A celebration of diversity, acceptance, equality and the work of LGBTQ+ people is set to come to an historic castle this weekend.

Medway Pride Festival will take over Rochester Castle grounds on Saturday with a number of live performances.

But before all that there is the Medway Pride Fringe Festival, a week of cultural arts that will also see local businesses hosting activities such as t-shirt printing, movie nights and karaoke.

Fringe Festival organiser Jody Carrington said the LGBTQ community had "always found a home" in the town.

The owner of the Poco Loco bar in the High Street said: "Medway Pride has its roots in the old High Street intra and historically the LGBTQ community has always found a home here.

"Due to its huge popularity, the main Medway Pride event will be held in the castle gardens this year, so we wanted to give people an opportunity to bring the festival back home afterwards, enjoy some fun events and keep on partying.

"We have organised a huge range of events including gigs, open mic and karaoke nights, t-shirt customising, drag acts, history talks and film screenings, so there really is something for everyone. Events will run throughout the week at venues along the old High Street, from Star Hill to Sun Pier. All the events are free and have been organised in collaboration with the main Medway Pride event."

The Chatham Intra, commonly referred to as the Old High Street, is the area between Sun Pier in Chatham, and Star Hill in Rochester.

Rob Flood is a member of The Cultural Consortium for Old High Street Intra Heritage Action Zone.

He said: "The Old High Street Intra has a varied and diverse history and it is only right that we celebrate its important role as a home for Medway’s LGBTQ+ community.

"Historically the haunt of sea captains and shipbuilders, architects, brewers and publicans, river workers and shopkeepers, the Old High Street Intra is now being supported through this partnership with Historic England and Medway Council, and we were pleased to provide a grant to support this fantastic series of events that will enable new visitors to enjoy the area’s rich culture and heritage."

For the main pride event, the castle grounds will open at 10.30am on Saturday with a parade along the High Street at 10.45am.

And from noon to 8pm, live music will be performed by a number of local, national and internationally-recognised acts.

The line-up includes Angie Brown, Kelly Wilde, Sarah Jayne as Dolly Parton, Snow White Trash, Melissa Totten as Madonna, Electric Blue, Jade Goodard, Jayne Snow and Eva Iglesias.

Run by volunteer group Medway Pride CIC, the first Medway Pride event was held in 2019 and is an ongoing free community celebration.

But before all that, there's Medway Pride Fringe Festival to get you in the mood.

It has been commissioned by the Cultural Consortium for the Old High Street Intra, which was formed as part of the High Street Heritage Action Zone's (HSHAZ) Cultural Programme.

Led by Historic England, in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and supported by Medway Council, the HSHAZ Cultural Programme aims to make high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time.

Other key dates through the course of next week include a range of entertainment and activities.

Today, at 2.30pm in Chatham Library, you can find out how to make your own radio show at a free workshop hosted by Medway Pride Radio. It's for 10-17 year olds. Book online or call 01634 337799.

From 10am to 4pm, Intra Arts centre in the High Street will host a creative session to make Pride accessories such as tattoos, jewellery and badges.

From 7pm to 11.30pm, Poco Loco will have a queer-cult movie classics night, hosted by the Loco Cabaret's local queens, Sket and Ramona Weapon.

On Tuesday, from 7-10pm, Intra Arts, Shiny Printy and Pride Drinkie will host a t-shirt printing event, with the opportunity to create a colourful Pride slogan, decorate a scarf and enjoy a pop-up cocktail bar.

From 7pm to 8.30pm, at Sun Pier, Carry On Up the Khyber will look at the reason why this part of Chatham and Rochester became a destination for – and a home to – the LGBTQ communities of not just the Medway Towns but the whole of Kent.

On Wednesday, from 2.30pm to 3.30pm, Chatham Library will host rainbow painting for families with children.

On Thursday and Friday, from 10.30am-5pm and Saturday from 10.30am-4pm, Chatham Library will showcase an Alice and wonderland virtual reality film. No booking is required and it's for families with children.

From 8pm on Thursday, the Ship Inn in Chatham will have a karaoke night.

On Friday, from 6.30pm-10pm, multiple artists will transform parts of the old high street intra into spaces of light, sounds, games and film. The venue is at Sun Pier House.

On the same day, from 7pm-2am, Poco Loco will host bands Menstrual Cramps, Gender Warfare, Gum Disease, Girls Like Us and the Toxic Rat Party.

At 7pm that evening, Rochester Pizza Lounge will feature a George Michael Tribute.

On Saturday, from 8pm onwards, Poco Loco will host the Official Medway Pride Radio after-party.

It will feature the Loco Cabaret – Medway’s original alternative burlesque and drag show, including Ru Paul’s’ Drag Race, River Medway.

At the same time the Nag's Head will host punk bands, with Greebo and the Burnt Wick Smugglers.

Also at the same time, The Ship Inn will feature the official Medway Pride after-party, with a Madonna tribute, DJ Tommy C and Electric Blue.

On Sunday from 2pm, The Rochester Pizza Lounge will wrap things up with a chill-down event with vinyl mixes. Bring your own to hear them mixed with other tunes.

Pride began in the US following the Stonewall riots in 1969 which triggered a week of protests and rioting by people from the gay community, who were fed-up of being harassed by the authorities.

In the UK, being homosexual was a crime until 1967, and in 2013, the Marriage Act was passed which legalised same-sex marriages.