For the past decade, the global transgender community have gathered in Manchester for Sparkle Weekend, an annual celebration of all aspects of trans life. With the 2015 edition fast approaching, this year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever and has been extended from two days to three.
Organised by the Sparkle charitable trust, the free-entry festival offers an exciting range of events and entertainment at Manchester’s Sackville Park, including live stage music (featuring a mix of trans and non-trans musicians), food and drink, clothing and jewellery stalls, and an extravagant talent show.
Festivities begin with a welcome event on Friday afternoon at Sackville Park close to Manchester’s Gay Village, followed by a Chinese banquet and champagne reception. Saturday morning sees a series of talks and workshops hosted by the LGBT Foundation, before Sparkle in the Park kicks off with a rousing line-up of musical acts.
Saturday afternoon offers visitors the chance to showcase their gifts in the Stallion Talent Show, before that evening’s eagerly awaited Sparkle Crystal Ball (tickets £25). Taking place at The Britannia Hotel, the ball includes a champagne reception, carvery buffet, live entertainment, disco and charity prize draw.
Other popular highlights will include two beauty pageants: Miss Sparkle 2015 and Miss Golden Sparkle 2015 (the latter for over 50s), taking place on the Sunday afternoon in Sackville Gardens. The first prize will include a photo-shoot and inclusion in a popular transgender magazine. This year’s guest judge is Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh.
In addition to all of these enticing events, new to this year’s Sparkle festival is Sparkle Fringe, which stretches from 8th – 14th July and invites actors, artists, comedians and anyone willing to add to Sparkle’s creative mix.
As for dress-code, the message is simple: come as yourself. The only request is for visitors to bear in mind the family-friendly nature of the event. For those who wish to change on site, there will be a couple of daytime locations set aside within the park for this function. However, visitors should be aware that there will be nowhere for them to securely store their clothes and other possessions.
Entry to Sparkle Weekend is free for all-comers, except for select parts of the weekend, such as the Crystal Ball and VIP area access. Children and families are all welcome, with a special family zone created to cater for younger people.
Sackville Park is just a 5-10 minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly Station, which connects with mainline stations across the UK. For those driving, there are numerous car parks close to the event.