Oban’s annual LGBTQ+ festival, Oban Pride, will form part of a UK delegation joining this year’s São Paulo Pride Parade for the British Council’s UK/Brazil Season of Culture 2025-26.
Taking place on Sunday 7 June, the Parade is the world’s largest Pride event, with an estimated 4 million people attending. In 2026 it will also celebrate its 30th anniversary.
Oban Pride is a volunteer-led charity promoting equality and diversity throughout Oban and the surrounding areas. It provides safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies to connect, celebrate and promote equal rights throughout Scotland and beyond. Its annual Pride Weekend in August features a march through the town, arts and crafts, community activities and live musical performances.
Oban Pride will be represented in Brazil by their Chair, Kevin Kane, and Dorian T. Fisk, a multi-award-winning drag artist, performer and workshop leader.
The UK/Brazil Season of Culture 2025-26 is a joint initiative between the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, and Instituto Guimarães Rosa (IGR), part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil.
The season marks 200 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries and includes a free and diverse programme of events aimed at deepening cultural ties, promoting rich cultural heritage and building lasting relationships between both nations.
Other members of the UK delegation will include representatives from Pride in London (England), Pride Cymru (Wales) and Belfast Pride Festival (Northern Ireland). During their visit, the UK delegates will also take part in roundtables, social projects, cultural exchanges and networking activities, including engaging directly with approximately 90 Pride organisations from across Brazil.
Claire de Braekeleer, Director, British Council Scotland, said:
‘‘This is a brilliant opportunity for Scotland to participate at São Paulo Pride Parade, especially as part of the UK-Brazil Season with its focus on themes including joy, diversity and representation. It’s great to spotlight Oban Pride’s work within their community and the wider region, and I’m sure the connections made with Brazil will be long-lasting.”
For more information and interview opportunities, please contact Hayley Willis, Senior Media and Campaigns Manager, British Council: hayley.willis@britishcouncil.org
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2024–25 we reached 600 million people.
About the UK/Brazil Season of Culture 2025-26
August 2025 to June 2026 marks the celebration of the UK/Brazil Season of Culture, a joint initiative by Instituto Guimarães Rosa (IGR), part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, in charge of Brazilian cultural diplomacy, and the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
The Season is part of the commemorations marking 200 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, featuring a free and diverse programme across multiple cities in both Brazil and the UK. Its aim is to strengthen ties through events that explore a wide range of artistic expressions and promote cultural dialogue as a powerful tool for transformation and connection between people.
Key themes include climate emergency, technology, joy, diversity, and representation; topics that reflect global challenges and opportunities. The initiative invites audiences to engage in creative and collaborative experiences, fostering lasting connections among artists, cultural leaders, and institutions from both nations.
About Oban Pride
Oban Pride organises year-round events and support for the LGBTQIA+ community in Argyll & Bute, culminating in the annual Pride Weekend in August, which features a march, a market of art, crafts and charity outreach stalls, youth activities, and musical performances. The purpose of Oban Pride is to promote equality and diversity throughout Oban and surrounding areas, by providing safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies to come together to celebrate and promote equal rights throughout Scotland and across the world.