Guide to Pride
Guide To Pride
Vancouver's progressive and diversity-positive attitude goes on vibrant display at the annual Vancouver Pride Parade celebrations. What started as a courageous and peaceful protest in 1978 has become one of the most grandiose, spirited and outspoken celebrations of inclusivity and the freedom to love who you want, and to be who you are fiercely and openly.
In pre-pandemic years, Pride included more than 400,000 participants from all walks of life. In 2020 the event was cancelled completely due to the pandemic, and 2021 saw a hybrid mix of virtual and socially-distanced events with reduced capacities. For 2023, it is expected to see a return to normal, and just as exciting as in previous years. If you are interested in taking part in Vancouver's most visually thrilling and rainbow-bedecked spectacle of the year, plan to make it to this feel-good festival in 2023.
2023 Pride Parade and Festival Events (Sunday, August 6, and weeks prior)
Through sparkling sun or sprinkling rain, the Vancouver Pride Parade and Festival paints the city with rainbow hues. Celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2023, the free and inclusive festival reflects the spirit of the LGBTQ2+ community and reminds us that Pride is for everyone. Pride's diverse events are united by the critical message that individual uniqueness should be celebrated.
Vancouver's Pride Week has plenty of events for those seeking to join the festivities, culminating in the Pride Parade on Sunday, August 6. The days and weeks leading up to the parade and festival are always packed with spectacular events that are officially part of the fabulous Pride fun. Complete details on this year's events can be found on the Vancouver Pride Society’s website: https://vancouverpride.ca/events/
Community Celebrations
Naturally, the enthusiasm of Pride runs rampant throughout the city as unofficial celebrations take place in and around Vancouver. Visit the official Pride Society website to learn more about events such as evening cruises, cabaret shows, parties, BBQs, sober events, youth dances, and much more.
The Main Events: The Parade & Festival (Sunday, August 6, 2023)
Vancouver Pride events exude a sense of excitement and expectation leading up to the main event, the Pride Parade. The parade route marches right through central downtown, beginning on Robson Street at Thurlow Street, continuing through the West End (on Denman Street) to finish at the Sunset Beach Festival site. Check the Vancouver Pride Society website for any route changes for 2023.
There are approximately 150 parade entries that are all kinds of floats, dancers, marching groups, performances, and more that make for a constant stream of entertainment along the three-hour route. Prepare to be wowed, amazed and inspired with sights such as four-foot-high headdresses, pink fire engines, more rainbow flags than you can count and signs conveying messages of hope and change. One of the most memorable parts of the parade are the costumes, which range from show-stoppingly outrageous to personal expressions of pride, to just people being their own fabulous selves and loving it.
At 1:00 p.m. the levity is temporarily quieted for a traditional moment of silence as tribute to predecessors who fought for LGBTQ2+ equal rights, those who are no longer able to celebrate Pride, and LGBTQ2+ people around the world who remain in various states of oppression.
Just when you think that the celebration couldn't get any more jubilant, the parade is immediately followed by a giant waterfront bash - the Sunset Beach Festival. About 125,000 people gather on Sunset Beach to listen to live music, browse vendor booths, kick back in the beer garden, take in sparkling views of English Bay, swim in the ocean, and frolic in the festive atmosphere.
Where to find out more
Learn more about the Vancouver Pride Society
Follow the fabulousness on Twitter - @vancouverpride
Where to stay
Vancouver has plenty of lodging. Click here for accommodation listings.