Mariah Carey thanks fans after Brighton Pride performance

Singer Mariah Carey has thanked fans and said she would always be there for them in her headline performance at Brighton’s Pride on the Park.

The five-times Grammy winner, who has sold more than 220 million albums worldwide, performed in Preston Park in the city on Saturday night, following performances by Loreen and Confidence Man.

By performing on Saturday night, Carey fulfilled a promise made to fans and Pride’s organisers in 2020.

She had been booked to headline that year, but Covid-19 kicked in and the event was cancelled, leaving many “gutted”.

During the performance, Carey donned four outfits as she performed some of her hits to a crowd of approximately 50,000 fans.

The first two were blue pink and white/silver – a nod to the colours of the transgender pride flag.

She also wore a jacket with the phrase “Protect the Dolls” emblazoned on the back.

She dedicated her song Hero to the LGBTQ+ community, saying it had been there for her for so long, supporting her through good and bad and that she would always be there for them.

What followed was the Park singing along to the classic song in unison.

From the scene, BBC Radio Sussex reporter Anthony Martin said some fans had dressed up in Christmas attire hoping to hear one certain song by Mariah – but this one was not on the set list.

Loreen, who won the Eurovision singing competition for Sweden in 2012 and 2023, was second billing on the show reel for the first night.

She performed her two Eurovision winning songs, in Euphoria and Tattoo – before telling the crowd she “loved them”.

The second session of the Pride on the Park gig takes place on Sunday, with performances from Brighton’s own Fatboy Slim, the Sugababes and Will Young.