50 Years of Queer Hope & Joy

In 2025, LGBT Foundation marks half a century of queer hope and joy, with the centrepiece of the celebrations unfolding in the heart of Manchester. Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and sponsored by Barefoot Wine, the 50 Years of Queer Hope & Joy exhibition at Manchester Central Library invites visitors to explore a moving, powerful, and uplifting journey through five decades of LGBTQ+ history in Greater Manchester and beyond.

The exhibition features never-before-seen archive material, oral histories, community artefacts, and campaign posters, each highlighting the resilience, creativity, and activism of LGBTQ+ people across generations. Whether visitors are reconnecting with familiar stories or discovering them for the first time, the exhibition places lived queer experiences at the forefront.

50 Years of Queer Hope & Joy is open to the public on the Lower Ground Floor at the entrance to City Library, and in the Wolfson Reading Room on the First Floor, until 31 December 2025.

The exhibition is free to visit—no booking required.