LGBT Foundation’s 50 Years of Queer Hope & Joy Exhibition

2025 marks 50 years of queer hope and joy for LGBT Foundation—and the heart of the celebrations begins in the centre of Manchester.

Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and proudly sponsored by Barefoot Wine, the 50 Years of Queer Hope & Joy Exhibition at Manchester Central Library invites the public into a powerful, moving, and often joyful journey through the stories that shaped five decades of LGBTQ+ life in Greater Manchester and beyond.

From never-before-seen archive materials and oral histories to community artefacts and campaign posters, the exhibition showcases the resilience, resistance, and creativity of LGBTQ+ people across generations. Whether you’re rediscovering the past or encountering it for the first time, this in-person exhibition places the lived experiences of queer people at the heart of the narrative.

The 50 Years of Queer Hope and Joy Exhibition 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 till 31 December 2025.

Free – just drop in. 

Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online