Following careful consideration, the Board of Sparkle – The National Transgender Charity has decided to move this year’s Sparkle Weekend (Friday 9th – Sunday 11th July 2021) online.

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Unfortunately, despite the availability of vaccines to counter the novel Coronavirus pandemic, it was felt that the weekend falls before the Government’s estimated date that every adult will be offered their first vaccination by, and that we could not protect the health and welfare of all our visitors – especially those from high-risk categories, or younger trans people under 18 who will not have been offered a vaccine.

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The Charity prides itself on the Sparkle Weekend being open, accessible, and inclusive of everyone, so it is against our ethos and values that we deliver an event that only certain sections of our community can attend. By moving the event online and streaming a selection of performances by some of our favourite trans and gender diverse artists and musicians on a specially constructed Sparkle Weekend microsite, we can encourage our Sparkle family to remain safe, while also feeling included and, most importantly, the Charity continues to support known and up-and-coming trans talent.

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We understand that some members of our Sparkle family may still want to visit Manchester during that weekend, and we will be working closely with venues in the Gay Village to ensure that you receive the same warm welcome as always.

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The Sparkle Weekend will return as a full event next year from Friday 8th – Sunday 10th July 2022. We hope to see you all there.

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#UnityinDiversity #TRANSisnotachoiceTRANSPHOBIAis