More than 20,000 people are expected to turn out for Canterbury Pride today.

The day will kick off with a rainbow-coloured carnival procession through the heart of the city from 11.30am.

Kent’s biggest celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community will see revellers dance down the High Street, armed with banners, flags and vibrant costumes.

Celebrations will move to Dane John Gardens at 12.30pm, where two stages will host an array of entertainers including Gok Wan, Nadine Coyle from Girls Aloud and a Beyoncé tribute act.

For young families, there will be inflatables and a marketplace and various food and drink stalls will sit alongside space for your own picnic.

Southeastern trains bringing passengers to Pride have also been given a rainbow makeover, with Canterbury East and Canterbury West train station also specially decorated for the event.

Partying will continue late into the night, with drag queens dancing alongside punters at Kent’s top LGBT event, Glitterbomb, at Tokyo Tea Rooms.

Organiser Ed Withers said this morning: “There’s lots of queues forming, that’s exciting, and we’ve got a huge turnout for the parade

“It looks like it’s all about to kick off in a good way. Everyone is really excited. It’s just got so much bigger and it’s going to be a great day.”

Follow us for updates throughout the day.

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