pride · Shetland · Jun 16, 2021

Shetland Pride 2022

Pride month is celebrated throughout the world in June each year with Pride Day being the 28^th June.

There are currently 27 Pride events held in Scotland but unfortunately Covid has put pay to many of them in 2020 and 2021.

Shetland, however, has something big in store for 2022, by holding its first ever Pride Festival. The dates have been set for the weekend 2^nd and 3^rd July 2022.

It promises to be an amazing celebration of not just Shetland’s LGBTQ community but also for national and international visitors alike.

Over the years, the number of members in LGBTQ groups in Shetland has continued to increase. Despite that, there has never been a dedicated Pride event. Up until now, there has just been a Pride float as part of our Mid-Summer Carnival, another event which has had to take a back seat thanks to the pandemic.

Kerrie Meyer is the Founder of Shetland Pride and has been joined by several other hardworking individuals who have banded together to start planning the weekend long event. Kerrie says "We're planning a full programme of events including bands, music, performers, dancers, drag artists, competitions, fun events and hopefully even the occasional 'surprise' celebrity covering two days of our Pride Festival celebrations. No matter if you're LGBTQ or not - come and join in the fun and celebrations!"

Shetland Pride will also be able to hold the title of “Most Northerly Pride Event in the UK”.

pride festival

The weekend kicks off on Friday night with a party in Mareel, our cinema and music venue. The Pride Parade will take place on Saturday morning followed by a variety of events and gigs. There will be an Exhibitor event on Sunday at Clickimin. Clickimin is also where the Pride Village will be based.

If you are planning to visit Shetland for Pride 2022, it is strongly recommended that you book well in advance. We have limited accommodation in Shetland, so it is good to book ahead. For anyone travelling on a budget, there will be a campsite next to the Pride Village, where you can pitch your tent.

You can either fly to Shetland or take the ferry. We recently wrote a blog about getting to and from Shetland, which you can have a read of here for more travel advice.

Getting to Shetland

Please do not be worried about coming to a small island like Shetland. We have a very welcoming and inclusive community. Many LGBTQ travellers particularly like that we are a passive lot and will just let you get on with your own business without any intrusion.

If you live locally and want to get involved, I know they are looking for 75 volunteers to help run the events over the weekend. Give Kerrie or one of the committee members a shout if you would be able to lend a hand.

There will be more details of Pride 2022 coming in due course. Here are the links for more information:

Website: https://ShetlandPride.uk