Sunset Beach Pride Festival

The Sunset Beach Festival is a free-to-attend Vancouver Pride Festival event. It features a market, beer garden, live music and more at Sunset Beach Park.

Sunset Beach Festival in Vancouver

The Vancouver Pride Festival is a large celebration of the LGBTQIA2+ community. After a couple years of hosting modified events due to COVID-19, the festival returns with its signature events in July of 2022.

One of the month’s biggest Pride events is the Sunset Beach Festival. In 2022 it runs from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm on Sunday, July 31st. It’s on the same day as the Vancouver Pride Parade on the BC Day Long Weekend. The Sunset Beach Festival is held at Sunset Beach Park at 1204 Beach Avenue.

The festival is completely free to attend and it has a lot to offer. There is usually more than one stage with live music and entertainment throughout the day. There is also a large artisan market with plenty of vendors, as well as a beer garden for adults.

Since the Sunset Beach Festival runs both during and after the Vancouver Pride Parade, expect to see lots of people in colourful costumes at the festival (like the pair in the photo below who we saw at the event a few years ago). In addition, lemonade, mini donuts and other food and drinks are available for purchase.

Colourful Pride Parade Participants

2022 Live Entertainment

There are three different stages with live entertainment at the Sunset Beach Festival in 2022. Performers scheduled to take each stage are listed below. As of the last time we checked (in mid-July), performance times were to be determined.

The Main Stage

The Main Stage is curated by Hotlatch: Indigenous Futurisms and Hotlatch Legends. The 2022 lineup of performers is listed below.

Tommy Genesis
Abb ‘Original
Animal Kingdom
Cheryl Trade
Edzi’u
DJ Paisley Eva
Ilona Verley
Jaylene Tyme
King Fisher
DJ Kota
DJ Parallel Parc
Persephone Estradiol
Sha Sha
DJ O Show
Vixen Von Flex
Weird Alice

Pride Festival at Sunset Beach — Sunset Beach During the Festival

Pride Community Stage

The Community Stage is where you’ll find performers of Asian descent. Entertainers expected to take the stage during the festival are listed below.

Stephanie Prince
Carrie Oki Doki
Diamonté
Dongganisa
Empress Fancy Pants
Flaming Wok
Jas Minh
Jolene Queen Sloan
Ploy Pailin
Shay Dior
Skim
Bella Sie
Teayana

Normi Corp x Stoli Stage (19+)

The Normi Corp x Stoli Stage is in the Beer Garden. Admission to this part of the festival is by donation, although priority is given to Pride Sunday Superpass holders. The full lineup of entertainers is listed below.

Red
Gushy
Jolene
Mx. Bukuru
Zuleyyma
Softieshan
River Moon
Diamonté
Batty Banks
Janessa St. Pierre
MiuMiu
fagofcolour

REALLY GAY WALKING TOURS

Another great LGBTQ-themed activity to do during Pride Week is going on a walking tour around Vancouver’s West End with Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours. They are an exceptional way to learn about the history of queer culture in Vancouver and highly recommended.

Tips and Advice

TIP #1: Considering how busy the area around Sunset Beach Park gets on the day of the festival, take public transit if at all possible. Multiple bus routes stop just across the street from the park.

TIP #2: Although the Sunset Beach Festival starts at 11:00 am, it doesn’t usually get busy until later in the afternoon. This is because many people watch the Vancouver Pride Parade at noon first, and only check out the festival afterwards.