The city’s calendar gains a focused, joyful gathering when LBTQWomen stages its annual Lesbian Visibility Week event at The Ministry in Borough on Saturday 25 April 2026. This is a day designed to make space rather than squeeze it in: a place where conversations, commerce and connection all happen under one roof. The programme sets out to put lesbian visibility at the heart of the room, offering a mix of conversation-led sessions, a vendor marketplace showcasing queer women-owned businesses, and evening activities that encourage people to stay, mingle and celebrate. If you’ve been meaning to attend in previous years, this iteration makes a clear invitation to be present and seen.
Opening moments and keynote energy
The event opens with remarks from Lady Phyll (Phyll Opoku-Gyimah), whose decades of activism and leadership with UK Black Pride reshape how community gatherings think about inclusion. Her address is intended to set the tone—less about logistics and more about purpose—drawing attention to histories often sidelined and the need to centre Black lesbian women in contemporary movements. Hosting the panels is author and podcaster Lotte Jeffs, who facilitates conversations that foreground lived experience and practical insight. Together these voices transform the morning into an intentional moment for listening and learning, ensuring that the day’s programme resonates beyond the venue walls.
Panels: business, spaces and who gets to belong
Two curated conversations dig into how queer women build organisations and claim physical and cultural room. The Business Panel, chaired by Pippa Dale, gathers founders who translate identity into enterprise: Leo Saunders of Improper Agency, Lexie Shaibu-Lenoir of Queer Weddings UK—an independent wedding planning company dedicated to LGBTQIA+ couples—and Grace Jackson of Mad Spaniel, a fintech accounting firm supporting growth-stage ventures. Expect candid discussion about the obstacles these leaders face, the resilience that keeps them moving and the concrete tactics they use to grow sustainable businesses that serve their communities.
Who occupies public and social spaces
The Spaces Panel, facilitated by Arianwen Harris from the London Lesbian Business Group, explores how venues, events and networks are made accessible and welcoming. Panelists include Sandy Chuchuca of Sanura Dance, EJ Nutbrown of Queer Edge, Jennie Rowland of Sapphic Socials and Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir of The Common Press. Their contributions span dance, nightlife, community organising and publishing, offering a variety of perspectives on creating durable platforms. Conversations will focus on practical actions—booking policies, outreach approaches and partnerships—that expand who can claim space and how that space can be sustained.
Marketplace, mash-up and afternoon rhythms
From midday, the venue fills with a vibrant marketplace where queer women entrepreneurs trade ideas and services. Expect stalls from names such as Allow and Align with Natalie, Levy and Co Barbershop, Sanura Dance and other businesses built to meet community needs. At 4:30 pm the Marketplace Mash Up gives each vendor a spotlight moment to answer a simple question: what problem are you solving and why does this community need it? That rapid-fire session is designed to build awareness and direct connections between attendees and makers over short, meaningful pitches that make discovery easy.
Evening programme and practical details
The day is built to flow: with a marketplace, panels, a bar and deli, attendees are invited to settle in rather than rush out. At 6 pm pizza arrives and conversation loosens; at 6:30 pm Sanura Dance leads a Bachata class included with a ticket, offering a communal way to switch gears. The official Lesbian Visibility Week Closing Party, powered by Mint Events, begins at 8 pm in the same room—the night continues without the need to relocate. Note that the after-party requires a separate ticket: tickettailor.com/events/lwiredevents/2094089/r/ext. The main event is hosted by LBTQWomen at The Ministry, 79–81 Borough Rd, London SE1 1DN.
Why this gathering matters
This is the third year the event convenes, with attendance consistently growing beyond 200+ people, demonstrating that visible community spaces matter. Supported by organisations such as Stonewall and connected groups including Lez Meet and GetGayns Running Club, the gathering is a collective effort to centre queer women not as an afterthought but as the focus. By combining conversation, commerce and conviviality, the event aims to strengthen networks, showcase enterprises and remind attendees that building lasting, visible spaces is both a cultural and practical act.
Tickets, links and how to support queer media
Tickets are on sale now—secure your place via link.outsavvy.com/zej5yrpt. If you plan to join the evening after-party, purchase the separate ticket at tickettailor.com/events/lwiredevents/2094089/r/ext. For readers who value journalism by and for queer women and gender diverse people, DIVA has been championing that work for three decades; find out how to support the magazine at linkin.bio/ig-divamagazine. DIVA has also evolved into a registered charity: the DIVA Charitable Trust publishes the magazine and accepts support at divacharitabletrust.com. Together, these avenues offer ways to participate, celebrate and sustain the communities the event showcases.