A researcher at the University of Exeter is collecting personal stories from men in the LGBTQ+ community who lived in Dorset, Somerset, Devon or Cornwall between 1967 and 1987. The project, “The Only Gay in the Village? Love and Sex Between Men in Southwest England,” aims to preserve memories of relationships, community life, discrimination and activism during this key period.

Back by popular demand! RuPaul's Drag Race UK star Vicki Vivacious is returning to Key West for another dazzling night of camp cabaret, killer vocals, and unapologetic glamour. Along with DJ Drag Queen Rougie bringing the heat ’til midnight with a high-energy, high-camp set of dancefloor bangers.

Excitement is building for the highly anticipated Bourne Free Pride Festival 2025, set to take place on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th July at Meyrick Park, Bournemouth. This vibrant celebration of LGBTQ+ culture promises two days of music, performances, and community spirit, featuring a mix of big-name headliners, local talent, and family-friendly entertainment.

Bourne Free is launching Pride Month with a vibrant celebration titled We Are One Weekend, packed with events across the BCP area from Friday, 6th June to Sunday, 8th June 2025.

The festivities begin on Friday, 6th June, with the Community Fund Relaunch at the Barrington Centre in Ferndown from 6pm to 9pm. This family-friendly event will showcase the vital work of the Community Fund, featuring entertainment, stalls, Teddy Talks, and fun for all ages.

BOLTS returns for Bourne Free 2025 – Saturday 12 July at The Vault.

There is a peaceful protest against the Supreme Court's ruling excluding trans people from protection against gender discrimination on the 11th May 2025 in Bournemouth.

A celebration of inclusivity and our beautiful LGBTQ+ community, Poole Pride is proud to present Destination Opera’s Meditation on Queer Art Song, offering a new take on some familiar and lesser known music from the classical repertoire. On Saturday 7 June 2025.

On Friday 6th June 2025, join us for a fabulous, feel-good night of powerhouse vocals, sparkling comedy, and show-stopping costumes from one of the UK’s brightest drag stars – Vicki Vivacious, the first Cornish queen to grace the Drag Race UK stage!

Save the date – Poole Pride is set to return for 2025! With its home at Lighthouse, the day-long free festival on Saturday 7 June 2025 plans to include cabaret, comedy and music performances as well as workshops, talks and craft.

Hamilton Hall Hotel is the longest established gay men's venue in Bournemouth celebrating 25 years of service, exclusively to men, on 30th March 2025.

Casting for the current series of Kirstie and Phil's Love It Or List It on Channel 4 have been in touch and are looking for people for the show.

Visit local National Trust property Kingston Lacy and see it through the eyes of William John, who despite being forced into exile in 1841, continued to send detailed instructions for Kingston Lacy's transformation.

Plue is a queer disappearing act examining queer visibility, intimacy, and privacy. This performance delves with love into the ways queer individuals appear, disappear, and reshape themselves in response to the world around them.

7th February 2025 at Pavilion Dance. Book

Scissor Sisters return to celebrate 20th anniversary of No.1 album Scissor Sisters with huge 2025 arena tour with one night in Bournemouth.

Come along to a free exhibition showcasing artwork inspired by young people's stories of finding positive online spaces.  

This exhibition challenges mainstream media's negative portrayal of LGBTQ+ lives, celebrating how LGBTQ+ communities build spaces of support, safety, belonging, and joy online.  

After the Bourne Free Pride Parade the fun continued at Meyrick Park for Pride 2024.

There was an impressive number of market and information stalls with all manner of pride mech on sale, a fun fair, the main stage and a second community stage, VIP area, bars and a lots more on offer.

The sun was out for most of the day, with just a few rainy spells.

Congratulations to the Bourne Free committee and everyone who made the day a success.

The sun was out for the Bourne Free Pride Parade 2024 and the colourful procession of vehicles, walking groups and floats made its way through Bournemouth.

Check out 85 fabulous photos from the Parade on Saturday 6th July 2024:

Friday 5th July is the Bourne Free Family Fun Night in association with Dorset Children's Foundation. It's on from 4pm - 9pm in Meyrick Park and completely free.

Bourne Free is back in Meyrick Park on the 5th and 6th July 2024. 

After the Bourne Free Pride Parade, head to Meyrick Park for a day of fabulousness hosted By Lady Alan & Layla Zee Susan.

The Bourne Free Pride Parade will take place on 6 July in Bournemouth. The parade starts at 11am and lasts about an hour.

Poole’s first ever Pride event, hosted by Lighthouse, has made ‘a positive, lasting impact’ on the town and the wider community.

A celebration of identity in all its forms, the day-long Poole Pride event on Saturday (8 June 2024) featured a variety showcase hosted by CBeebies star Chris Jarvis, storytelling with Pop ‘n’ Olly, the Proud Pooches dog show, OutSpoken poetry slam and Writing Out Loud spoken word performance, as well as two shows of the Come On Out Cabaret, with local Queer performers, and self-styled dark cabaret drag darling Joe Black in session.

Lighthouse is incredibly proud to host the first ever Poole Pride on Saturday 8 June 2024 in celebration of our community and its many beautiful identities.

A joyful celebration of the beautiful identities of our LGBTQ+ community, the first ever Poole Pride will bring a splash of rainbow colour to Lighthouse on Saturday 8 June 2024 with an open invitation to come as you are and embrace a full day and night of inclusive entertainment. With performances and exhibitions in various venues throughout Lighthouse, a stellar ticketed evening concert and after-show party in the Concert Hall are preceded by free activities and entertainment in the Gallery – Pop’n’Olly’s Storytime and Crafts – as well as Life’s a Cabaret in the Sherling Studio with Outspoken, the Pride Slam, Dorsetborn’s Writing Out Loud, and two houses of the Come On Out Cabaret, one suitable for all the family, the other not.

A joyful celebration of the beautiful identities of our LGBTQ+ community, the first ever Poole Pride will bring a splash of rainbow colour to Lighthouse on Saturday 8 June with an open invitation to come as you are and embrace a full day and night of inclusive entertainment.

Lighthouse is delighted to announce new-drag superstar Bimini and queer club culture DJ collective Horse Meat Disco have been added to the bill for the first Poole Pride evening celebration on Saturday 8 June 2024.

Drag queen, artist, author, recording star, model, and a much-heralded champion of inclusion and self-affirmation, Bimini will appear as the main support act to headliner Sophie Ellis-Bextor.