Thameslink has confirmed plans to increase its rail service from London for Brighton Pride. On Saturday, August 2 all services between London Bridge and Brighton will run with 12 carriages, as will all Gatwick Express trains travelling from London Victoria to Brighton.
Smaller attendance figures are expected on Sunday, August 3 but the operator Govia Thameslink says some of its trains will run with extra capacity. Brighton Pride is one of the most popular LGBT festivals in the UK.
2025 will see the iconic parade through Brighton’s streets followed by the Pride Street Party and Pride Festival both running later in the day. The former will be held for the first time on Marine Parade on Brighton seafront, while the latter will be headlined by Mariah Carey and the Sugababes.
Attendees have been told to allow extra time for their journeys when travelling by rail. Trains will be very busy over the weekend so people may not be able to board the first service.
When returning home, organisers expect it to take about one hour to reach Brighton station from either the Pride Festival in Preston Park or the Pride Street Party on Brighton seafront. Both Preston Park and London Road stations will be closed throughout the weekend to manage the crowds.
Jenny Saunders, Customers Services Director at GTR, said: “We’re really proud to support Brighton & Hove Pride. Since the start of the year my team has been working flat out with the event organisers and our partners to plan and deliver another safe and reliable service for festivalgoers.
“We are also reminding passengers to be patient and courteous to other travellers and railway staff, who will be going above and beyond to make sure everyone gets to and from the event safely. Even though we’ll be running longer and extra trains, with so many people expected to travel our services will be much busier than usual during Pride, so passengers should allow plenty of time to travel, especially for the return home.”
Stay updated on the latest travel news for London’s roads with our London Traffic and Travel newsletter. Sign up HERE
