HOLLYWOOD star Sir Ian McKellen will be celebrating his 80th birthday weekend as special guest of honour at this year's Bolton Pride Diversity Awards.

The star of stage and film launched Bolton Pride's first festival in 2015 and will be back in May for the special ceremony which recognises how the town supports and embraces the LGBT+ community.

This will be followed by Bolton Pride Festival in September.

Festival director James Edgington said: "We are thrilled that Sir Ian will be the special guest of honour at the awards ceremony.

"He will be speaking and presenting some awards, we do have a Sir Ian McKellen award which we present every year."

He added: "We have asked Sir Ian to attend every year but he has been busy on the West End Stage, and on the weekend on the awards he is in Bolton for his 80th birthday and said he would be able to make it."

James said that Sir Ian's presence not only raises the profile of the event but helps Bolton Pride establish contacts to further its work.

"When he launched Bolton Pride it put it on the map," said James, "Sir Ian is an activist and through him we have been able to make contact and links with different organisations to support the work we do.

"This year we have changed the dates of the award ceremony and the festival because we want to hold events throughout the year."

Bolton Pride Festival will take place over four days starting September 20.

James said the festival and the work going on through the year had made a difference.

He said: "I think LGBT+ is more visible, the fear people might have had has reduced."

Bolton Pride Diversity Awards takes place on Sunday, May 26 at the Albert Halls.

Nominations have now opened for the awards and can be made by visiting Bolton Pride Facebook Page.

For tickets to the ceremony visit https://www.quaytickets.com/Online/mapSelect.asp