As a sea of flickering candles are held in the air in unison in Sackville Gardens on Monday evening, Manchester’s Gay Village falls silent for perhaps the first time since Friday.
Keeping to tradition, the four-day weekend of Manchester Pride 2024 concluded in a poignant and beautiful fashion with the candlelight vigil - a chance to remember those lost to HIV and to recognise where the LGBTQ+ community stands today.
Offering a moment of solitude, an opportunity to reflect or to take stock and remember loved ones no longer here, each of the thousands in attendance had their own reasons for attending the vigil.
READ MORE: 100 photos that sum up the joy of Manchester Pride 2024
The event, held by the George House Trust charity, also served as a chance for members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies to pay respect to those who have paved the way for progress in equality and inclusion, as well as acknowledge that there are strides still to be made.
This year’s vigil, which featured a wealth of music, spoken word performances and touching tributes, featured a theme of celebrating queer women, with the likes of Kate O'Donnell, DJ Paulette and activist and writer Hafsa Qureshi amongst those taking to the stage during the two-hour event.
Drag performer Lucky Roy Singh, who has curated the Queer Asian Takeover at Manchester Pride for the last two years, also urged for people to take action and reminded people that 'silence is not an option when it comes to HIV and AIDS'. Coordinating a rally cry, Lucky asked people to chant 'silent equals death, action equals life' to remind people of the power of activism and protest.
The vigil, which also featured a 12-piece orchestra thanks to the Untold Orchestra, also featured moments of light-hearted relief, particularly thanks to a rendition from musician and comedian Holly Redford Jones of the Ghostbusters theme song, except replacing the title of the film with the word lesbians.
Actress Nickie Miles-Wildin paid tribute to Jackie Hagan, who died in June, by encouraging people to summon the power of disco in her honour as she recalled stories of the performer drinking prosecco from her prosthetic leg. Actor Sam Buttery also provided a bit of comedy in-between a stellar and heartfelt performance of ANOHNI and the Johnsons' For Today I Am A Boy, which drew emotion from the crowd.
Sam also introduced two young trans people, Leo and Charlie, to the crowd and asked them how people should show up for them. Leo, 16, said: "To support me as a young trans person, please treat me as an actual human being and not as if I'm rubbish."
DJ Kath McDermott, who rallied the crowd to remind the crowd that 'none of us are free until we are all free', encouraged people to light up their candles as she told those in attendance: "Sometimes it feels like visibility for lesbians and queer women is side-lined, and our support for people with AIDS and HIV is often forgotten.
"We must never forget how the whole of the LGBTQ+ community came together at a time of crisis to fight prejudices in the face of adversity. It is crucial we remember this so we can act as one to support each other today and in the future."
The event ended in spectacular fashion as DJ Paulette led into a joyous rendition from the live orchestra of A Deeper Love by Clivillés & Cole, and made famous by Aretha Franklin, as confetti rained down on the crowd and as fireworks lit up the sky - marking a fitting end to the four-day weekend.
Speaking of the importance of the vigil, Darren Knight, Chief Executive of George House Trust, told the Manchester Evening News: “Each year as Manchester Pride closes with the focus on HIV, it gives people the time to reflect and remember those loved ones we lost.
“It's also such an important opportunity for us to tell everyone that there's still lots of work to do. There's still education needed about how HIV can be prevented, how HIV has changed and how we must work harder to tackle the horrendous impact of HIV stigma.
“The LGBTQ+ community across Greater Manchester has always been a force for change. The candlelit vigil is the time of Manchester Pride that reminds us why that solidarity in our community is as important today as it's ever been.”
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