The Belfast Pride parade returns this year on Saturday, 27 July.

The parade is part of a wider Belfast Pride Festival which has been running since 19 July.

This year marks Micky Murray’s first Pride as lord mayor of Belfast.

Mr Murray describes himself as “the very first openly gay lord mayor that we’ve ever had”.

Speaking to BBC News NI, he said: “this is my 18th Belfast Pride that I’ve been attending, but obviously the first as the First Citizen of Belfast and the first time that we’ve had an openly LGBT Lord Mayor lead the parade”.

“It is quite significant.” he added.

Belfast’s Pride parade will take place on Saturday, followed by events throughout the city.

The parade will leave at 13:00 BST from Custom House Square, with the parade build-up starting from 11:00.

A free admission “party in the square” will begin at 12:00 and continue after the parade.

Former UTV presenter Julian Simmons will be making his debut DJ gig from 17:00 to 18:30 at the “party in the square”.

Anyone with access needs can email access@belfastpride.com to ask for a seat on the mobility bus alongside the parade, to sit in a quiet viewing area at Ulster University or to be added to the reserve list for the accessible area at the “party in the square”.

There are also accessible toilets.

On 28 June, 1970 the first Pride marches were held in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

They were attended by thousands of people.

On 1 July, 1972 the UK’s first Pride march was held in London.

About 100 people took part in Belfast’s first Pride parade in 1991.

The parade is the main event in the city’s LGBTQ+ calendar.

Organisers have previously told BBC News NI that Pride is a “protest and a celebration, a call for equality, a stand for solidarity and a celebration of the lives of LGBTQIA+ people”.

Micky Murray agrees with this.

He told BBC News NI: “For me Pride is first and foremost a protest, secondly a celebration, but also a remembrance of where we’ve came.”

For the second consecutive year, Belfast Pride have done a community consultation to find out what people want for their Pride festival.

The theme for Belfast Pride 2024 is Love Your Mind.

The Only Way is Essex star Gemma Collins will be headlining a “Rave4 Pride” event in Thompsons nightclub in association with a local cosmetics company.

Alongside the festivities there have been political debates such as Pride Talks Back.

There is the Pride Village, a Pride themed market, with information stalls as well as children’s entertainment, bouncy castles, music and quiet space.

There was a screening at the Linen Hall of the BBC Spotlight documentary, Blood on the Dance Floor.

Poetry in The Mac and a historical living library on Royal Avenue have also been on the festival agenda.

A full list of events can be found on the Belfast pride website.

As well as leading Saturday’s Pride parade, the lord mayor has been attending a range of other festival events during the week.

“In terms of the history of our city, this position has has been around for over 130 years and I’m the very first person who’s been openly gay in this position,” Mr Murray said.

“So I think it’s important that people see themselves reflected in a role where we’ve never been represented before.”

For Mr Murray, there has been “huge change” in Belfast since his first Pride 18 years ago.

He said that 18 years ago, “the fight was for things like civil partnership, people coming out from workplaces, people coming to their families and over those years, the conversation has changed”.

“We then had the fight for marriage equality, which was a very long, difficult campaign.

“We are very forward thinking inclusive city, but that’s not always reflected in our politics.”