/cinema/Cinema_CityJoin director Ashley Joiner at Cinema City for a screening of their film that brings together rare archive footage and interviews from across a spectrum of historical campaigns to celebrate the LGBTQ+ movement's landmark achievements.
July 25 to 28: Laugh in the Park
Chapelfield Gardens, redcardcomedyclub.comThis year's festival of comedy features Stephen K Amos on Pride night.
July 26: Writing Ann Lister
7pm, The Millennium Library, The Forum, £5 on the door (includes a glass of wine)
Join feminist historian Dr Jill Liddington in the Library in the Forum as she tells the remarkable story of Anne Lister of Shibden Hall (1791-1840), the central character of BBC1's new drama series Gentleman Jack.
July 26: Pre-Pride Karakoe
9pm to 12am, Lollard's Pit
Join Billy for some Pre-Pride Karaoke at Lollard's Pit Pub.
July 26: Queer History Tour of Norwich Castle
2.30pm to 3.30pm, free but advance booking essential at ticketsource.co.uk Norwich Teenage History Club will reveal the queer stories and artefacts on display at Norwich Castle.
July 26: Tony Mann Pentanque Showcase
6pm, email di@proudcanaries.co.uk for more information
National Petanque champion and proud gay man Tony Mann will be sharing his skills and taking on challengers.
JULY 27: PRIDE DAY
From 10am, the full programme will be posted on norwichpride.org.ukThe city streets will be packed with thousands of people from across the region to celebrate diversity.
The fun will start from 10am in the Forum and Chapelfield Gardens with stalls and there will be a series of talks and events throughout the morning including Zumba (10am on Millennium Plain), Pride Storytime (12pm in the Children's library) and there will be speeches from the Lord Mayor and the Chair of Norwich Pride from the balcony of City Hall at 12.45pm.
The Pride March leaves City Hall at 1pm and there will be two groups - organised groups who have booked places who will be in the first half, led by the Norwich Samba band, and the Pride People's March, which anyone who shares the Pride values can join on the day, will follow, led by Vibe City Street Brass.
From 2pm the Pride Show starts on the main stage in Chapelfield Gardens, hosted by Norfolk Diva Titania Trust, and the line-up includes Aaron Carty's Beyonce Experience, Michala Jane School of Dance and The Squirrels who appeared on The X Factor last year.
July 27: Spectrum
Revolution, Queens Street
With live music and DJs, Revolution will be transformed into a house of music, extravagance and love.
July 27: Drag with No Name and Eva Inglesias
2pm to 4am (barbecue from 5pm) The Castle Pub, 1 Spitalfields
Celebrate Pride at Norwich's gay pub, bar and nightclub.
July 27: Pride Party
12pm to 2am, Lollard's Pit Pub, Riverside Road
The event will also include an outside bar.
July 27: Pride Party
10pm to 6.30am, Loft NR1 Nightclub, Rose Lane
Two floors of music with DJs Sam Kelly and Phil Bond.
July 27: Candy Land Pride
9pm to 5am, Fetch club, Prince of Wales Road
Special Guest DJ Lee Harris, stage shows, drag queen hosts, glitter face painting and free candy.
July 27: Pride on the Green
1.30pm to 8.30pm, The Birdcage
The Birdcage Pub in Pottergate will be creating a platform in which members of the LGBT+ community can express their stories, present poetry and performance focusing on issues relating to activism, queerness, trans rights and gender issues with a celebratory DJ set to finish.
July 27: Pride Party - Peppermint from Ru Paul's Drag Race
7pm to 1am, OPEN Norwich, tickets from £15, opennorwich.org.ukPrepare to lip sync for your life as Drag Race diva Peppermint is headlining the Norwich Pride after party.
Peppermint starred in the ninth season of Ru Paul's Drag Race and finished runner-up to Sasha Velour and the event will also feature drag DJs Guilty Pleasures, circus acts and dancers.
July 27: Queer History Tour
10.15am to 11.15am, The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell, free but advance booking essential on ticketsource.co.uk
Ancient House Teenage History Club will reveal the queer stories and artefacts on display.
July 28: Pride Service
11am, The Octagon Unitarian Chapel
The Octagon Unitarian Chapel on Colegate has long been home to radical free-thinkers and is welcoming and inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community.
There will be a celebration of Pride followed by tea, coffee, biscuits and conversation.
July 28: True Stories Live, Breathless
6.30pm, National Centre for Writing, King Street
A lively, moving and unpredictable event where people tell true stories about their lives in front of a warm, supportive audience.
July 28: Pride Bingo
6.30pm, Lollard's Pit Pub
Win something rainbow related or a cash prize.
Check out norwichpride.org.uk for more information and the latest listings.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here