Manchester, famed for its gay-friendly reputation, is to stage Europe's biggest gay and lesbian festival this summer.
EuroPride will take place in Manchester in August and incorporate the city's traditional three-day Mardi Gras festival, which began in 1991 with a carnival parade and other events including a tripe-eating contest.
Last year's Mardi Gras, smaller than some of its predecessors, still attracted more than 150,000 people to the city and many more are expected for EuroPride, the first time the event has come to Britain since it was staged in London in 1992.
"Manchester has a proud history of supporting its gay and lesbian community," said Manchester city councillor Pat Karney, who takes a lead role on gay and lesbian issues.
"EuroPride is a huge festival not just for these communities but for the whole city to enjoy."
Full details of EuroPride will be released later this month. But the programme will run for 10 days and include the EuroPride international swimming tournament at the Manchester Aquatics Centre, the pools built for last year's Commonwealth Games. Other sports events are to be planned with the help of regional gay and lesbian groups.
The festival will kick off with the exotic and sometimes bizarre parade that traditionally brings colour to Manchester's streets. It will also include a vigil for those who have died from Aids.
The event will have a cultural element with exhibitions and performance across the city, including the lesbian and gay film festival at Manchester's Filmworks.
There will also be debates and discussions, including a conference involving police, local authorities and health organisations on the impending repeal of section 28.
Manchester, the world's first industrial city, became an unlikely centre for the gay community in the early 90s when gay-friendly bars began to open along once-seedy Canal Street. The resulting gay village soon became recognised as an unthreatening area for a night out.
Manchester city council also realised the potential value of the pink pound and the importance of specialist events for attracting tourists.
The Manchester Mardi Gras has been a huge success, if not always a commercial one. There have been tensions among organisers and between organisers and the city council, and cash benefits for gay charities have sometimes been negligible.
Last year's event was almost cancelled at the last moment after disputes with the police over drinking restrictions. But visitors have continued to pour in and Manchester's reputation as a gay-friendly city spread with the success of Channel 4's Queer as Folk.
EuroPride was held in Cologne last year and attracted 1.3 million visitors. "Staging the festival in Manchester is a fantastic opportunity for us," said Claire Turner, one of the coordinators.
"We want people to know they can come, party and have a great time - and also take advantage of everything else that Manchester has to offer."