Multinational companies are pulling back from sponsoring Britain’s largest Pride festivals, with organisers reporting a significant decline in corporate funding amid growing global backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies — particularly in the United States under the Trump administration.
Brands such as Sony, Reckitt Benckiser, Costa Coffee, Deloitte, and Skyscanner are among those that have not renewed their support for major UK Pride events this year, despite high-profile involvement in recent years.
Pride in London, the UK’s flagship event, has seen sponsorship by Sony’s PlayStation brand and Reckitt’s Durex quietly dropped, while Costa, owned by Coca-Cola, has not returned as a sponsor of Brighton & Hove Pride, one of the UK’s most attended festivals.
BMW, a sponsor of both London and Brighton Prides in 2023, has shifted its support this year to Classical Pride, a smaller LGBTQ+ classical music celebration. Notably, the carmaker has also not updated its social media branding for Pride Month, as it did in previous years.
Similar trends have emerged in Scotland, where both Deloitte and Skyscanner — previous backers of Edinburgh Pride — are absent from this year’s list of sponsors.
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