Pride weekend is here, Toronto! Across the city, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ people and their supporters have been outside, celebrating the vibrancy and resiliency of this community all month long, and celebrations are culminating in a weekend full of parties, parades and protests. Queer & Now has the scoop on some highlights of the 2024 festival weekend.
OPENING NIGHT: BE LOUD
Kicking off festival weekend, Pride Toronto is hosting an opening event at Nathan Phillips Square on June 28 beginning at 6:30. The event will kick off with an Indigenous opening ceremony organized with The 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations.
The party features a fun lineup, headlined by none other than Dominican rapper and songwriter Tokischa. The night will also include performances from artists like 2023 Polaris Music Prize winner, Debby Friday, six-time Juno nominee LU KALA, and Canadian rapper Tommy Genesis.
Find more info on the opening event, including the full lineup, here.
TRANS RALLY
Toronto’s Trans Rally is organized for June 28 at 7 p.m. The rally celebrates the resilience, strength, and beauty of transgender, two-spirit, non-binary and gender non-conforming people while fighting for the rights of these communities.
Featuring performances and speeches, the rally is set to start at Church and Hayden Streets, providing a place for people to gather, make signs and prepare for the march, which is set to begin at 8 p.m.
“We want attendees to experience and embody ‘The Joy in Authenticity and the Joy in Just BEING’,” the Pride Toronto website reads. The rally will culminate in an after-party at the Community Stage, located at 78 Gould Street.
GREEN SPACE FESTIVAL
From June 26 to 30, the Green Space Festival is taking over Barbara Hall Park with a lineup of DJs, music producers, performers, and drag artists set to perform. The festival is free to attend, with tickets available for the Club 519 package, meet and greets, and a VIP reception. Green Space Festival supports the programs, services and advocacy of Church and Wellesley’s beloved 519 community centre.
THE PRIDE SOBER OASIS
The Pride Sober Oasis is going down at Paul Kane Parkette over the weekend, providing a place for those who don’t drink alcohol or use other substances to celebrate in a sober space and connect with the community. The Sober Oasis will include several meetings, hosted by modalities like 12 Step and SMART Recovery, and performances from queer artists.
FAMILY PRIDE
Family Pride is going down June 29 and 30 from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. at Church Street School. The space gives 2SLGBTQ+ families and kids a space to be themselves and celebrate their identities. The event will include face painting, a magic show, storytelling, and more! Adults are only allowed in the space if they are joining a child or children 12 or younger.
DYKE MARCH
Toronto’s Dyke March will take over Church Street on Saturday afternoon. The annual event, which celebrates all things “Dyke and Lesbian”, will begin at Church and Hayden streets with speakers, performances and sign-making starting at 1 p.m., before the march kicks off at 2 p.m.
“While this event is specifically for Dykes and Lesbian, allies are more welcome to join, however, when marching and rallying we do ask that allies leave space for folks who identify as Dyke or Lesbian to celebrate at the front,” the Pride website reads.
The march will conclude with an after-party and market at the 78 Gould Street Community Stage.
brOWN//out
Returning to Toronto Pride for another year, brOWN//out is a celebration of South Asian 2SLGBTQ+ communities. The community space will take over the South Rogers Stage on Saturday, June 29 from 4 to 7 p.m. and will feature various performances from South Asian queer and trans artists, singers, poets, dancers, drag and burlesque artists, musicians and more.
BLOCKORAMA
Dubbed “Act 26: Liberation” Toronto’s beloved Blockorama stage is returning for another iconic party. Calling themselves Pride Toronto’s longest-running stage, Blocorama is a party organized to celebrate and recognize “the African, Black, and Caribbean 2SLGBTQI+ community in the Greater Toronto Area,” while showcasing some of the communities’ talented activists, DJs, performers and other artists.
If this sounds like your jam, make sure you check out “Blocko After Dark” a three-hour Blockorama party organized for Saturday, June 29, beginning at 11 p.m.
TORONTO PRIDE PARADE
Canada’s largest Pride parade will take over the downtown core this Sunday. Starting at the corner of Church and Bloor Streets, the Toronto Pride Parade will begin at 2 p.m. and make its way to Nathan Phillips Square. Attendees can expect to take in performances, music, colourful floats and good vibes.
Nathan Phillips Square will be home to a parade after-party that includes the Main Stage and a beer garden.
INDIGENOUS AND TWO-SPIRIT PRIDE
On Sunday the 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations and Pride Toronto are hosting Indigenous and Two Spirit Pride at the Garden Stage, following the Pride Parade. Celebrations will include a beading circle, artist’s market, performances and the sacred fire, and focus on offering a space for connection and reflection among community members.
“Join us in celebrating Indigenous culture, resilience, and unity in this inclusive and welcoming space,” the website reads.
Check out the Pride Toronto festival street map for more on what to expect in The Village this weekend.
