Football Pride 2025 coming to Leicester on 29 August, uniting LGBTQ people in the game
Football v Homophobia’s annual summer event returns on Friday 29 August 2025, the day before Leicester Pride; The Y Theatre in Leicester city centre will provide a welcoming venue space – TICKETS ON SALE NOW!; bring your LGBTQ football items to display – banners, shirts and kits, placards, etc!…
Leicester is the host city for Football Pride 2025, with LGBTQ+ people and allies from all levels of the game encouraged to turn out in support on Friday 29 August (10am to 5pm).
The one-day event celebrating queer culture in the game is created and organised by Football v Homophobia (FvH).
The Y Theatre will be the venue for the third consecutive year of Football Pride, which began as a virtual festival in 2020 and was relaunched three years later as a summer get-together for the community.
The EFL, the League Managers Association, and Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) are again supporting the event as sponsors.
Special guests for Football Pride 2025 will include Josh Cavallo, the trailblazing out gay professional footballer who recently moved from his native Australia to play in the U.K.
Also appearing will be Lars Fellows and Jordan Burrow from BBC TV reality gay dating show “I Kissed A Boy”, and the talented Sarah McCreadie, who joined the Wales players on their UEFA Euro 2025 journey as the official team poet.
@bbccymruwales "Girls in baggy kits who dared kick a ball for the first time" ⚽ This will get you in the mood for the Euros! 🏴 Wales' poet Sarah McCreadie chats to Dot on Radio Wales Breakfast #RadioWales #Poetry #WEURO2025 #WalesWEURO2025 #WomensFootball #WelshFootball #TogetherStronger #Cymru #Wales ♬ original sound – BBCCymruWales
The acclaimed spoken word artist myndstate will be performing at the Y Theatre. His work covers themes including sexuality, identity and mental health, with millions of views across social media.
Award-winning broadcaster Jack Murley, host of ‘The Jack Murley Sports Show’, and Counter Pressed podcaster Becky Taylor-Gill will be co-hosts on the day, while Pride in Football – the UK’s alliance of LGBT+ football fans – is a partner organisation and will be delivering a dedicated session covering key issues impacting on fan groups.
Football v Transphobia campaign lead Natalie Washington will lead a panel discussion of fellow players and activists, exploring the future for clubs and teams for women and non-binary people.
Joining Natalie will be Vicky Park Queens’ Jordan Boulton, Goal Diggers FC’s Billie Sky and former Clapton CFC player Tammy Hymas.
Their chat will be followed by a screening of ‘We’ll Go Down in History’, the superb short documentary film about TRUK United FC.
Furthermore, a panel will share experiences of working in the game when you’re LGBTQ+. The Player Care Group’s founder and managing director, Hugo Scheckter, and AFC Sudbury player El Finneran will be part of this discussion, alongside Cavallo and researcher Dr Beth Burgess.
The event will conclude with live theatre, as talented writer/director Ethan Pascal Peters brings his new play ‘For Too Free Won’ – a comedy-drama about top-flight footballers, their off-field lives, and queerness in the British game – to Leicester for a bespoke rehearsed reading with a great cast of actors.
Here’s what you can expect on Friday 29 August at The Y Theatre in Leicester…
- 0930 – Arrivals
- 1000 – Introductions; spoken word – Munroop; panel discussion on future of inclusive WNB football (Natalie Washington, with Jordan Boulton, Billie Sky and Tammy Hymas)
- 1055 – short documentary screening – ‘We’ll Go Down in History’ – the story of TRUK United FC
- 1120 – drinks break
- 1135 – stand-up comedy performance – Andrew White
- 1200 – panel discussion on working in the game when you’re LGBTQ+ (Jack Murley, with Josh Cavallo, Hugo Scheckter, El Finneran and Dr Beth Burgess)
- 1300 – lunch; exhibition space viewing
- 1400 – spoken word – myndstate; Q&A – Becky Taylor-Gill with ‘I Kissed a Boy’ guests Lars Fellows and Jordan Burrow
- 1430 – LGBTQ+ fans hour (Pride in Football) – panel discussion on ‘Pride and progress’ of fan groups (Joe White – co-chair, Pride in Football; Jo Bailey – chair, Pride of Irons; Deborah Dilworth – head of women’s football, Football Supporters’ Association; and Dr Jack Lopez – EDI manager, Sheffield United FC)
- 1530 – drinks break
- 1545 – spoken word – Sarah McCreadie
- 1550 – short film screening – ‘Solers United’
- 1610 – theatrical performance – rehearsed reading of ‘For Too Free Won’, written by Ethan Pascal Peters
- 1655 – closing thoughts, followed by networking and post-event social
Last year’s sold-out event, held at Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge stadium, attracted more than 150 people who enjoyed a packed programme of theatre, film, panel discussions and spoken word performances.
Supported by the Chelsea FC Foundation and sponsored by several major football organisations, themes covered included the future of campaigning, LGBTQ+ romance and relationships, and the importance of inclusive clubs.
The first out gay Scottish male footballer Zander Murray was among the guest speakers, along with players and stars from BBC TV’s ‘I Kissed a Girl’ reality show, Georgia Robert and Lailah Muscat.
Football Pride 2025 will provide a showcase for creative talents and a platform for the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies in football to be heard.
All attendees are encouraged to bring their LGBTQ+ football items to Leicester, to display in a dedicated exhibition space at The Y Theatre – banners, football kits and shirts, placards… show us what you’ve got!
For businesses keen to show their support, there are sponsorship and partnership packages available.
The event will also feature networking socials, and all attendees will be encouraged to join a Football Pride group taking part in the Leicester Pride parade on Saturday 30 August.
Tickets for Football Pride 2025 are available to buy NOW from The Y Theatre online box office.
For all enquiries, including sponsorship and partnership opportunities…
Please email jon@footballvhomophobia.com with ‘Football Pride 2025’ in the subject line.
You can follow Football Pride on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter / X.
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