THE organisers of one of the North-East’s biggest gay pride events have said they hope for a record turnout this year.

The Official Darlington Pride event will take place on Monday at venues around the town and will feature a guest performance by reality star Kerry Katona.

The event, now in its sixth year, is organised by volunteers from the Darlington Gay Scene Collective and celebrates inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the region.

More than 2,000 people attended the event last year and organisers are hoping for even better numbers this year, with people coming from as far afield as Manchester and Blackpool.

Mark Hardy, chairman of the organisation committee, said Darlington was well known in the North-East for being tolerant of people of all lifestyles, with a thriving gay scene every Monday night.

He said: “The Darlington gay scene started about 12 years ago and it has grown immensely in that time.

“This event is once a year and is a celebration of the community, its friends, family members and supporters.

“More than 2,000 people came last year and we are really excited to get someone like Kerry Katona this year.

“Whether you love her or hate her, she is someone very much in the public eye and a big name.”

The event is organised in conjunction with Gay Advice Darlington and Durham, which offers support to LGBT people from around the region.

Joe Bramley, another of the event organisers, said: “Darlington has become a beacon for gay people in the region.

It’s a multicultural town and people come in from smaller towns and villages in County Durham and North Yorkshire.

“For some people, coming to Darlington on a Monday night is their first experience of the gay scene, and it’s important to us that we have mechanisms in place for people who might need someone to talk to.”

The Official Darlington Pride starts at 7pm in Joe’s Bar, in Grange Road, with events also taking place at Harvey’s and Seen, There is also a fashion show at Leggs, in Skinnergate, at 8pm.

The event will finish with Kerry Katona performing at Inside Out from 1am, with the party continuing until 5am.

For more information, search for Darlington Gay Night on Facebook.