Victoria Pride 2024: parade, park fest & events

From June 24th to June 30th, 2024, Victoria Pride invites the community and visitors to celebrate LGBTQ+ rights and culture in Victoria, BC. With the highlight events, the Pride Parade and Park Fest scheduled for June 29th, the week promises to be a vibrant showcase of inclusivity and celebration.

About Victoria Pride

Victoria's journey with Pride began in 1981 with the first Victoria Gay Pride Week. Although the initial request to recognize Gay Pride Week was declined by the city's mayor at the time, the community persisted with events each night, culminating in the "Stonewall Tea Dance." After a pause during the HIV/AIDS crisis, the community resumed larger public gatherings in the early 1990s with annual picnics in Beacon Hill Park.

The first official Victoria Pride Parade marched in 1994, initially restricted to the sidewalk. By the following year, the parade expanded to include a Pride Festival at Fisherman's Wharf. Today, the parade draws over 40,000 spectators and features more than 120 entries, celebrating with a route that ends at MacDonald Park in James Bay, the current location of the Victoria Pride Festival. This festival, now attracting upwards of 10,000 attendees, includes two stages of entertainment, food trucks, vendors, a kids camp, and a beer garden.

Event Schedule

• June 29, 2024: Victoria Pride Parade - The parade showcases the community's resilience and pride, marching proudly through Victoria’s streets with a diverse array of participants and floats.

• June 29, 2024: Victoria Pride Park Fest - Concluding the parade, the Park Fest at MacDonald Park features a full day of activities, entertainment, and community engagement.

Memorial Drag Ball Game

A symbolic event of Victoria Pride is the Memorial Drag Ball Game, an annual gathering that began in 1996. This event, born from a desire to celebrate life amidst grief, has evolved into a significant community celebration, drawing up to a thousand spectators each year to embrace fun, absurdity, and the spirit of drag.