What to know
- More than 100 events and 25 major cultural programs are planned throughout June, with over 300 performers across eight stages
- Nearly all performers are Canadian, with 80% identifying as BIPOC, highlighting homegrown talent
- Pride weekend (June 25–28) will feature the Trans March, Dyke March, and the annual Pride Parade
- Church Street will be closed to vehicles for over two months, creating a pedestrian-friendly Village to support local 2SLGBTQ+ businesses.
- Organizers say Pride 2026 comes at a critical time, as global tensions rise and LGBTQ+ rights face renewed challenges.
Pride Toronto kicked off its 2026 programming this morning with a special event at the CN Tower.
Celebrating 45 years of Pride, this year’s event promises to be bigger and better than any before. Kojo Modeste, executive director of Pride Toronto, told Queer & Now that it will be an affair that truly showcases the talent and beauty of the community.
“This year’s Pride is going to be a true reflection of Toronto, a true reflection of Ontario, a true reflection of Canada,” Modeste shared.
“This is [Toronto Pride’s] birthplace, and we’re going to showcase so much of Canadian talent, and I think this is also going to be an opportunity to bring so many groups together.”
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The month of June boasts more than 100 different events to mark the occasion, including 25 major cultural events.
Heading into Pride weekend, falling June 25-28 this year, there are eight stages set for the festivities, with more than 300 acts expected to perform. Of those acts, 99 per cent are Canadian, and 80 per cent are BIPOC. Additionally, the street market that spans Church St. for the weekend will feature seven visual art installations and over 600 artists.
The annual Trans March is scheduled for Friday, the 26, the Dyke March will go down on Saturday, the 27, and finally, the centre of the celebrations, the Pride parade, is scheduled for Sunday June, 28.
The full festival lineup is now available on the Pride Toronto website.
Celebrating 45 years of Toronto Pride
Considering the current political climate, and ahead of the 45th anniversary, Modeste shared mixed emotions ahead of Pride 2026.
“There is a feeling of joy that 45 years later, we’re still here. But there is that level of anxiety because the 2SLGBT+ community continues to be attacked,” Modeste explained. “And a lot of the gains that we have made, we’re seeing being erased in some communities, and that has me worried.”
“But I’m also really looking forward to just bringing the community together to celebrate, to just show up in a way that we have never shown up before.”
Addressing last year’s funding challenges, when sponsors pulled out of supporting the festivities as DEI rollbacks took place across Canada and the U.S., the executive director says that the festival is in a better place this time around.
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“There is still that level of uncertainty. We’re still not where we would like to be, but we hope with the work that we’re currently doing with our federal and provincial government, that we will be able to bridge that gap that we currently have.”
And in this current political climate, showing up and showing out as Queer people, for our community, has never been more important. Modeste underscored this point, saying that Pride is just as important as it was 45 years ago.
“Because as we speak here today, on top of the CN Tower, there are individuals in rooms negotiating how to take our rights away,” the executive director explained.
“So Pride is an opportunity to remind the world that we are here, to remind the world that 25 years ago, we did not have the right to marriage,” Modeste added.
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“There are so many things that we can look back on, and as a result of Pride, we are here, but if we don’t keep our eyes on the mark, we can lose all of this. This is why Pride needs to continue.”
As such, this year’s festival is aptly themed: We Won’t Stop.
“This year is going to be a year to remember,” Modeste said. “It is going to be a year that is going to go down in history.”
Big changes coming to The Village
It’s also a big time for The Village, with the city council approving a pilot that will close two blocks of Church St. to vehicle traffic. Running from June 19 through Aug. 21, the test will see cars banned on Church, from Wellesley Ave to Maitland Ave.
Councillor for the area Chris Moise told Queer & Now that Toronto is following in the footsteps of other world-class cities in closing Queer villages to vehicle traffic.
“Montreal has actually closed three streets to pedestrians. One is St. Catherine St., and it’s really been a great success,” Moise shared.
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Church St., which is typically closed to traffic for Pride weekend and Halloween, is home to many 2SLGBTQ+-owned and operated businesses, including bars, cafes, shops and service providers. The councillor says this pedestrian-focused approach will support these companies.
“I was told by the councillors [in Montreal] that sales for businesses [in the area] have been up 82 per cent, and they’ve had zero businesses that have gone under since the pedestrianization,” Moise explained, calling Toronto’s pilot an amazing opportunity.
He also hopes it will help to bring a better vibe to the neighbourhood.
“I think having closed for a longer period of time will really change the atmosphere and the vibe of the community,” he explained. “You know, in that it’s a safe place, it’s an inclusive place to come not only by name, but also by action, and I think pedestrianization will help with that.”
And while the pilot is currently set to run for a little over eight weeks this summer, this may only be the beginning.
“We’re hoping that we’ll bring it back again in subsequent years, and hopefully we’ll collect enough data that we could replicate that in other neighbourhoods in the city,” Moise shared.
Additionally, it also looks like Pride Toronto’s offices may make a comeback to The Village, after departing during the pandemic. This is something Moise says is a big deal.
“There are Queer people all over the city, right? But The Village is a place where Queer people come, and we all feel a sense of ownership to it,” He shared.
Moise shared that organizations like Pride Toronto, Black CAAP and businesses like Glad Day Bookshop should be in the Church and Wellesley neighbourhood.
“Because I think there’s an expectation from the community that these services are actually in The Village, and I agree with that,” Moise explained, adding that this is one of his commitments as a councillor.
Those looking to make a donation to the organization can do so through the Pride Toronto website, and people looking to pick up some limited edition Pride 45th anniversary merch can do so through the merch store.
