New Digital Age’s Media Pride Lunch is returning on Thursday, 1 October 2026, bringing together advertising and marketing professionals to mark and support the LGBTQIA+ community. Now in its fourth year, the event takes place at its spiritual home of Sticky Mango near Tower Bridge, with partners including Publicis Groupe UK, The Independent, 59A and long-term initiative partner Outvertising.
Tickets are selling fast, which NDA Publisher Andy Oakes says is a very positive trend.
“ We’ve made no secret that Media Pride has been a tough sell in the last couple of years but I’m really pleased that we’ve got a great set of sponsors and that we’re attracting ticket sales from agencies, media owners and adtech vendors. In previous years, it’s been very much a last-minute sale, but I think that the lunch is now an important part of the industry calendar”
The lunch has become an established fixture since NDA held its inaugural event in 2023. What started as a single gathering has grown into a broader, year-round Media Pride initiative that includes editorial coverage, interviews, reports and ongoing advocacy work. The annual lunch sits at the centre of that programme, providing a space for members of the LGBTQIA+ community in media and marketing and their allies to meet, talk and mark Pride in a professional context.
This year’s event will again feature a panel discussion hosted by NDA editor Justin Pearse, drawing on voices from across the industry to address the issues that matter to the community. Previous panels have covered topics ranging from representation in advertising and the challenges of authentic LGBTQIA+ inclusion in brand communications, to broader questions about workplace culture, visibility and the responsibilities of business leaders. Past speakers have included Laura Jordan Bambach, Past President of D&AD and co-founder of SheSays and OKO; Marty Davies, cultural strategist, activist and founder of Trans+ History Week; Jerry Daykin, WFA Diversity Ambassador; and Chris Dunne, Head of Marketing at Thinkbox and joint CEO of Outvertising.
The context in which this year’s event takes place is worth noting. The past 12 months have seen a noticeable shift in the tone of public and corporate conversations around diversity and inclusion, with several large US companies scaling back DEI commitments and a broader shift evident in how some brands approach LGBTQIA+ themes in their marketing. The outgoing Outvertising CEO Chris Dunne, writing for NDA earlier this year, argued that the concept of “values safety” now needs to sit alongside brand safety on marketers’ agendas.
Tickets are going fast this year, so anyone hoping to attend is encouraged to sign up soon. Tickets are available now via Eventbrite, and partnership opportunities for organisations wishing to support the event are available by contacting the NDA team. The event is open to professionals across advertising, media, marketing and technology.
The fourth edition takes place on 1 October. With demand building, early sign-up is the best way to guarantee a seat.
Tickets for the NDA Media Pride Lunch 2026 are available at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ndas-media-pride-lunch-tickets-1989824379283
Partnership enquiries can be directed to partnerships@bluestripegroup.co.uk.
