(Reviews by Jess Kemp & Martin J Fuller)
‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’ – ‘BRIGHTON & HOVE PRIDE’, PRESTON PARK, BRIGHTON 2.8.26 (DAY TWO)
Day two of Brighton & Hove Pride 2026. I arrived at Preston Park with the photographers. We were setting up in advance of the park opening to the public at noon. The first act was due to take the stage at 12:30, so we wanted to get in, kill hangovers from the previous day, hydrate, get ready and prepare our kit. It turned out to be a wise move as it meant we hit the ground running rather than shuffling.
As we talked amongst ourselves the sound of Pale Waves soundcheck was our background music. Sounding not unlike Sinead O’Connor tempered by Joan Jet vocally? It was a refreshing start to the day that put us all in a great mood. On top of that, the sun had joined us again and was beaming down on us, so everyone slathered on the sunscreen.
Sunday 2nd August:
Today’s team is still composed of Jess Kemp and Martin J Fuller, and our photographers on the case were Sara-Louise Bowrey and Mike Burnell. If you missed yesterday’s reviews, then they can be located HERE.
‘Brighton & Hove Pride’ 2026 kicked in for the second of the two day bonanza…..
PALE WAVES (Main Stage 13:10 – 13:55)
Pale Waves are based in Manchester, but as I said earlier the lead vocals have an uncanny edge of O’Connor. I had suggested her style has a dash of Joan Jet. Visually that is exactly what the lead vocalist was going for, the “Full Joan” circa Runaways and solo career. I have to say it works for her.
Not so long-ago the press touted Pale Waves as, “The next big thing” headed for stardom and chart success. Today they were opening on the Main Stage at Brighton Pride on a Sunday, a notoriously disheartening empty void to play to. However, they do gather a respectable crowd who were excited to see them and gave a flawless and engaging performance. I would happily see them again.
Opening the set with ‘Eighteen’ a track about, well, being in love at Eighteen. It is a ‘Ronseal’ track, with which the tone was set. Beginning with pure indie-pop-rock they gave the start of the day at the park a lightness and joy that would continue to permeate the day. ‘Perfume’ continued the earlier pop-rock theme and felt like a return to the late eighties’ early noughties John Hughes soundtracks of old. ‘Not A Love Song’ from the 2025 album entitled ‘Smitten’, (a favourite word of mine to express that kind of adoration that you usually only experience in your mid to late teens with first loves).
‘Not A Love Song’ is not the track of the same name by PiL, but a teen-angst refrain repetition not unlike the poetry which might accompany that same experience. The standout was the cover of the Cranberries ‘Zombie.’ When I think about it, the much missed and gone too soon Dolores O’Riordan is an obvious influence on the look and vocal sound for the lead. We had also heard them covering the song during soundcheck. After years of hearing the track murdered at Karaoke and Open Mikes it was refreshing to finally hear such an accurate rendering. Though, in all honesty, can anyone replace or top O’Riordan’s emotionally charged delivery? Given her demons and early demise, would anyone want to?
The short interlude offered by the anthem that is ‘Zombie’ was a short respite from the saccharin laden pop-rock that the band specialise in. It is a shame as it was a brief glimpse of what the band are truly capable of. I would like to hear more of them pushing the envelope rather than playing it safe.
(Jess Kemp)
CAITY BASER (Main Stage 14:15 – 14:35)
Caity Baser is originally from the ‘Port City in Hampshire’ aka Southampton, but is now a Brighton resident, specialises in what music journos have disappointingly described as ‘Feisty Pop’. Honestly, they barely held themselves back from inserting the derogatory ‘Girl’ in there. Caity’s lyrics say it like it is without any flowery guff. Cutting to the chase discussing romance, relationships, and personal anxiety she instantly caught on with her target audience without even trying. Not seeking to flatten her accent sticking with her Sauff ‘ampton intonation in a similar fashion to the likes of Lily Allen and Kate Nash peppering her lyrics with colloquialisms and catchy rhymes that connect immediately with the British teen/twenty something life experience, Caity Baser’s music a joyful celebration of youth and what it is to live free of responsibilities. I will not compare her to Allen and Nash as she is an artist pursuing her own path. It does give an idea of what to expect though as much as I loathe doing that, I would be remiss in not giving any reference points.
The local girl knew what her audience wanted and she gave it to them in spades. A standout was her track ‘X&Y (What I Didn’t Say),’ which is not only as catchy as hell, but also a pure joy to sing along to, should an ex be in the local vicinity…
The set was a non-stop avalanche of pure fun. I highly recommend listening to tracks from Caity should you need to lift your spirits. Tracks like ‘Pretty Boys,’ ‘Friendly Sex’ and ’I’m A Problem’ cannot fail to resonate. I mean a song starting with the lyric, “I’ve got big dick energy…” is just begging to be blasted from a stereo when getting ready to go out on a Saturday night. It is like she has distilled the southern England teen experience and mixed into a cocktail, a pink glitter cocktail.
(Jess Kemp)
MELANIE C (Main Stage 14:55 – 15:45)
We don’t usually review too many DJ sets, however we do make exceptions on occasions. Such as when the DJ just happens to be one of the Spice Girls flexing her guns up there on the Main Stage midday at Brighton Pride 2026.
On the whole Melanie C’s set was a pure joy of skilled mixing. Incorporating classics and modern masterpieces deftly, and with an excitement so infectious that it was slightly worrying. It was as if she had perhaps eaten all the Haribo flavours all at once for a bet. Mel cavorted, Mel flexed her guns, Mel made a large section of the audience feel all a flutter. Mel C also managed a few high kicks, whatever Mel is taking I’d like to know as I’m two years behind her and could really do with a recommendation.
Fun fact about the Spice Girls – Victoria and Geri attended the very same auditions for the ‘Tank Girl’ film which eventually went to Lori Petty. The auditions were in London and I believe were the first time that Posh and Ginger met. So, in some ways Gorillaz and Damon Albarn could (extremely tenuously) be blamed for the Spice Girls. Don’t believe me? There is an audition tape on that there internet.
I am, like many in the audience, a woman who was in her teens and twenties when the Spice Girls were at their height asking us to “Zigga Zig Ahhhhhhh”, and “…Get with their friends”, (whatever they might have meant by that…).
I’ve nothing but respect for the girls who are now women with their own families and businesses. However, the one thing we could not collectively ignore was precisely how many of her own tracks Mel C played and looked extremely happy about it indeed. Not just her own tracks were mixed in, but also Spice classics got the Mel C, DJ treatment. After a while it felt less like ‘homage’ to earlier hits and fame, and more like a grab for royalties, residuals, replay and pay for click. “In it for the money”, would be an accurate appraisal of the set as a whole. Melanie Jayne Chisholm, Melanie C, Mel C, or Mrs Dingwall, which ever name she chooses to go by now she certainly earned every penny up there on the Main Stage filling the afternoon slot and then finishing early enough to enjoy the rest of the day and perhaps hang backstage with her contemporaries and a few up-and-comings, some also rans and then the LEGEND that is Diana Ross, the boss.
(Jess Kemp)
HOLLY JOHNSON (Main Stage 16:15 – 17:05)
Frankie Goes To Hollywood were a seminal band. ‘Relax’ might as well be the international LGBTQIA+ anthem.
In the mists of time which some may recall, and some may think of as ancient history for another generation, a seminal and barrier breaking album was released. That album was released in 1984 by ‘Frankie Goes To Hollywood’. Their lead singer was Holly Johnson, the album? ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome’. It was the cause of national consternation and outrage across middle England. Radio’s finest DJs refused to play it, record shops refused to stock it, nice little old ladies and gentlemen were “Frankly Disgusted”. Why was there such an affront? Well, Holly and friends had dared to lift the curtain on the life that had always existed for time immoral alongside the “respectable” gentile British isles. They had not only lifted the curtain on the hidden life of the LGBTQIA+ community and dared to take it mainstream. They did so on multiple fronts.
The cover artwork was “Scandalous” (I would say beautiful, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say). Then there was the now classic track and anthem ‘Relax’. The accompanying video viewed now is fairly ‘vanilla’, but in execution the art and video direction are a masterclass in misdirection and implication. If you understood that supposedly cryptic visual language, then you knew the language of the underground club scene and LGBTQIA+ culture not to mention the S&M scene which intersects middle England’s furtive and until then hidden participation. It was very much a don’t ask don’t tell situation in the bucolic blighty in the ‘80s. Yes, ‘Relax’ IS an anthem. But to those alive when it was released it was also a lifeline.
Cut back to 2026 and ‘Pride In The Park’ and the opening bars of ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome’ call out like a beacon across the park for everyone to gather at the Main Stage. Holly let the band do the initial hard work, only appearing as and when the timing was perfect. First song? ‘Relax’. Now take a second to really digest the lyrics, our nation’s press certainly did. Truly digest them, “Relax, don’t do it, When you wanna go do it, Relax, don’t do it, When you wanna come…” and repeat. I don’t believe anyone reading this needs me to elucidate on the overt meaning of those words. It’s the repetition though that really hammers it home. There can be NO misunderstanding when you repeat lyrics like that, not unless you are being wilfully naïve, or worse, plain gauche.
So, it was. The entirety of those gathered at Preston Park on a Sunday including myself and our photographer’s, singing at the top of their lungs gleefully and cavorting with absolute freedom and joy to a song, which was once routinely condemned as “Disgusting” by the powers that be, and then tell me Pride doesn’t work.
The whole set was a lesson in pure performance, stagecraft and musicianship at its finest. Mr Holly Johnson everyone resplendent in trans flag shirt ski glasses and long shorts with quiff that would make Mark Lamar jealous. Do yourself a favour, buy copies of his finest albums and back catalogue and stage a mini pride in your front room today.
(Jess Kemp)
PARIS HILTON (Main Stage 17:40 – 18:25)
“And remember, everyone’s a Princess.”, the sentence that Paris Hilton hotel heiress, ‘90s icon, DJ and now mother chose to leave the Main Stage with after an outstanding performance which was pure camp from start to finish.
Everyone expected Paris to “cop-out” and resort to a fabulous, but lacking DJ set, which, let’s be honest, should only ever be staged in the DJ tent, unless of course you are Fatboy Slim, a local and national treasure who should have been on the Main Stage.
Ms Hilton however prefers the unexpected. Arriving in style as only she can, Paris was surrounded by men in little to no clothing looking like blonde perfection. She was indeed “…The Hot One.” Honestly, I have not seen a bleach job that good since I had mine done to platinum perfection by a professional over a decade ago. Start as you mean to go on is a good place to begin.
Exploding onto the stage in a red, white, and blue ensemble that Geri would give her eye teeth for, Paris was grinning knowing full well that she was a performer in complete control even before she opened her mouth. Receiving a glowing introduction before the set started, the Main Stage screen began to flash up renowned images of the heiress who only a fool would have written off as clueless.
Paris has the entire site eating out of her manicured hands and was clearly enjoying every second. Dancing, singing, and making full use of her retinue she was living the campiest fever dream right in front of our eyes and the audience was well and truly there for it. The standout track was ‘BBA (Bad Bitch Academy)’ released by Paris Hilton and Megan Thee Stallion. Re-released in 2025 on a remix version of 2024’s ‘Infinite Icon’ album, which I can confirm (now that I have listened to it in its entirety) is packed with back-to-back dance floor bangers. The ‘hook’ in the song? The lyric, “Bitch Dance with me?!,” who would not want to shout that across the dancefloor at someone? Friend or Foe? Obviously, your parents might not be impressed, but there is no doubt Hilton’s are as Paris sashays Cheshire Cat grinning all the way to the bank.
(Jess Kemp)
FIVE (Main Stage 19:00 – 19:50)
Comfort breaks were had; sustenance was foraged; quick sit downs were enjoyed. Finally, we reluctantly headed to the mainstage to watch Five, or Four, who can be sure? Would they be in fine form preserved as if they had been cryogenically frozen? Would they be ropey as hell, this, and other questions we ask ourselves of every reformed act, especially when they age only to return decades later at the behest of family and record company alike to cash in on the 90’s revival. I expected the worst but was surprised no end. Those boys, now men, gave the set absolutely everything they had to give and more. No doubt they have aged, but then who hasn’t ?
Livelier and more coordinated than I can ever remember them being the full set of Five moved around the stage like men at least a decade younger (again what do they give the performers backstage or are they fuelled by pure adrenalin?). The group performed back-to-back hits from the height of their career including, ‘Keep On Movin,’ ‘If Ya Gettin’ Down,’ and the stone-cold classics ‘Everybody Get Up’ and ‘When The Lights Go Down.’
While the boys were giving their all on the stage groups of women and girls spontaneously formed dance groups as if they had been rehearsing their entire lives for this moment, joyously throwing shapes, and screaming out their favourite members name as if no time had elapsed. High octane from start to finish it was an absolute pleasure seeing the band so elated by the adoration they received. It was an unexpectedly exhilarating and heartwarming set. I truly had not known how word-perfect I was on their back catalogue previously.
(Jess Kemp)
DIANA ROSS (Main Stage 20:30 – 22:00)
The word ‘legend’ is bandied about too often these days, but there is no question that tonight members of the Pride crowd found themselves in the presence of one and they don’t get much bigger than Diana Ross.
Few performers could precede their arrival with a ten-minute biographical film and make it feel entirely justified, but Diana Ross is not just any performer. Charting her extraordinary rags-to-riches journey from Detroit housing projects to global superstardom, the film mixed early footage of The Supremes with snapshots from a career that has now spanned more than six decades. And then it happened… a 10 piece band dressed immaculately in white strode on to stage, alongside four backing singers and finally shimmering in a silver-white sequinned gown and an enormous feathered cape and hat, Ross emerged to the unmistakable opening of ‘I’m Coming Out’. Brighton Pride had its queen!
The opening run was a guided tour through the foundations of pop. ‘Baby Love’, ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’, ‘Come See About Me’ and ‘Stop! In The Name of Love’ rolled out in a joyous Supremes medley, with vintage footage of the young Ross flickering across the screens behind the superstar. It was impossible not to feel the weight of history, although Ross herself seemed determined not to treat the occasion like a museum piece. Her voice now has a little more grain around the edges and the backing singers (and crowd) did a lot of the heavy lifting, but the phrasing, authority and sheer star quality remain firmly intact. “I’m 82, right?” she grinned. “Move it or lose it.” Fair point!
From there, the hits kept coming. ‘The Boss’ sounded colossal, ‘Chain Reaction’ sent ripples of delirium through the crowd and ‘Tomorrow’ offered a brief moment to breathe. ‘Reach Out And Touch (Somebody’s Hand)’ became one of the evening’s great communal moments, Ross asking the audience to connect while thousands of arms rose and the field swayed beneath the Brighton sky. There was no need for complicated staging or relentless choreography. Ross understood that sometimes all a legend has to do is stand there, extend a hand and allow 50 years of emotional attachment to do the rest.
‘Upside Down’ cranked the party back into gear, stretched into a loose, extended groove that allowed the band to flex its considerable musical muscle. A medley of ‘Love Hangover’, ‘Take Me Higher’ and ‘Ease On Down The Road’ followed, with Ross slipping away while the musicians and backing vocalists took over. This was no anonymous touring unit quietly filling time during a costume change; these were virtuosos, clearly delighted to be given room to play. Ross returned in a blazing red sequinned dress, feathered cape and sunglasses, every inch the old-school superstar, before throwing herself into ‘If The World Just Danced’ and the fizzing ‘Why Do Fools Fall In Love’.
By the time Ike and Tina Turner cover ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ arrived, Preston Park had become one enormous choir. Ross barely needed to sing the chorus herself; the crowd hurled it back at her with the force of a football terrace. Then came Gloria Gaynor cover ‘I Will Survive’, a great queer anthem of defiance, heartbreak and refusing to stay down, transformed into another sprawling band showcase. It was glorious, extravagant and just a little chaotic, exactly as a Pride headline set should be.
The final moments looked forward rather than back. Ross introduced ‘Be You’, written especially for the occasion, as a celebration of individuality, freedom and the right to live without apology. It was not one of the songs people had spent decades waiting to hear, but its message landed perfectly.
Ross completed a sequence of three costume changes for the encore which suggested understatement had never once crossed her mind. ‘Thank You’ closed the 1 hour and 44 minute set with warmth rather than grandiosity, Ross bidding farewell after a set overflowing with sequins, disco, Motown and sheer force of personality.
Tonight we had been lucky enough to witness a true cultural icon whose music continues to cross boundaries and connect generations in a way that very few others can. A truly mesmerising performance!
(Martin J Fuller)
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Author: Nick Linazasoro
Music Editor
