Since the subject comes up quite often, and the answer isn’t straightforward, I’ll put it here. Calculating the date of Sparkle is slightly less complicated than figuring out Easter, but not as straightforward as it should be.
It’s usually the second full (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) weekend in July, and fits neatly between LFF and London Pride the weekend before, and Brighton Trans Pride the weekend after. However, if July 1st falls on a Saturday or Sunday, Sparkle becomes the first full (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) weekend in July. Unless they change this routine, Sparkle Friday should always fall on 6th to 12th July, inclusive.
So …
July 1st is a Monday: Sparkle begins Friday 12th July
July 1st is a Tuesday: Sparkle begins Friday 11th July
July 1st is a Wednesday: Sparkle begins Friday 10th July
July 1st is a Thursday: Sparkle begins Friday 9th July
July 1st is a Friday: Sparkle begins Friday 8th July
July 1st is a Saturday: Sparkle begins Friday 7th July*
July 1st is a Sunday: Sparkle begins Friday 6th July*
*If July 1st is a Saturday or Sunday, Sparkle Friday clashes with Leeds First Friday (LFF sometimes changes dates because of this) and Sparkle Saturday clashes with the London Pride march day.
This is in no way official, but certainly fits the last 7 years that I’ve been going. I strongly advise against booking any non-refundable non-amendable accommodation until the official dates are published on the website. You never know when they might throw us another curveball.
