Happy Pride Month, Toronto!
We should be celebrating and embracing the message behind Pride each and every day, but the month of June is particularly special to the LGBTQ+ community, as it marks Pride Month in the city. There are so many ways to celebrate the queer community, no matter how you identify. From the Trans March to Clean, Sober, and Proud, there’s something for everyone at this beautifully inclusive month-long event!
Check out 16 events to celebrate Toronto Pride Month below.
Opening Ceremony
Toronto City Hall | June 4th, 12:30 PM | Free
Every year the City of Toronto proclaims June as Pride Month by raising the Rainbow and Transgender flags on the Podium Roof at City Hall. This year, the ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 4th, 2019 at 12:30 p.m., and it will once again take place to celebrate the history, courage, and diversity of the city’s LGBTQ2+ communities.
Cabana Pool Party
Cabana Pool Bar | June 13th, 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM | Tickets
Cabana Pool Party is always one of the biggest parties of Pride Month! You can dance on the deck while enjoying the city landscape alongside epic drag shows. This year’s event is set to see RuPaul’s Drag Race All Star winner Monét X Change as a headliner, with New York Disco and House DJ John Jellybean Benitez providing some tunes. Additionally, Cabana Pool Party will see performances from local legends Jada Hudson and Tynomi Banks.
Friday Night Live
Royal Ontario Museum | June 14th, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM | Tickets
Celebrate Pride with the Royal Ontario Museum’s Friday Night Live. This weekly event will be painted rainbow with some of the best drag queens and kings from across the country as they offer up shows, hair, makeup, outfits, drops, kicks, splits, and reveals. In addition to the show, attendees will have access to pop-up food vendors, drinks, and the ROM’s galleries.
Nuit Rose: Arcade
Several Locations | June 15th, 7:00 PM | Free
LGBTQ+ artists will thrive at Nuit Rose: Arcade, which is a festival of queer art and performance at a variety of locations including Church Street, the 519, CLGA, Artscape Youngplace, MaRS Discovery District, and the Gladstone Hotel. In addition to a variety of projects, parties, and presentations, there will be a light parade beginning at 8:30 p.m. at the Alexander Street Parkette.
Trans March
Church Street at Hayden Street | June 21st, 7:00 PM | Free
Toronto’s Trans March is renowned as one of the biggest Pride events around the world. While the march is for all of the trans, non-binary, friends, and allies, but the event encourages Trans women of colour and people with different abilities to lead the march, which starts at Church St. and Hayden St. The march will wrap at Allan Gardens, where there will be a stellar lineup of trans performers.
Ripley’s Aqueerium
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada | June 21st, 8:00 PM – 12:00 AM | Tickets
Celebrate the most colourful time of the year under the sea with the fourth annual Night at the Aqueerium. There will be tons of outstanding entertainment with music from DJ Cozmic Cat and Lucie Tic in addition to performances by local drag performance group, Spice Queens. There will also be refreshments and plenty of photo ops available on site, so make sure to get your tickets before they shell out.
ISO Radio & Blue Crane Agency Showcase
Fido South Stage | June 21st, 8:00 PM – 2:00 AM | Free
ISO Radio is teaming up with Blue Crane Agency to put on a collaborative local hero showcase. ISO Radio is a new online community radio station specializing in local shows from DJs, producers, artists, and culture thinkers, and Blue Crane Agency is an independent booking agency women, queer people, and artists of colour in North America, representing artists like Zaki Ibrahim and Bambii.
Street Fair
Church Street, Wellesley Street, Alexander Street | June 21st – June 23rd | Free
Wander through The Village throughout Pride Weekend to enjoy the annual Street Fair, which shines a light on local LGBTQ2+ organizations, artisans, and sponsors. There’s set to be a variety of vendors throughout the fair selling jewelry, T-shirts, food, and more! Head to Church Street, Wellesley Street, and Alexander Street on June 21st from 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., June 22nd from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., and June 23rd from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Clean, Sober, and Proud
Norman Jewison Park | June 21st – June 23rd | Free
While a lot of Pride events can revolve around alcohol, Clean, Sober, and Proud provides a space that is dedicated to maintaining a drug and alcohol free zone for all to enjoy. The refreshing space will highlight a variety of entertainment including live performances, games, and even confidential recovery meetings throughout the entire Pride weekend.
Drag King Hour
TD Main Stage | June 22nd, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Free
Drag King Hour takes place at the TD Main Stage from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on June 22nd, where you’ll be able to check out some of Toronto’s most popular drag kings. This year will highlight both new and seasoned drag kings and gender performers, as the community continues to grow exponentially every year.
Drag Ball
TD Main Stage | June 22nd, 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM | Free
Drag Ball is going to be epic this year, as the city’s very own Rupaul’s Drag Race star, Brooke Lynn Hytes, will be headlining the event. Hytes will be performing alongside some of her top local sisters, including Tynomi Banks, and the whole event will be hosted by Miss Crews & Tangos herself, Priyanka. Additionally, the TD Main Stage will be graced with performances from the top three contestants of Drag Race Thailand and DJ Kitty Glitter.
ASL/Deaf Stage
Fido South Stage | June 22nd, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | June 23rd, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Free
Pride Saturday and Sunday will see the Fido South Stage turn into an ASL/Deaf Stage for an hour at a time, featuring some stacked and carefully curated programming from queer ASL artists.
Blockorama
Bud Light Wellesley Stage | June 23rd, 12:00 PM – 2:00 AM | Free
Blockorama is one of the largest and longest running stages Pride Toronto has to offer. This activist-based, artistic space will be curated by Blackness Yes!, which is a group of artists and activists in the city’s Black Queer and Trans communities. In addition to local and international black performers like Big Freedia and Mýa, Blockorama is a fully accessible stage with ASL interpreted content and accessibility viewing.
Ka Niita Masinibigaawat Kayay Naytowgossiwat Naagishko Dodiwin
Allan Gardens | June 23rd, 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Free
Allan Gardens is well known as a safe space for Toronto’s First Nations community, as many organizations and resources remain near by. As a result, Pride Toronto is set to host its annual event to celebrate First Nations artists at Allan Gardens, filled with dancers, music, spoken word, and comedians from across Turtle Island.
Drag Dynasty
Deloitte Village Stage | June 23rd, 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM | Free
Drag Dynasty will feature some of Toronto’s top Drag Houses, Queens, and Kings throughout a whopping two hours of performances. The night will kick off with Scarlett Bobo’s Empire’s ball that’s set to feature nine different houses for an outstanding show of drag artistry filled with struts, twirls, kicks, drops, and lip-syncing for their lives.
Pride Parade 2019
Church Street and Bloor Street | June 23rd, 2:00 PM | Free
What is Pride Month without the Pride Parade? On June 23rd, head to the corner of Church Street and Bloor Street at 2:00 p.m. to witness over 200 groups marching in celebration of LGBTQ+ people. The parade, which is one of the largest in North America, comes stacked with performances, floats, and marchers every year. This year is particularly special, as it will mark a celebration of 50 years of global marches!