SWANSEA: Hundreds fill the streets as Pride 2026 parade returns to the city centre

The annual celebration drew crowds from across south-west Wales on Saturday, with a procession winding through the city centre to the Grade I-listed Guildhall, where a stage, stalls and a full day of entertainment awaited.

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Swansea on Saturday as the city’s annual Pride parade made its way through the city centre, filling the route with colour, music and community.

The procession set off from Wind Street, passing St Mary’s Church and the Quadrant Shopping Centre before heading up Whitewalls and onto Oxford Street — the city’s main shopping street — turning right onto Dilwyn Street and then left at the Kingsway Roundabout onto St Helen’s Road, finishing at the Guildhall.

A vintage open-top double-decker bus, branded with the Swansea Pride swan logo, led the parade through the streets, with the march stretching back the full length of the route behind it.

Host Jamie J addressed the crowd before the march set off, taking to a plinth near Wind Street with a megaphone and a Progress Pride flag to get the procession moving.

Drag queens Ruby Slippers and Diana D rode on the upper deck of the open-top bus at the head of the parade, greeting the crowds lining the route as the march wound through the city centre.

Chae with a C — also among the day’s hosts — rode on the open-top bus alongside Ruby Slippers and Diana D, the trio greeting the crowds from the upper deck as the parade made its way through the city.

SwanScene, Swansea’s largest LGBTQIA+ community platform, led the march with their banner at the front, with performers, community groups and members of the public stretching back behind them through the city streets.

The march brought together people from across the full breadth of the community — from pups, fursuits and leathermen to drag queens, staff groups and campaigners.

Among those making the journey to take part was the diversity group from Treorchy Comprehensive School in the Rhondda Valley, some of the youngest marchers on the route, carrying flags and their school banner through the city centre.

Representatives from the National Museum of Wales joined the parade wearing their bilingual “Hoywam Hanes / Gay 4 History” T-shirts, connecting Wales’s LGBTQ+ heritage with communities across south-west Wales.

St John Ambulance volunteers also joined the procession, carrying a banner reading “Volunteering with Pride / Gwirfoddoli gyda Balchder” — one of several organisations to march under a Welsh-language message on the day.

The parade finished at the Guildhall complex, where a stage and stalls were set up in the rotunda outside, with further stalls filling the Brangwyn Hall — its walls lined with Frank Brangwyn’s famous murals — throughout the day.

Entertainment at the Guildhall ran until 7pm, hosted by Ruby Slippers, Jamie J, Tallulah Bandersnatch, Aluna Tick, Chae with a C, Zoe, Jake, Bitchelle Flowers, Jay and Eden Goode.

Performers on the day included Donna Marie as Lady Gaga, True Colours Choir, Lywis, Jessica Rarebit, Jordropper, Wayne King, Brooke Darci, Khloe Buttlift, Rikki Withers, Justin Drag, Will Whitehead, Taylor Marc’s and Gypsy Divine, alongside Kara Von Site, Ben Bateman and Emi.

Swansea Amateur Operatic Society, celebrating their 125th anniversary, also took to the stage — the society is currently performing We Will Rock You at the Taliesin Arts Centre, with shows running from 20 to 23 May.

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SWANSEA: Everything you need to know about Swansea Pride 2026 — parade route, road closures and what to expect on Saturday

Swansea’s most colourful celebration of the year is almost here. Swansea Pride returns on Saturday 16 May, and as always it’s completely free and open to everyone.

The parade sets off from Wind Street at 11am, heading along Oxford Street and St Helen’s Road before finishing at the Guildhall on Guildhall Road South. The route is marked on the map above — if you’re planning to watch, Oxford Street and St Helen’s Road are your best spots to line up.

Drivers should be aware that there will be rolling road closures along the parade route between 10:30am and 12:30pm. Plan your journey accordingly and allow extra time if you’re heading into the city centre that morning.

Once the parade arrives at the Guildhall, the main stage outside will host live entertainment throughout the afternoon. The full lineup of acts is available at swanseapride.co.uk.

If you want to get out of the sun or explore what the wider Pride community has to offer, head inside the neighbouring Brangwyn Hall where the Swansea Pride Community Zone will be running throughout the day. There you’ll find information stalls from organisations, support services, charities and community groups, as well as some craft traders.

Swansea Pride is organised independently and supported by Swansea Council. It has grown steadily in recent years into one of the city’s most well-attended annual events, drawing people from across Swansea Bay and beyond.

Whether you’re a first-timer or a Pride regular, Saturday promises to be a brilliant day out. The forecast is looking dry with sunny spells — so dig out your best outfit and get involved.

For the full programme of acts and activities, visit swanseapride.co.uk.

SWANSEA: Grade I listed Guildhall finally gets roof fix — after plastic sheeting and a bucket became a fixture in the foyer

Now Swansea Council has applied for listed building consent to fix the problem — replacing sections of the roof at the Guildhall with a new waterproof system designed to match work already completed on other parts of the building.

The Grade I listed Guildhall, built between 1930 and 1934 using Portland stone, has been plagued by water penetration despite its grand and sturdy appearance.

Leaks have been identified at multiple points across the building — including from a skylight above the law courts and from timber and metal frame windows in various locations.

The proposed works will see sections of roof above the law courts and the Brangwyn Hall replaced, along with new skylights and refurbished windows.

Some windows will be removed and taken away for specialist restoration off-site.

Re-pointing work is also planned as part of the application.

Discussions have already taken place with Welsh heritage body Cadw and the council’s own conservation officer ahead of the submission — reflecting the building’s protected status and the care required for any works on a Grade I listed structure.

A heritage impact assessment submitted alongside the application said the new roofing system would ensure the long-term water tightness of the building’s fabric.

The Guildhall was listed at Grade I in 1994 — the highest level of protection available in Wales, reserved for buildings of exceptional interest.

As well as housing council offices and law courts, it is home to the Brangwyn Hall — one of Wales’s finest art deco interiors, which hosts concerts, civic events and, most recently, Swansea Pride.

The hall is also a regular venue for election counts and declarations, including Friday’s Senedd results.

The building was extended twice after its original construction, with a central lawn built over during the later phases.

It has also been used as a film and television set on numerous occasions, with its distinctive clock tower and Portland stone facade lending itself to period productions.

The council said when the leaks were first reported last December that it was committed to rectifying the issue as quickly as possible.

The Guildhall and Brangwyn Hall

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SWANSEA PRIDE: Get ready to sashay away — the city’s most colourful LGBTQ+ celebration is back on 16 May

Swansea is about to get its glitter on. Swansea Pride returns on Saturday 16 May – and this year’s lineup includes a Lady Gaga tribute headline act, a Y Llais singing sensation, a performer literally called Wayne King, and a host who has been there since the very beginning.

The march sets off from Wind Street at 11am, weaving through the city centre along Oxford Street and St Helen’s Road before arriving at the Guildhall in what has become one of the most joyful processions on Swansea’s annual calendar. Be on Wind Street by 10.45am if you want to be part of it. Individuals and small groups just turn up – groups of ten or more need to register in advance.

From noon until 7pm, the party moves to the Guildhall and the Brangwyn Hall – and it’s completely free. No tickets. No wristbands. Just Pride.

Closing the show is Donna Marie as Lady Gaga – a full tribute experience that promises drama, glamour and more than a few power ballads. Channel your inner Little Monster.

Before the headline act, the stage will be graced by Will Whitehead, Rikki Withers, Justin Drag, Khloe Buttlift, Brooke Darci, Jessica Rarebit, Jordropper and LYWIS – a singing sensation who lit up Welsh language talent show Y Llais.

Then there’s Wayne King – previously seen at the Swansea Grand Theatre’s all-star cabaret – whose name requires no further editorial comment. You either get it or you don’t.

Holding it all together on stage will be a team of hosts including Jamie J Rampage, the face of SwanScene and a featured member of the Pinc List, alongside Swansea drag icons Ruby Slippers, the double act of Tallulah Bandersnatch and Clem Dandy, and Zoe and Benjamin.

Ruby Slippers deserves a special mention – she has hosted every single Swansea Pride since the event returned in 2019, making her as much a part of the day as the Guildhall itself.

Swansea Pride started as a grassroots idea in 2008, when a group of local LGBTQ+ people decided to organise an outdoor event entirely by volunteers. The first event – Pink in the Park – took place at Singleton Park in 2009. After a difficult period that saw events cancelled in 2015 and 2016, Pride bounced back in 2019 with the first ever parade through the city centre. COVID wiped out 2020 and 2021, but it returned in 2022 bigger than ever – and hasn’t looked back.

Today Swansea Pride is a registered charity, entirely community-led and volunteer-run. Every pound raised goes back into the event and the LGBTQ+ community it exists to celebrate.

Last year’s Pride drew huge crowds to the Guildhall, with thousands marching through the city centre. More acts and the full running order are expected on the Swansea Pride website as the day approaches.

Saturday 16 May. Wind Street. 10.45am. Free entry. 🏳️‍🌈

⏱️ BALL x PIT gets the free The Shadow Update on 27 April, it breaks the usual flow and injects proper CHAOS into the game's time mechanics.

The patch adds two new characters: The Tunneller (can attack through screen edges) and The Tiptoer (stealthy, very mobile but low HP); 11 new balls arrive at once, time-stop effects, delayed-explosion Time Bomb, chaotic Warp teleports, toxic and "erosion" attacks; four passive skills and a Guil...

#SteamAndEpic #Time #Tunneller #Guildhall #Tiptoer #Shadow

SWANSEA: Brangwyn Hall named one of the UK’s top 10 micro wedding venues

Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall has been named one of the UK’s top ten most popular venues for micro weddings — the only Welsh venue to make a national ranking dominated by London locations.

The Grade I listed hall, part of Swansea’s Guildhall complex and licensed for civil ceremonies, tied for ninth place in a ranking compiled by luxury chauffeur service SIXT ride.

The company analysed TikTok searches, Instagram posts and Google searches to identify the venues generating most buzz among couples planning intimate weddings in 2026.

Brangwyn Hall scored 19.8 out of 100, level with Sheffield Town Hall, based on 5,200 TikTok searches, 1,000 Instagram posts and 8,100 Google searches in the past year. The top spot went to Chelsea Old Town Hall in London, which scored 86.8 — a reflection of the capital’s dominance of the micro wedding scene, with four of the top five venues located in London.

The ranking reflects a growing national trend towards smaller, more intimate weddings. Searches for “how much is a registry office wedding UK” have grown 1,200% in the past year, while searches for “registry office wedding package” are up 967%.

The trend has been driven partly by high-profile celebrity weddings including that of singer Charli XCX and Made in Chelsea stars Sophie Habboo and Jamie Laing.

Brangwyn Hall is one of Wales’ most distinctive event venues — and one with a history that goes well beyond weddings. Built as part of Swansea’s Guildhall and opened in 1934, the hall was originally designed to house the British Empire Panels: sixteen large paintings by artist Sir Frank Brangwyn, commissioned in 1924 for the Royal Gallery of the House of Lords to commemorate the First World War.

The House of Lords rejected them — reportedly because they were considered too colourful and spirited — and Swansea Council acquired them instead. The panels now line the walls of the hall, making it one of the most visually striking wedding backdrops in Wales.

The venue offers spaces ranging from the intimate Lord Mayor’s Room to the grand main hall, with capacity for between 20 and 500 guests.

The Guildhall complex has also served as a backdrop for some major screen productions. The building’s imposing neoclassical exterior and Art Deco interior have made it a favourite with film and TV producers.

Most notably, the complex featured in the Netflix blockbuster Havoc, starring Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker, which used both the Guildhall exterior and the Brangwyn Hall interior for key scenes. Described as the largest feature film ever shot entirely in Wales, Havoc transformed the building into an American police precinct. The Guildhall has also featured in the BBC’s Sherlock and multiple episodes of Doctor Who.

The hall’s profile as a wedding venue may be about to grow further. Swansea’s register office is currently housed at the Civic Centre on the waterfront — one of the last council services still operating from the brutalist building.

The Civic Centre is earmarked for a major redevelopment as a new City Waterfront district with apartments, an aquarium and a lido. It is understood that as the Civic Centre moves closer to redevelopment, the register office could relocate to the Guildhall complex — which would make the Grade I listed building the official home of Swansea’s civil ceremonies as well as one of the city’s most sought-after wedding venues.

The full top ten, according to SIXT ride’s analysis, is: Chelsea Old Town Hall, The Old Marylebone Town Hall, Islington Town Hall, Manchester Town Hall, Hackney Town Hall, Cheltenham Town Hall, Oxford Town Hall, Orleans House Gallery in Twickenham, and jointly in ninth place, Sheffield Town Hall and Brangwyn Hall.

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SWANSEA: MP calls emergency public meeting on social media ban for under-16s — and says the issue tops his postbag

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell has called an emergency public meeting to discuss whether children under 16 should be banned from social media, as the UK Government’s landmark consultation on protecting young people online enters its final weeks.

The meeting will be held from 7pm to 8.30pm on Thursday 14 May at Swansea’s Guildhall, and is open to parents, children and community members from across the city. Those wishing to attend have been asked to reserve a seat by emailing [email protected] with their name and postcode, as significant interest is expected.

The event will be one of the last opportunities for people in Swansea to feed into the national debate before the UK Government’s consultation closes on Friday 26 May. Attendees can expect to hear from community leaders, campaigners and teachers, and will have the chance to share their own experiences and concerns about children’s online safety.

The social media ban debate has generated more correspondence to Bell’s office than any other policy issue since the start of 2026, with nearly a quarter of all policy-related letters and emails focusing on the subject — a striking measure of how deeply the issue is resonating with families across Swansea West.

Bell said: “As a father to young children, I am deeply concerned about the impact of social media and delighted that the UK Government is taking the issue so seriously. Many of us know how much we’d have missed out on as a teenager if the time and attention sink of social media had got in the way.”

He added: “No issue is more important than the safety of our children. As the consensus grows that more needs to be done, I’m hosting this meeting to make sure people in Swansea have their voice heard and are at the forefront of shaping what happens next.”

The Government’s consultation — which has dedicated versions for young people and for parents and carers — is exploring a range of potential measures beyond an outright ban. These include whether platforms should be forced to switch off addictive features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay, and whether mandatory overnight curfews on social media use could help children get better sleep.

The idea of an Australia-style ban on under-16s using social media has attracted growing cross-party support at Westminster. As Swansea Bay News has previously reported, more than 60 Labour MPs — including Gower’s Tonia Antoniazzi and Mid and South Pembrokeshire’s Henry Tufnell — have already backed calls for such a ban.

In Llanelli, Dame Nia Griffith has urged families to respond to the consultation, saying she would personally support a ban but that any legislation would need to be carefully thought through and enforceable. She described the issue as one of the defining challenges facing parents today.

The concerns are not abstract. In Bridgend, one school warned pupils could face expulsion over abusive TikTok posts. And experts have cautioned that many parents remain completely unaware of the hidden meanings behind popular emojis routinely used by young people to discuss drugs, self-harm and other sensitive topics in plain sight.

Research published on Safer Internet Day earlier this year found that half of parents in Britain had never had a single conversation with their child about harmful online content — even though most 11-year-olds now own a smartphone. The findings helped galvanise support for tougher government action.

The consultation is exploring not just whether to ban under-16s from social media entirely, but a broader package of protections. Among the measures under consideration are requirements for platforms to make safety settings more prominent, limits on the data companies can collect from young users, and stronger age verification requirements.

Whether any measures ultimately become law will depend in part on the responses gathered during the consultation period — which is why Bell’s meeting at the Guildhall on 14 May represents a genuine opportunity for Swansea residents to influence the outcome, not just observe it.

For Bell, who has spoken openly about his concerns as a parent, the issue cuts through the usual political divides. The volume of correspondence his office has received suggests many of his constituents feel the same way — and that the question of when, and whether, to hand a child a smartphone has become one of the most contested parenting decisions of the current generation.

The UK Government’s consultation is open to all at gov.uk and closes on 26 May. Those wishing to attend Bell’s Guildhall meeting on 14 May should email [email protected] with their name and postcode to reserve a place.

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