As Pride in London kicks off, London’s mayor Sadiq Khan has said “love will always triumph over hate.”

Speaking on Saturday (29 June, Sadiq Khan exclusively told PinkNews that he’s “proud every year” of the community and allies who come together from across the globe in “solidarity and celebration”. 

This year’s event line-up promises to radiate queer joy, with headliner Bebe Rexha, X Factor’s Janice Robinson and Ru Paul’s Drag Race winner Ginger Johnson all set to perform. 

He went on to say: “Pride is one of the highlights of my year and it is an honour to have been on every march since I was first elected as mayor in 2016. Our capital’s LGBTQI+ communities make a huge contribution to life in London.

“London was the first UK city to hold a Pride event in the 1970s, and each year the march and accompanying events have gone from strength to strength. 

“Pride is not only a celebration, it’s a bold statement of defiance in the face of those who seek to divide and discriminate.

‘There is still work to do to achieve true equality’

“However, while our city may be one of the most inclusive in the world, there is still work to do to achieve true equality. Discrimination is still experienced by many in our society and it is important that we all work to tackle this.

“As we build a fairer and better London, I will continue to do all I can to ensure the capital remains an open and welcoming place for all as we show that love will always triumph over hate. Happy Pride!” 

Last year, Khan gave his backing to Pride in London’s campaign, Never March Alone: Championing Trans Allyship.

“London is renowned across the globe as a beacon of inclusion and diversity,” he said in 2023. “Pride is part of the reason. The march of solidarity and celebration has helped to change our society and I’m pleased that this year’s campaign will be in support of the capital’s trans and non-binary community.”

The year before that, he announced that Pride in London would receive more than £600,000 (about $740,000 at the time) in city funding, to ensure the event goes ahead until 2027. He told PinkNews that the LGBTQ+ community and its allies “can’t be complacent” in the fight for equality and – very rightly, as it turned out –warned that trans people were being used as “pawns by politicians”. 

This year’s event comes just days before the UK’s general election.