Montréal Pride shows its colours

The 2.5 km long route along René-Levesque Boulevard from Metcalfe to Atateken streets symbolically begins in the former Gay Village in the downtown west end on Sunday, August 11, at 1 pm and winds down in the heart of the current Village in the east. 

This year’s theme is “We Are The Rainbow!” and this year’s Grand Marshals are RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 winner Sasha Colby and Franco-Tunisian soccer player Ouissem Belgacem. 

The story of Pride in Montréal over the past 46 years has been a long and winding road. The festival remains a favourite of many well-known Montréalers. 

Do not forget to observe the minute of silence during the parade at 2:30 pm, to honour those lost to anti-LGBTQ+ violence and HIV/AIDS. 

This year Montréal Pride hosts two Community Days on August 9 and 10. During Community Days, kiosks for the many exciting organizations, community groups and sports teams catering to the LGBTQ+ communities will line the Sainte-Catherine Street pedestrian mall between Saint-Hubert and Papineau streets in the Village, daily from 11 am to 6 pm. 

For the first time, Fierté Montréal Festival celebrations will be held downtown in the Quartier des spectacles. 

The Loto-Québec Stage on the Esplanade Tranquille at the corner of Sainte- Catherine and Clark streets will present many free shows including Afro drag’s artists of Black, African, and Caribbean descent (August 1), a LatinX evening (August 2), a Bollywood event (August 2), and queer Asian communities showcasing martial arts (August 1). FeminiX, an evening dedicated to women of sexual and gender diversity, will feature Montréal’s legendary Misstress Barbara (August 4). 

Also at the Esplanade Tranquille from August 1 to 4 is the French-language 40 ans: Fugues se souvient exhibition. It then continues on the Olympic Park’s Esplanade from August 8 to 11.  

Over at Place des Arts, Ciseaux, the acclaimed smash-hit play about lesbian histories, runs at the Cinquième Salle, on August 5 and 6, the same nights that  the film program 11 Demands = 11 Shorts will be shown at the NFB's Alanis Obomsawin Theatre in collaboration with Image + Nation. 

Another key part of the Urban Hub, Fierté celebrates club culture during both weekends of the Festival with indoor ticketed events at Club Soda and the SAT’s Satosphère. Click here for more details. 

The aforementioned Community Days will be back in the LGBTQ+ Village on August 9 and 10. 

Also in the Village, the Des gags et des paillettes queer-comedy show hosted by hilarious drag star Mona de Grenoble features a lineup of local artists including Coco Belliveau, Tranna Wintour and Sam Cyr, at Le National Theatre on August 2. 

Throughout the Festival, Fierté presents a pedestrian-focused artistic programme on Sainte Catherine Street, in collaboration with Village Montréal. 

Over at Place Émilie-Gamelin, the Jardins Gamelin will fly its Pride colours from August 1 to 11. 

Beginning on August 8, the Olympic Park’s Esplanade becomes the Festival’s main venue and home to the TD Stage where free outdoor shows attract tens of thousands of festivalgoers.  

The ImmiX concert kicks things off with entertainers Marjo, Mitsou, Elisapie, Sarahmée and Pierre Kwenders sharing the stage with emerging artists, accompanied by an orchestra conducted by Simon Godin.  

The following night, on August 9, the Olympic Park will host the biggest drag show ever presented in Montréal, the Soirée 100% Drag: hosted by Barbada, MajestiX will showcase local drag royalty, followed by Drag Superstars hosted by Rita Baga, which will feature drag artists from various RuPaul’s Drag Race franchises.  

After blowing everyone away with their 2023 edition, the superb Mundo Disko event returns on August 10, from 3 to 11 pm featuring performances by beloved international house and disco divas Crystal Waters and France Joli. 
 
Finally, on August 11, the Olympic Park’s Esplanade will transform into the city’s largest open-air dancefloor for the Mega T-Dance featuring local and international DJs such as DJ Mohammad and Kitty Amor. 

Also happening during the Fierté Montréal Festival, Le Monastère downtown presents their Pride Circus Cabaret on August 2-3 and 9-10 with a cast of circus artists from Québec’s LGBTQ+ communities. 

The Fierté Montréal Festival runs from August 1 to 11. Click here for a complete listing of all Fierté Montréal Festival events and activities.