Herts Pride returns to Cassiobury Park on Saturday 22 August, 12pm to 10pm. Advance tickets £12 (adults), £10 (13 to 17), £30 family, sold until 21 August; under-13s free.

Herts Pride is back in Cassiobury Park on Saturday 22 August 2026, running from 12pm to 10pm, with Union J’s Jaymi Hensley as the special guest and the London Gay Men’s Chorus on the Main Stage. It is the county Pride’s 14th year and the theme is Pride and Thrive. (Watford Borough Council, 12 August 2026)

Advance tickets are £12 for adults, £10 for young people aged 13 to 17 and £30 for a family ticket; children under 13 go free with a responsible adult, and free Essential Companion tickets are available for eligible attendees. The organiser’s site says advance tickets are on sale until Friday 21 August. (Herts Pride)

Who is on

The council’s release, written with the organisers, lists the Main Stage bill: Jaymi Hensley of Union J; the London Gay Men’s Chorus, described as Europe’s largest gay choir, sending around 25 to 30 singers; the married drag duo Adam All and Apple Derrieres; West End vocalist Emma Lindars; Rob Taylor’s All About Elton tribute; and returning favourites The Fabulous Lounge Swingers.

Two acts have Watford roots. ADA!R lived in the town for five years after moving here at 16, and Tiger Jazz, billed as “Watford’s King of Swing”, brings the Great American Songbook. Allan Jay and The Boys, Alfie Ordinary, Davina Sparkle and Ophelia Payne are also on the bill, and the stage hosts are Fiona Flange, Allan Jay, Stephanie Von Clitz and VIBE 107.6FM’s Tina Fuller. Karpow Entertainment is the entertainment partner.

Away from the stage there is a Wellbeing Marquee, Market Zone, Sports Zone and Emergency Services Zone, a funfair, food and drink, and the dog show, which takes entries in advance through a form on the Herts Pride dog show page; places are limited.

CeX is the headline sponsor and Community Stage sponsor, Hilton London Watford backs the Entertainment Zone, Holland and Barrett is Lead Wellbeing Sponsor, WHSmith supports the volunteers, GSK supports accessibility and inclusion and UNISON the Quiet Zone. Watford FC, ICAB, NHS Professionals, Hertfordshire County Council, Watford Community Housing, Three Rivers District Council and Hertsmere Borough Council are also listed as supporters. Herts Pride is a volunteer-run non-profit and says all proceeds go towards running the event. (Herts Pride, About)

Tyson Martin, chair of Herts Pride, said the theme “is about more than being visible. It’s about creating communities where LGBTQ+ people can feel safe, supported and included.” Peter Taylor, the Elected Mayor of Watford, said he was “aware that hate towards the LGBTQ+ community has increased recently” and that “events such as Herts Pride are so important.”

Key facts panel for Herts Pride 2026: Saturday 22 August, 12pm to 10pm, Cassiobury Park; advance tickets £12 adult, £10 age 13 to 17, £30 family, under-13s free; nearest stations Watford Underground 100m, Watford Junction 0.8 miles, Watford High Street 1 mile; car parks Gade WD17 1PL, Avenue WD17 4NR, Town Hall WD17 3EX
Herts Pride 2026 at a glance. Graphic by Watford Today; sources Herts Pride and Watford Borough Council.

Getting there

The organiser’s directions page gives the park’s main postcode as WD18 7LG and puts Watford Underground station 100 metres from the site, Watford Junction 0.8 miles away and Watford High Street Overground station 1 mile away. The 352 bus stops outside the Metropolitan line station, about 300 metres from the park entrance. The nearest car parks are Gade in Rosslyn Road (WD17 1PL), Avenue in Hempstead Road (WD17 4NR) and Watford Town Hall (WD17 3EX). Council car park charges are set out on the council’s car park directory records.

One rail note for the morning: TfL’s planned-works listing shows a Metropolitan line part closure on Saturday 22 August, with no service between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Aldgate until 10:30, replacement bus ML1 between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Wembley Park, and the Jubilee line for central London. The Watford branch to Harrow is not part of that closure, and it ends before the gates open. (TfL line status API, Metropolitan, 22 August 2026) TfL showed no planned Lioness line closure for that weekend at the time of writing. Our Watford roadworks and travel page and train times page have the wider picture.

What it means for you

If you are going, buy in advance: the price list above is the advance price and the organiser’s site says advance sales stop on Friday 21 August. Under-13s do not need a ticket but do need an adult with them. If you live near the park, the programme runs for ten hours and finishes at 10pm, and the organisers point arrivals at the Metropolitan line station and the three car parks above. If you have a dog with an act to perform, the dog show form is open now, and it fills up. For the rest of what is on in the town this month, see things to do in Watford.