For one day each summer, London becomes a giant rainbow-coloured procession. Streets fill with music, banners, dancing and enough glitter to keep a craft shop in business for months. But Pride in London is more than a party.

London's first official Pride march took place on 1 July 1972, when around 2,000 people walked from Trafalgar Square to Hyde Park. The date was chosen as the nearest Saturday to the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York, United States, linking the event to a global movement for LGBTQIA+ rights. The march ended at Hyde Park's Speakers' Corner, a long-standing hub for free speech and activism.

Today, Pride in London is one of the United Kingdom's largest LGBTQIA+ festivals, often attracting more than 1.5 million people. Hundreds of community groups, performance floats and walking contingents take part, while even members of the Armed Forces have joined the parade. The rainbow may grab attention, but equality remains the main attraction.