They Made This Is Leading Pride at Mare Street Market King’s Cross
For most brands, Pride ends the moment June does. Not for They Made This, the queer- and female-founded art store and creative platform based at Mare Street Market King’s Cross. Their message this year is simple: Pride Month never really ends for them, because it’s Pride every day.
That’s why They Made This is deliberately launching its biggest queer showcase to date on Saturday 4 July, the day after Pride Month officially closes and to coincide with Pride in London. While rainbow branding disappears from shop windows across the city, They Made This is just getting started, extending the celebration through the whole summer, right here at Mare Street Market King’s Cross.
As one of the standout independent vendors inside our King’s Cross space, They Made This has always championed bold, accessible, community-led art. This summer, that mission comes into sharp focus with a takeover that transforms the gallery into a genuine home for queer creativity, community and joy, open to everyone, all season long.
Inside the Showcase: This Show Is So Gay
Titled This Show Is So Gay, the exhibition reclaims a phrase once used as an insult and turns it into a celebration. Running from 4 July to 31 August at Mare Street Market King’s Cross, the show brings together over twenty contemporary artists working across illustration, ceramics, print, textiles and graphic art.
The lineup includes established names alongside five newly signed queer artists joining the They Made This roster, sitting shoulder to shoulder with existing LGBTQIA+ talent.
Rather than telling one single story about queer identity, the exhibition leans into contradiction: humour next to protest, tenderness next to celebration, pop culture next to politics.
More than a seasonal nod to Pride, the exhibition is a statement that queer artists deserve visibility, collecting and championing all year round, not just in June.
A Queer Soirée and Summer Events Programme
Alongside the exhibition, They Made This is building out a full events programme at Mare Street Market King’s Cross designed to keep the gallery buzzing with conversation, creativity and community all summer.
Confirmed highlights include:
- They Made This × Atelier Social Arts Club, Tuesday 28 July, 6–10pm. A So Gay Soirée featuring Drag King cabaret, live Drag King life drawing and illustration, and live queer DJs.
- Queer Cards Night, hosted by Lou Hart, featuring lesbian arm wrestling and DJ sets, also landing Tuesday 28 July.
- A screening of Ranch, a short documentary about Lesbos by Florence Bass and Lydia Bowden.
- A Queer Badge-Making art event, with a date to be confirmed soon.
Further artist talks, collaborations and events will be announced throughout the summer, so it’s worth keeping an eye on They Made This’s socials and the Mare Street Market King’s Cross events page for updates.
