Pride goes virtual across Swindon and Wiltshire on BBC Radio Wiltshire this year, with a series of radio features to mark the festival and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.



On Saturday, August 8th the local station will dedicate a whole day to Pride from Breakfast at 6am to the Evening show at 6pm. The day is set to feature a range of special guest speakers, music and more.

Phoenix Stewart, community engagement manager for Swindon and Wiltshire Pride, spoke about the importance of Pride and said: “Pride is about celebrating who you are, with like-minded people around you. It's an opportunity to be educated on just how diverse the LGBTQ+ community is, learning about the role you can play in supporting each other. Pride is also a chance to celebrate who you are, in an environment that is safe.

“It's important to bring Pride to different areas of the country that may be under-represented. LGBTQ+ people are in all parts of the world and we need them all to feel represented and be able to celebrate who they are in an inclusive way.”

The day will feature conversations around Pride and its continued importance, as well as guest speakers including participants involved in this year’s Salisbury Pride and the sponsors of Swindon and Wiltshire Pride who will be talking about their roles in bringing together and supporting the local community.

There will also be a mix of audio diaries and live interviews, including the lives of transgender individuals and their journeys, LGBTQ+ sports clubs who discuss the inclusivity of sport as well as a phycologist, Janey Milligan, who discusses the nuances of mental health in the LGBTQ+ community.

Music from a variety of artists will be played throughout the day, including DJ Louise Dance, who commented: “This is brilliant …. I’m stoked for it. Still pinching myself.”

BBC Radio Wiltshire editor, Mary Sanders said: “We’re really excited about marking Pride on BBC Radio Wiltshire this Saturday. The Pride march is another big event which has been cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions, so it’s great to be able to share stories from Swindon and Wiltshire’s LGBTQ+ communities on air and on our social media.”

To tune in go to FM, DAB, online or on the BBC Sounds app.