Sunset Beach Pride Festival

Formerly called the Sunset Beach Festival, the main Pride Festival event features a market, beer garden, live music and more at Concord Community Park.

VanPrideFest (previously called the Sunset Beach Festival)

The Vancouver Pride Festival is a large celebration of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the summer. One of its biggest events is the main outdoor festival. The event used to take place from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm at Sunset Beach on the same day as the Vancouver Pride Parade.

In 2024 the main Pride Festival event, VanPrideFest, takes place at a different location and runs for two days instead of one. This year’s celebration is on August 3rd and 4th of the BC Day Long Weekend. It takes place at Concord Community Park, located at 50 Pacific Boulevard from noon until 7:00 pm each day.

The festival is free to attend and it has a lot to offer. There is more than one stage with live music and entertainment throughout the day. There is also a large artisan market with plenty of vendors at the event most years.

Expect to see lots of people in colourful costumes at the festival. In addition, lemonade, mini donuts and other food and drinks are usually available for purchase.

Live Entertainment

There are at least two stages with live entertainment at the Vancouver Pride Festival. This year’s festival is headlined by Venus, the most recent winner of Canada’s Drag Race.

Other drag artists on hand include fellow Canada’s Drag Race winners Gisele Lullaby and Icesis Couture, as well as Aurora Matrix, Kendall Gender, The Girlfriend Experience and more. Musical artists include Rêve, LU KALA and Witch Prophet.

The performer list from last year’s festival is below.

The Main Stage

Main Stage performers for both days of the 2024 festival are listed below. The first day focuses on drag artists while the second day is made up of musicians.

Saturday, August 3rd, 2024

VENUS – winner of Canada’s Drag Race Season 4
Gisèle Lullaby – winner of Canada’s Drag Race Season 3
Icesis Couture – winner of Canada’s Drag Race Season 2
Aurora Matrix – appeared on both Canada’s Drag Race and 1 Queen 5 Queers
Girlfriend Experience – appeared on both Canada’s a Drag and Canada’s Drag Race
Kendall Gender – winner of Vancouver’s Next Drag Superstar in 2017
Melinda Verga – appeared on Canada’s Drag Race
Synthia Kiss – appeared on Canada’s Drag Race
Ilona Verley – the first Indigenous and two-spirit person to compete on Canada’s Drag Race

Sunday, August 4th, 2024

Rêve – a Quebecois artist who has had two platinum singles on the Canadian charts
LU KALA – a Congolese-Canadian singer who has charted in both Canada and the US
Witch Prophet – a Toronto-based musician who was the subject of the documentary Leilani’s Fortune
BoiBnd – a new Canadian pop group who formed in 2023

REALLY GAY WALKING TOURS

Another great 2SLGBTQIA+-themed activity to do during Pride Week is going on a walking tour around Vancouver’s West End with Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours. The tours are an exceptional way to learn about the history of queer culture in Vancouver and highly recommended. For details about the tours, see our article about the Really Gay History Tours.

Tips & Advice

TIP #1: Considering how busy the area around Concord Community Park will get on the day of the festival, take public transit if at all possible.

TIP #2: The festival doesn’t usually get busy until later in the afternoon on the Sunday. This is because many people watch the Vancouver Pride Parade at noon first, and only check out the festival afterwards.

TIP #3: Another event happening on the Sunday this year is the Vancouver Pride Boat Party. Hosted by Vancouver Boat Parties, the 2SLGBTQIA+-friendly event features DJ music, drinking and dancing.