Unpaid artists and suppliers bill £1.3M

Manchester Pride owes a total of £1.3m to performers, suppliers and venues, according to a report which details its finances.

The charity behind the event it was announced bust last month As more and more people complain that they have not been paid for their work.

A financial report shared by BBC Newsbeat shows that 182 companies and individuals have debts ranging from £30 to £330,329.

It is also unfortunate that the organizer’s last effort to secure the future of pride once it is clear that the 2025 event has lost money.

According to a report prepared by business restructuring specialists KR8 Advisory, headline act Nelly Furtado’s production company is owed £145,775.75.

A company linked to headliner and ex-eurovision contestant Olly Alexander is listed as being owed £48,000.

The list also includes an entry for the First Aid Charity St John Ambulance – owed £ 47,330.40 – while the company that manages the depreld depot of the event for £ 330,329.

It is also said to be a strong security solution that is practical solutions that do not cost £167,892.

The new information also reveals some of the background to Manchester Pride’s decision to enter liquidation last month.

It says the directors sought legal advice in early September after ticket sales for the August Holiday Holiday Holiday Holiday Holiday Holiday Holiday Stadicity event ended earlier than expected.

The charity unsuccessfully investigated “rescue proposals” before announcing it would go into liquidation on 16 October, according to the report.

The report said that Prito in Manchester 2025 started in “challenging conditions”, and also had to fight the costing crisis and issues that affected the greater frequency of the events.

Organizers hope the launch of the Mardi Gras event at the Mayfield Depot will help drive the charity’s finances and create a template for years to come, it added.

“But as the delivery of the festival approaches, the momentum of ticket sales has not accelerated as expected,” the report said.

In the end, the Mardi Gras event was unsuccessful, the report said, and its losses eclipsed the profits from the annual gay party.

Once it apparently lost money for a third year in a row, the report says that the Bosses sought financial advice and were told that they should not pay suppliers until their financial position became clear.

The charity is also said to have prepared a “compelling” bid to Manchester City Council seeking support, but the authority was unable to help after weeks of consultation.

At this time, it is also waiting to know if it has been chosen to host Europride 2028.

Winning the bid is likely to mean “significant grant funding and sponsor support will be available”, the report said.

After finding out that they were unsuccessful on 11 October, the report says the bosses of Predter in Manchester called an emergency meeting where they examined the remaining options to keep the love going.

In the end, the report says, they chose to put the charity into liquidation.

Manchester pride is one of the biggest LGBT events in the UK, with London and Brighton drawing even bigger crowds.

The organizers apologize for the delay in communication with unpaid works and contractors.

They have already announced plans to hold next year’s August Bank Holiday event, as per tradition.

Manchester City Council said it would “support a new chapter” for the event and hoped it would return in 2026.

The Equity in Entertainment Union said it was taking legal advice to determine the “best way forward”, and the Government’s Sustainability Commission was also looking into Manchester’s concerns.

Equity, which represents entertainers and creators, told Newsbeat it had been contacted about the money posted by “financial advice to find out”.

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