Manchester Pride 2022: We're two days in and the party's only just getting started!

After a spectacular Friday night kick-off, day two of Manchester Pride certainly needed to deliver - and that it did. After a cracking start on Friday night - which saw Trans Filth & Joy open the Alan Turing Stage - revellers turned out in their thousands to celebrate Manchester's LGBTQ+ community.

The starting point for Saturday? A walk down Liverpool Road, just off Deansgate, to get a sneak peek at the final preparations being put on the flamboyant floats and outfits for the much-loved Manchester Pride Parade.

It’s not often that you see a JCB, a steam train and a bus full of Corrie taking to the streets of Manchester City Centre, but today was all about going that extra mile, and as the clock struck 12, the Pride parade was well and truly underway. Making its grand return after a three-year hiatus, this year's parade was a march for peace - a theme that ran throughout the entirety of the proceedings.

READ MORE: Manchester Pride parade returns to the city for the first time since pandemic with bold and colourful celebration

Over 10,000 participants in both marching and riding floats were involved this year, including firefighters, NHS workers, local councillors and even some famous Manchester faces. While crowds showed their support and appreciation for all involved, a particularly poignant moment arrived when staff from the NHS marched with banners, flags and t-shirts sporting a Pride theme.

As the parade made its way past the Great Northern Warehouse and Central Library, those in the crowd were witness to some incredible scenes. Stopping only for trams, a Spanish wave effect rippled through the crowd as an echo of cheers filled the air - a celebratory and emotional parade for all involved.

Over in the Gay Village,