Bolton Pride takes place this weekend - and this is everything you need to know.

The weekend is set to open with a bang, with an opening party at V5 in The Vaults in Market Place from 7pm.

V5 and Bar Four – which will be known as The Rainbow Bar for the weekend and will be a more 'chilled' environment – are the official partners of Bolton Pride.

The bars have later licences than usual for the weekend, stayinng open until 2am.

On Saturday, there is a full day of entertainment planned, beginning with the parade that will begin from Queen’s Park at the Chorley New Road Entrance.

Registration will be from 9.30am – 10am.

From noon onwards, Victoria Square will stage a huge Pride celebration.

There will bars, food, stalls, ice cream vans and entertainment.

The Bolton News: Bolton Pride Associate Directors Rob (left) and Kev (right) Wright & Bolton Gin Company owner Paul Welch (middle) who are supporting the eventBolton Pride Associate Directors Rob (left) and Kev (right) Wright & Bolton Gin Company owner Paul Welch (middle) who are supporting the event

From 7pm, the two bars in The Vaults will be providing entertainment into the night, for the official after party.

Sunday is ‘Family Fun Day’, in Victoria Square, supported by Bolton Wanderers in the Community from 10 am onwards. 

The Town Hall will be lit up in Pride colours throughout the weekend.

READ: Bars are gearing up for Bolton Pride

Associate Director of Bolton Pride Rob Wright said: “We’re striving to continue with the momentum of delivering a fantastic Bolton Pride festival for the diverse, vibrant and unified community that is Bolton.

“We implore everybody to get involved, come down, wear all your colours and come and have a good time and be part of all of us celebrating our unique and amazing differences so we can continue with our strong and distinctive message – to be inclusive, accepting and unified to help reduce hate crime.

“This year we’ve worked hard to take it to the next chapter, post Covid. So, we’re working with lots of local businesses and organisations. We’re focussing on the future, to facilitate the acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community.

“We have been working tirelessly to make it inclusive and celebrate the fantastic differences in the town.

“We want people to feel that they can come and be themselves, to feel safe, accepted, and to be their authentic self - what that may be.”

The Bolton News: Bolton Pride Associate Director Rob Wright Bolton Pride Associate Director Rob Wright

For those travelling from out of town, luckily there are no rail strikes planned for this weekend, which makes getting into Bolton somewhat less stressful.

The last trains out of Bolton towards Manchester on the Friday night – Saturday morning – at 12.18am costing £2.90, and on Saturday – Sunday morning – at 12.08 am, costing the same. The journeys take around 20 minutes.

READ Sir Ian McKellen backs Bolton Pride as he speaks about his youth

There are a number of secure car parks available for those arriving by car, including NCP carparks at The Octagon, Topp Way and Blackhorse Street, and Deane Road, all of which have the option of prepaying to ensure a space.

Bolton town centre has plenty of options of places to stay the night, with hotels such as the Holiday Inn on Higher Street, which is a Booking.com 'Travel Proud' hotel, meaning the company has taken measures to make sure it is as inclusive to the communtiy as possible.

Other accomadation includes Central Bolton Accommodation on Bark Street, Gordon Moon Suits on Market Street, Happy Home on Princess Street and Cascade House on Bradshawgate.