THIS is what you can do if you've bought a ticket for Brighton Pride this year.

Thousands of people had planned to flock to the city and celebrate the festival before it was cancelled for the second year in a row.

In a statement posted online, organisers said they are "heartbroken" to cancel the popular event due to the uncertainty over mass gatherings.

Last year, coronavirus restrictions meant the event for the landmark 30th anniversary was cancelled “with a heavy heart”.

However, the event's cancellation has left many ticketholders stuck.

To combat this, organisers have given people three options - including a full refund.

The Brighton Pride website outlines the following options:

  • "We know 2022 will sell out, so you may wish to roll over tickets to 2022 to secure your place for next year and insure against any price increases"
  • "Donate the face value of your ticket to the Brighton Rainbow Fund to support the year-round essential work of local charities and community groups"
  • "Apply for a refund of the face value of your ticket"

The celebrations were due to take place this year on August 7 and August 8.

The Argus: Brighton Pride has been cancelled for 2021Brighton Pride has been cancelled for 2021

However, smaller community and cultural events are stilled planned for throughout the summer and autumn.

Paul Kemp, director of Brighton Pride said: “We are devastated at having to make this decision for a second year and recognise the huge impact on local businesses, charities and community groups who rely on the fundraising potential of the Pride weekend.

“Pride attracts tens of thousands of people to our city for the LGBTQ+ community parade which is the heart of the Pride celebrations, where social distancing clearly can’t be facilitated safely.

"Our planning has also identified significant supply chain challenges including infrastructure, security and staffing making it impossible to deliver a safe event with any certainty.

“Community fundraising has always been our main objective for Pride, but without the safety net of viable Covid cancellation insurance, we cannot jeopardise our ability to deliver a sustainable fundraising Pride in future years.

“I’d like to thank all of our contractors, suppliers and partner agencies who have tried their upmost to help us move forward with planning, and to everyone who has purchased a ticket for their understanding and support, we can’t wait to bring Pride back in 2022 better than ever.”