Time to Get ‘Appy’ At Newcastle Pride

Newcastle Pride, the second largest free LGBT festival in the country, is returning with three days of live entertainment from today (Friday July 18), including performances by Sinitta, Shayne Ward and the Vengaboys.

To help visitors navigate the extended three-day line-up, which will be spread across two city sites, event organisers Northern Pride have launched the festival’s first ever app.

The app, available to download for i-phone, android and tablet, will serve as a pocket guide to all things Pride, from the best places to eat, drink and stay, to a site map and full details of when and where to see all of this year’s big name acts.

It will also offer the opportunity for users to enjoy their own five minutes of fame, by taking a selfie or group shot to be displayed on the huge screens around the festival’s Main Stage at the Town Moor.

Mark Nichols, Chair of Northern Pride, said: “This year is the biggest Newcastle Pride we’ve ever staged and we’re conscious that with the festival being spread across two sites and three days it may be slightly harder to navigate than usual.

“This app has been specifically designed to help visitors make the most of their Pride experience and ensure all of the necessary information is there, at their fingertips, wherever they go.”

As an added incentive for downloading the app, Northern Pride has teamed up with many of the North East’s biggest business to incorporate a range of exclusive offers and discounts, worth up to £1000.

These offers, covering everything from waffles to weddings, will be accessible via the app before, during and after Newcastle Pride, with many being valid for up to a year.

This includes a series of promotions from app sponsors, the Malhotra Group, who will be offering a different discount every month until spring 2015.

These exclusive discounts, which will be automatically updated, could include reduced rates on everything from dinner at Scalini’s to cocktails at Osbornes Bar and Kitchen or an overnight stay at the New Northumbria Hotel.

Atul Malhotra, Chief Operating Officer at the Malhotra Group, said: “Newcastle Pride is a huge event for the city and one which has brought business to our door for many years.

“We wanted to celebrate the festival’s expansion for 2014 by offering a series of special offers via the app, on top of the already affordable prices we offer.

“We hope that this year’s Pride-goers will make the most of those offers and continue to utilise them even once the festival has finished.”

The Newcastle Pride app, which will also include listings of other events being run before and after the three-day festival, is available to download from the Northern Pride website, www.northern-pride.com or can be downloaded directly onto android by searching Northern Pride or from the Apple store by searching NPride14.

Each download will cost 99p on android or £1.49 on iTunes, with all proceeds being used to help ensure Pride remains free in future years.

Anyone who downloads the app will be given automatic entry into a free prize draw to win a pair of tickets to the Saturdays’ Greatest Hits Concert at Newcastle City Hall on September 9, courtesy of AEG Live.

For more information or to see full details for this year’s Newcastle Pride, visit www.northern-pride.com or follow @NorthernPrideUK on Twitter.