EQUITY demanded that Manchester City Council “come clean” yesterday over when it knew Manchester Pride was in financial difficulty, which left performers and suppliers unpaid.
The union said it understands concerns were raised before the event and is calling on the council to make good faith payments to dozens of unpaid performers, many of whom are expected to take part again next year.
More than 50 performers, most of them Mancunians, represented by Equity, have unpaid fees ranging from £150 to £5,000 each.
Over 1,500 people have now signed a petition urging the council to act.
Equity’s open letter asks: “What exactly did MCC know of the organisation’s financial difficulties before Pride 2025 took place?”
Talks with liquidators began as early as April 30, 2025 and some performers were reportedly warned mid-event to invoice quickly, the union said.
Equity’s Karen Lockney said: “The council must come clean on what it knew and why performers were allowed to work unpaid.
“Many live gig to gig — they’ve been left unable to pay rent or bills.
“MCC must restore trust with good faith payments and union contracts as standard.”
A Manchester City Council spokesperson rejected suggestions that it was aware performers might not be paid.
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“We share the frustration and disappointment that performers at this year’s Pride have not been paid. It is unforgiveable and we would urge the administrator to prioritise paying the invoices of performers,” the rep said.
“The council had no knowledge of the extent of Manchester Pride Events Ltd’s financial problems until after this year’s Pride event.
“While we were aware that they were operating in a challenging trading environment, we did not know that they would be unable to meet some of their imminent liabilities.
“Manchester Pride Events Limited ran Manchester Pride as a commercial event.
“While the council supported the event, wanted to see it succeed, and is clear that Manchester should celebrate its LGBTQ+ communities in the future, the council cannot use its limited resources to take on the private company’s debts.
“We have already agreed to meet Equity to discuss the extent of issues facing their members, what avenues are open to alleviate any potential hardship and of course how Pride events can be successfully staged in the future.”
