Pride Cymru: Atomic Kitten and Texas headline Cardiff festival
Atomic Kitten, Texas and Liberty X are among the musical acts to perform as 50,000 people are expected at the 20th Cardiff Pride event over the weekend.
Number one singer Samantha Mumba and a DJ set by fashion designer Gok Wan are also among the star attractions at the three-day festival. Robert White and TV presenter Joel Dommett will headline the comedy stage. A mile-long city centre parade at 11:00 BST on Saturday is the showpiece of the four-stage LGBT celebration. Scottish rockers Texas, who had four top five singles including Say What You Want, Summer Son and Black Eyed Boy, will join Gok Wan and Popstars runners-up Liberty X on the main stage on Saturday. Atomic Kitten, who had three number one singles with Whole Again, Eternal Flame and The Tide Is High, headline Pride on Sunday alongside Irish singer Samantha Mumba and Honeyz. The volunteer-organised event, centred around the lawns in front of Cardiff City Hall, will have four stages, cabaret, street food and a community market. But Saturday's dog show, Pride Cymru's first, has been cancelled due to the expected hot weather. The festival of "family fun and extravagant entertainment" is intended to help promote and "celebrate diversity within our communities". "Over the last few months...I have been asked on so many occasions 'do we still need Pride?'," said Pride Cymru chair Gian Molinu. "My answer is always yes and anyone who asks that question needs to open their eyes and look around them," he said. "Whilst there are people out there who feel justified in physically attacking someone because of their sexuality or their identity, whilst there are countries where being LGBT+ is punishable by death, whilst parts of the world where marrying the person you love is still illegal because you are of the same-sex, Pride is needed." Sunshine is forecast over the weekend and temperatures could reach highs of 26C (79F). But revellers have been warned of potential travel disruption getting to the event, especially on Sunday, as some railway lines are shut because of engineering works. There will be no trains between Cardiff and Chepstow or Cardiff and Ebbw Vale until 14:00 so there will be a bus replacement service. Buses will also replace trains between Cardiff Queen Street and Pontypridd on Sunday until 12:30. Roads will be shut around the Cardiff City Hall area until Monday for the festival - but for Saturday's parade, most of roads in the city centre will be closed.