The Vancouver Pride Festival is a gay festival in Vancouver’s West End that celebrates the city’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community. It includes a famous Pride Parade.

In 2024 the festival happens between July 26th and August 4th.

Related events that typically happen during or close to Pride Week include The Really Gay History Tours with Forbidden Vancouver, the Vancouver Pride Festival, and Pride at the Pier in North Vancouver. On August 4th this year there’s also the Vancouver Pride Boat Party with Vancouver Boat Parties and Pride Night at Bard on the Beach.

Below is information about the following:

Click any of the above links to jump to a specific event or topic, or continue reading to learn all about Vancouver Pride Week’s biggest and most popular events.

Vancouver Pride Festival

The Vancouver Pride Festival occurs each year around the end of July and the beginning of August. The Vancouver Pride Parade takes place on the Sunday. While Pride Week in Vancouver doesn’t take place until July, June is Pride Month worldwide so there are usually some celebrations then as well!

Last year the parade happened on August 6th. The festival meanwhile began a week or two earlier. In 2024 the parade happens on Sunday, August 4th.

About Vancouver Pride Week

Vancouver’s West End, especially Davie Street, is famous for its rainbow colours and gay-friendly atmosphere throughout the year, but especially in late July and early August when Vancouver’s annual Pride Festival takes place.

Hosted by the Vancouver Pride Society, the week of events is celebrated not only by Vancouver’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community, but by the entire city and visitors from around the world.

You don’t have to be a part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to appreciate the Vancouver Pride Parade, which is one of the city’s most impressive annual parades.

Over a hundred thousand people turn out each year to enjoy the music, rainbow colours, festive atmosphere and crazy costumes. Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has joined in recent years to show his support!

When and Where

The Vancouver Pride Festival usually takes place the week leading up to BC Day which includes the first Monday in August. Most of the events take place in Vancouver’s West End. There are also events at other downtown locations though, as well as Pride at the Pier in North Vancouver.

Highlights of Pride Week include the Pride Festival and the Vancouver Pride Parade. In previous years, the Pride Festival was a one-day event at Sunset Beach. However, in 2023 the Pride Festival took place at Concord Community Park near Science World on two days. This year’s festival takes place at the same location on both August 3rd and 4th of the BC Day Long Weekend. The Pride Parade happens on August 4th in 2024 with a new route.

2024 Events Schedule

Below is the schedule for the 2024 Pride Festival as of mid-July. (Note: Event details are subject to change.)

July

Opening Ceremony – an event at Davie Street Lounge (1207 Bute Street) featuring welcome speeches, inspirational talks and live entertainment. (July 26th)
Bubly Davie Street Lounge – a series of events at Davie Street Lounge including a pop disco, a French drag picnic, burlesque performances and more. (July 26th to August 5th)
Afroqueer Homegrown – a celebration of Black queer culture featuring a lot of music and dancing. This is a 19+ event held at The Birdhouse at 44 West 4th Avenue. (July 26th)
Posh Ball – a night of fun at the Sheraton Wall Centre (1000 Burrard Street) where competitors strut their stuff in various competitions to win cash prizes. (July 27th)

Vancouver's Pride Lounge — The Pride Lounge at Stanley Park

August

Bubly Davie Street Lounge – a series of events at Davie Street Lounge including a pop disco, a French drag picnic, burlesque performances and much more. (July 26th to August 5th)
Queer Rights Summit – new for 2024, this event is a way to discuss current challenges faced by the Queer community and exchange helpful ideas. It takes place at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre at 1000 Burrard Street. (August 1st to 3rd)
Granville Island Lounge – a series of events on Granville Island, featuring stand-up comedy, wine tasting, an Indigenous potlatch and art activities. (August 1st to 4th)
VanPrideFest – a free two-day festival at Concord Pacific Place with live music, local vendors and other things to do. (August 3rd & 4th)
Acacia Gray & Batty Banks’ Black Parade – a Black-led drag and burlesque show that aims to break barriers and empower those in the surrounding community. (August 3rd)
Pride Parade – the flagship event of the festival, the parade route is between Beach Avenue at Sunset Beach and Concord Pacific Place. 2024 is the 46th year of the event. (August 4th)
Closing Ceremony – the final event of this year’s festival is held at Granville Island Lounge. It’s an evening showcase of celebrations featuring drag shows, music and more. (August 4th)

REALLY GAY HISTORY TOURS

Forbidden Vancouver is a locally-owned and operated walking tour company. It offers affordably-priced walking tours around downtown Vancouver, Gastown and Stanley Park on different days of the week.

On Sunday afternoons throughout most of the year Forbidden Vancouver also offers its Really Gay History Tour which is a two-hour guided journey around Vancouver’s West End.

On the tour you’ll learn about the city’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community and its history (which includes bookstore bombings and police raids). The experience includes visits to Robson Square, Granville Street and Davie Street Village. All are welcome!

Click Really Gay History Tour for details about this specific tour, or see our article about Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours to learn about the company and its other offerings.

Tour Guide in Davie Village — Forbidden Vancouvers Really Gay History Tours Guide

Pride Run and Walk

The Pride Run & Walk has taken place in most recent years on the Sunday of the August Long Weekend at Sunset Beach. Last year it happened on July 23rd. In 2024 the event takes place on Sunday, July 28th.

The event usually begins at the Brockton Oval Fieldhouse in Stanley Park at 9:00 am. There is the option to do either a five-kilometre or a 10-kilometre course. Both routes go along the seawall towards False Creek and as far as Yaletown before turning around and returning to Stanley Park most years.

The Pride Run & Walk is for people of all abilities. There are competitive runners as well as people just out for a fun time. Many participants dress up – often quite spectacularly and in bright colours. There are prizes for the best costumes. The event is usually entirely free to take part in, although donations are recommended.

For more details about the event and to register, check out the Pride Run & Walk website.

Pride at the Pier

Pride at the Pier is a family-friendly event at Shipbuilders’ Square near the bottom of Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver. In 2024 it takes place in conjunction with Pride Night at the Shipyards Night Market on Friday, August 2nd.

Click Pride at the Pier for more information.

Pride at the Pier Characters — Pride at the Pier Drag Queen Participants

VanPrideFest at Concord Community Park

The Pride Festival typically happens on the Sunday just before BC Day. This year, however, the festival runs on both the Saturday and Sunday of August 3rd and 4th.

The free event used to take place at Sunset Beach Park, but as of last year, its new location is Concord Community Park along Pacific Boulevard.

At VanPrideFest there is usually a Pride Market. It features over 100 different vendors and exhibitors. There is also normally live music, drag performances, DJ music, a beer garden and lots of people still in costume after participating in the Vancouver Pride Parade.

Although it officially starts at 11:00 am most years, don’t expect much to be happening at the Pride Festival until after 1:00 pm. Until then, everyone is at the parade which starts at noon and goes on for well over an hour.

From about 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm the festival usually gets very busy, with everything done and people packing up by around 6:00 pm.

Click VanPrideFest for more information.

Sunset Beach at Pride Festival — Pride Festival at Sunset Beach

Vancouver Pride Parade

The largest event of its kind in Western Canada, the Vancouver Pride Parade is arguably the highlight of the Vancouver Pride Festival. Taking place on the last Sunday of Pride Week, so on the Sunday of the BC Day Long Weekend, it’s one of the city’s most impressive parades all year, and definitely its most colourful.

The 2024 parade takes place on Sunday, August 4th. It runs from 12:00 until 4:00 pm.

The Pride Parade Route

The live in-person Vancouver Pride Parade used to start at the corner of Robson Street and Thurlow Street in downtown Vancouver. However, the parade has been altered slightly in each of the last couple years.

In 2024, it looks like the parade takes place between Sunset Beach and Concord Pacific Place near BC Place Stadium. The parade takes over Pacific Street for the majority of the route, looping down the west side of downtown before ending at Concord Pacific Place.

The Vancouver Pride Parade is a large, long, colourful and entertaining parade. It lasts for well over an hour and includes rainbow-coloured floats, marching bands, and people in all kinds of flamboyant, exotic and sometimes unconventional costumes.

Click Pride Parade to learn more about the Sunday event.

Tips & Advice

Below are some tips to help you make the most of your Vancouver Pride Festival experience.

TIP #1: Get to the parade early if you want a good viewing spot. This is without doubt one of Vancouver’s most popular parades and the streets get lined with gazillions of spectators. Unless you’re really tall, if you arrive late you’ll be seriously challenged to find a good place to watch from.

TIP #2: For the VanPrideFest and Pride Parade events, take public transit if you can. Parking is difficult and traffic is a nightmare.

TIP #3: If you’ve never been to the Vancouver Pride Parade, go! It’s a fun, inclusive, entertaining and impressive event.