Stepping out on her own, Steps icon Claire Richards is the final headliner to make the incredible line up of Pride in Hull 2019!
Claire first found fame as the lead vocalist of pop legends Steps, notching up a massive 26 hit singles including dancefloor favourites such as 5,6,7,8, Stomp, and Tragedy. The band celebrated their 20th anniversary in technicolour style with a surprise New Year’s Eve gig at London’s G-A-Y in 2017, followed up by the gold selling album, Tears on the Dancefloor and two sell-out tours. Away from the group, Claire fulfilled a lifelong ambition earlier this year with the release of her debut solo album, My Wildest Dreams, a top ten hit in February.
Matt Walton, Chair of Pride in Hull, said: “When you think of Pride, you think big, bright, bold and colourful – and Claire’s back catalogue couldn’t be bigger or brighter! Steps’ comeback has been such a triumph, all capped off with the success of Claire’s stunning album earlier this year. She’s heading to Hull two weeks after supporting Celine Dion at Hyde Park… and we know the Pride in Hull audience are going to be even louder!”
Claire said: “The LGBT audience have been huge supporters of my career and always know how to party! I’m so looking forward to playing Pride in Hull in July – it’ll be my first time back in the city since we arrived at Party in the Park by helicopter during Steps’ heyday – and I can’t wait to see if you can still dance as well as I remembered!”
Claire joins fellow A-listers Melanie C feat. Sink the Pink and Alaska 5000 on the line up, alongside a whole raft of other talent announced today.
Legendary club collective Push the Button – best known for their sell-out monthly nights at London’s Royal Vauxhall Tavern – will be taking to the stage with a technicolour DJ set mixing their unique flavour of capital-P POP and some of the region’s most fabulous drag performers.
Rob Holley of Push the Button said: “We’ve been desperate to bring Push the Button to Hull for ages and Pride in Hull is the perfect opportunity to give Yorkshire a taste of our monthly celebration of the biggest hits (and a few should-have-been hits). Our annual Spice Bus night is the biggest and most ridiculous event in the Push the Button calendar so we can’t wait to share a stage with an ACTUAL SPICE GIRL at Pride in Hull.”
Keeping it 90s, one of the decades other biggest girl groups will be performing at Pride in Hull. The Honeyz’ short but sweet career saw them rack-up top ten hits including Finally Found and Won’t Take It Lying Down alongside kudos from MOBO and BBC Radio 1. Their debut album Wonder No. 8 went multi-platinum, and in the US, they signed to Jay Z’s label and also appeared alongside Janet Jackson on the soundtrack to Eddie Murphy movie Nutty Professor. Their resurgence as part of ITV’s The Big Reunion saw the nation fall in love with the group’s slick harmonies and sultry R&B all over again. They’ll be bringing the Honeyz trademark soul and sass to Pride in Hull.
Local artists get to fly their main stage flag
And it’s not all established acts taking centre stage. We’re offering the opportunity for local LGBT+ artists to appear on the same stage as Claire, Melanie C and Alaska 5000, as part of our ‘Pride on Stage’ competition. Three winners will be hand-picked to perform on 20 July and entries are being accepted now!
Andy Hastings of Pride in Hull said: “Alongside the incredible talent that we’ve got pouring in as part of the Pride on Stage competition, we’ve hand picked three up-and-coming LGBT artists that’ll blow your socks off. Is that a thing people still say? They’re blooming good anyway.”
Michael T Ogilvie takes inspiration from the broody electronic pop of Tove Lo, MNEK, Troye Sivan and Charli XCX. His unapologetic pop melodies will win fans at Pride in Hull ahead of the release of his debut EP later this year.
Described as ‘proper pop’ by Radio 1’s Claara Amfo, Lucy Whittaker mixes big choruses with savvy, honest lyrics. Earlier this year, she performed at the hugely influential SXSW festival in the United States.
Last but not least, Dan Crossley’s critically acclaimed soul-pop sound saw him being named BBC Introducing’s ‘One to Watch’ in 2018 – he’s already notched up 450K streams and played a sold-out show at The Camden Assembly.
Michael T. Ogilvie 
Lucy Whittaker 
Dan Crossley
Matt Walton said: “We’ve really taken time to re-imagine what a Pride event is in 2019 and we’re inspired to keep growing with our audience. We’ve taken ages trying to come up with a line up that – we hope! – ticks the boxes for everyone.”
Andy Train, co-vice-chair of Pride in Hull continued: “Beyond the incredible acts this year we’ll have all the Pride favourites, including the biggest ever parade, presented with Back To Ours, the legendary YMCA and that major moment where we pass the giant rainbow flag over the crowd. It’s going to be an incredible day.”
Pride in Hull 2019 line-up
Obviously we have one or two secrets still up our sleeves, but here’s our confirmed line up… so far.
- Claire Richards
- Melanie C
- Alaska 5000
- Honeyz
- Push the Button
- Alex & Ellie
- Been Del as Dolly Parton
- Lucy Whittaker
- Dan Crossley
- Michael T Ogilvie
- Social Beingz
- David Danville’s Skyline Studio
- State of the Arts present Rent
- Cortney Shortney
- Pride on Stage
- Fantabulosa
- Jeddy Bear and Gary’s Picnic
