This year's Bicester Pride has been hailed a "huge success" by the founder as more than 1300 people attended the festival. 

The founder of Bicester Pride, Christina Riley, told the Oxford Mail that this year's event was the "biggest so far".

The event returned for its fourth year on Saturday, September 7 at Garth Park.

"Every year we get bigger and bigger, it was phenomenal," Ms Riley, who is also one of the directors of Bicester Pride alongside Lee Bunce and Rob Johnson, said. 

It is a day festival celebrating LGBTQIA+ identities with a variety of stalls and entertainment for visitors to enjoy, including a Freddie Mercury tribute act, which went down well with the crowds. The crowds at Bicester PrideThe crowds at Bicester Pride (Image: Eddy Xi Gong)

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"Brita, our main sponsor, got a lot of visitors, which is really important for sustainability.

"We're really grateful for their support."

The event was also sponsored by Bicester Village and Bicester Town Council. 

Bicester's MP Calum Miller attended with the town mayor, Damien Maguire.

Damien Maguire (left) and Calum Miller (right)Damien Maguire (left) and Calum Miller (right) on stage at Bicester Pride (Image: Eddy Xi Gong)

"This is the first time we've had our own MP. We knew Calum from four years ago when we started, he visited Bicester Pride in the beginning," Ms Riley said. 

"It was wonderful to have him join us on the stage with Damien, with both of them saying a few words to welcome everyone.

"We're always proud to have the town mayor. Never underestimate how important and meaningful it is to have the support of the local council."

Speaking on the success of the event, Ms Riley said: "We're a small town, we've only been doing Pride for a few years.

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"We outdo ourselves, we're punching above our weight really - to have a packed park all clapping their hands to radio gaga is such a great feeling.

"You can't quite believe it's happening in Bicester.

"When you have all the lights in the crowd, it's something special."

Christina Riley on stage at Bicester PrideChristina Riley on stage at Bicester Pride (Image: Eddy Xi Gong)

She added: "It's quite satisfying after over six months of work to have such a huge success.

"It's been our most successful pride to date, I'm really proud of all the volunteers.

"It's a nice feeling when it all pays off."

All the money made from the event goes back into Pride, but this year Ms Riley decided to donate £200 to Peter Rhone, who is riding from London to Brighton in support of local charity Nais House. 

"It was a privilege to have him come up on stage and spend a few moments just sharing his journey," she said. 

Ms Riley added that planning will soon be underway for next year's Pride.