WITH less than a week to go until Oxford Pride returns for another year, preparations for the event are in full swing.

Oxford Castle Quarter will welcome the city’s biggest LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) festival for the first time after it was forced to move from its traditional home in Oxpens due to the Westgate redevelopment.

Pride will also feature a film festival at Phoenix Picturehouse in Jericho for the first time and Pride Day on Saturday, June 6 will have a later finish than before at 10pm.

The festival starts on Friday with a launch event in the castle quarter and runs until Sunday, June 7.

The parade will be held on Saturday, June 6 and will finish in the castle quarter where there will be market stalls, food, drink and entertainment. Other events include talks, a comedy night, a pub quiz and the annual dog show.

Festival chairman Rob Jordan said: “We have got the Phoenix Picturehouse involved this year and they are doing an LGBT festival for us. When people come to Oxford they like to think about Alice in Wonderland and Inspector Morse and things that are not necessarily university-based.

“We want to do things connected with that cinematic history of the city. We will be showing Mysterious Skin, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Kaboom.

“The dog show is an old favourite of ours and that is on May 31 at 2pm in the gardens of The Jolly Farmer in Paradise Street.

“It is very tongue-in-cheek with categories like the barkiest dog and the one with the curliest tail.”

Oxford Pride is one of Britain’s smaller pride events and is supported by donations rather than commercial sponsorship. It is backed by prominent figures such as gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell and Labour MP Angela Eagle.

This year 31 stalls will be at the castle quarter on June 6 with organisations such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Royal Air Force and the Scouts among those who will be present.

The event, which is attended by people from across the United Kingdom and overseas, will be held at an important time for the LGBT community this year.

Mr Jordan said: “Pride is a celebration and a reminder of how far the LGBT community has come. It is a reminder that we have fought for everything we have got, whether it is marriage equality or the age of consent being the same as for straight people.”

For the full calendar of events visit oxford-pride.org.uk