The Bourne Free Pride Festival event will return to Meyrick Park for the first time in ten years to cater for more space and expected increased spectator sizes.

Ahead of the festival’s 16th instalment, organisers were told by BCP Council that they have outgrown the Triangle and were given permission to come back to the park in central Bournemouth for the first time since 2010.

Excitement has been building for this year’s event since December when event’s organisers announced the theme for this year’s event, “Schools Out”, and its date which will be Friday July 3 to Sunday July 4.

Vice Chair of the Bourne Free Pride Festival Martyn Underhill said: “Its hugely exciting to go back to our roots, Meyrick Park is where this all started, and the return enables us to grow as an event, with two stages, and more space.

“All the trustees and our partners are very excited, especially with our theme of “Schools Out”. The theme and new venue takes us to a new level, in partnership with Oakmeadians, the resident rugby club."

The festival sells around 3,000 tickets each year so, with the added space as well as a main stage and second stage at Meyrick Park, organisers are hoping to attract even more people.

Alongside the various stalls and community groups present at the event will be Oakmeadians Rugby Club, who play their home matches at Meyrick Park and will be running rugby taster sessions and a food stall at the event.

General Manager Jane Hart said: “Oakmeadians are in full support of the Bourne Free event and we welcome the fantastic community event back to Meyrick Park.

“The rugby club will be offering rugby taster sessions on the weekend and will have a tent in the park where people can find out more about junior, women’s and adults rugby and grab a bite to eat. The clubhouse will also be open for refreshments.

“We are very proud to be working alongside Bourne Free and hope to make it the best event yet.”

This year’s Pride Weekend event, which will take place on July 3 and 4, will feature two stages, an area for food stall and bars, an education centre about various societies and charities in the area and community stalls for local businesses

The group announced at DYMK and Bourne Free’s “World Aids Day Fundraiser” held in December that the theme for this year’s weekend event as “Schools Out”, paying tribute to a landmark regulation for teaching relationships and sex education (RSE) that comes into force in schools across England in September 2020.

On announcing this years’ theme, The Chair of Bourne Free Ben Horgan said: “Next year will be a landmark moment – a whole new generation will attend schools that not only accept LGBT people and same-sex relationships, but also celebrate and offer support on the issues that young LGBT people face.

“The guidance means that primary schools will teach about different families, which of course includes LGBT families. Contrary to what’s been said by some online and in the media, this is just about showing kids that families can have two mums or two dads. Or to put another way: different families, same love.”

More information about the parade and the acts to perform at the festival are to be announced.