Victoria Pride Festival 2022

June 23 – July 2, 2022

The Victoria Pride Festival is returning to in-person events in 2022!

The pandemic has been hard on 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and we are looking forward to connecting again through our signature Victoria Pride Festival events.

What’s New – HIDDEN

New Parade Route: This year’s parade will start in Victoria West and cross over the Johnson Street bridge into downtown. From there, it will head south along Wharf Street, turn right on Government Street and right again on Belleville. The Parade will turn left on Menzies and end at Menzies and Kingston at the Q Parking Lot. Foot traffic will be directed down Kingston, then left onto Oswego towards MacDonald Park.  All traffic will flow past the James Bay Community Centre, right onto Niagara and then a sharp right onto our PRIDE Lane entrance. Access to the Festival will be off of Niagara Street.

New Festival Layout: The Victoria Pride Festival in the Park returns to MacDonald Park with a new look! The entire park will be a fully fenced and licensed venue with all ages welcome. Enter the festival grounds at Niagara Street and Oswego Street (southeast corner) from PRIDE Lane. The Festival boasts a main stage with the best 2SLGBTQIA+ entertainment, a food court, close to 200 vendors, a kids’ corner stage and play area and secure bike parking by donation. Festival is free with suggested donation $5+ (no one turned away.)

New Venue for Pride In The Word: Pride in the Word will close the Victoria Pride Festival in the Lecture Theatre of the Victoria Conference Centre on July 2. Eventbrite Tickets.

Celebrate the Pride In You! Let your Pride Flags Fly!

New Parade Route

New Parade Route

Check out the Victoria Pride Parade on June 26 at 11:00am when marchers envelop the downtown Inner Harbour in the most vibrant display of Pride on Vancouver Island.

This year’s parade will start in Victoria West and cross over the Johnson Street bridge into downtown. From there, it will head south along Wharf Street, turn right on Government Street and right again on Belleville. The Parade will turn left on Menzies and end at Menzies and Kingston at the Q Parking Lot. Foot traffic will be directed down Kingston, then left onto Oswego towards MacDonald Park.  All traffic will flow past the James Bay Community Centre, right onto Niagara and then a sharp right onto our PRIDE Lane entrance. Access to the Festival will be off of Niagara Street.

New Festival Experience

New Festival Experience

The Victoria Pride Festival in the Park has been re-imagined! Join us June 26 from 10:00am to 8:00pm for experiential queer themed, family-friendly event.

The Victoria Pride Festival in the Park returns to MacDonald Park with a new look! The entire park will be a fully fenced and licensed venue with all ages welcome. Enter the festival grounds at Niagara Street and Oswego Street (southeast corner) from PRIDE Lane. The Festival boasts a main stage with the best 2SLGBTQIA+ entertainment, a food court, close to 200 vendors, a kids’ corner stage and play area and secure bike parking by donation. Festival is free with suggested donation $5+ (no one turned away.)

Accessible Pride

Accessible Pride

Live, audio description will be available at the Victoria Pride Parade. VPS and the Victoria Disability Resource Centre are partnering. Here’s how to register, click below!

Making our Pride celebrations more accessible this year includes new viewing platforms, a calm zone, and lots of sitting zones throughout the festival.

If you attend the June 26 Pride Parade you will find a section along the parade route beside the south side of the Empress Hotel that provides live audio description services of the Parade. As technology is limited, registration for live audio transcription is required. To register, or for inquiries about this service, please contact Wendy Cox at director@drcvictoria.com or at 250-595-0044 ext. 107.

The Pride Festival in the Park now includes a separate accessibility entrance that is off of Niagara Street (Montreal Street Alley), with a drop-off zone for persons with disabilities. For those with mobilities disabilities, please know that MacDonald Park has a grassy terrain and there are the occasional bumps.

Inside the grounds we have introduced a higher Main Stage and added a raised viewing platform with a ramp for folks to see the stage from 100 feet out. An ASL Interpreter will provide services for the first two hours during the opening welcome. Designated accessible washrooms will be available. Tables are located throughout the site in the vendor and food areas designed for older adults, elders and anyone needing them.

The ability to navigate between the beverage area and food area off venue (just no alcohol permitted to leave the site) via an area with a concrete base, includes a group of volunteers assigned to bridge the access points. Also new, a Calm Zone Tent beside the accessibility entrance, a dedicated space providing extra seating with chairs of various sizes, with arms and without. Folks are welcome to use stim toys, available as needed.

Signature Victoria Pride Festival Events

Youth Pride Kick-Off | Theme: Queer Prom

June 23, 2022 @ 6:00pm
E & N Roundhouse, 253 Esquimalt Road

Kick-off the Victoria Pride Festival with a night of dancing, music, local performance, art opportunities and capture fab pics at the Pride photo booth. Queer royalty, formal dress encouraged. Food and drinks are provided at no cost. Ages 15 to 21. Take in the performances while connecting with 2SLGBTQIA+ youth from across Greater Victoria. Hosted and presented by the Victoria Pride Society Youth Leadership Council. Free admission.

Event Page: Facebook
RSVP: Eventbrite

Big Gay Dog Walk

June 24, 2022 @ 6:30 to 8:00pm (walk at 7:00pm + tricks contest at 7:30pm)
Dallas Road at Cook Street

Calling all canines (and their hoomans)! Join us for a big community dog walk that’s a great chance to mingle with friends while dogs can show off their PRIDE! Hosted by the legendary Chaz Avery and Noah Lott, this event includes a trick and costume competition with fabulous prizes to be won.

Cost: FREE
Event Page & RSVP: Facebook

Victoria Pride Parade

June 26, 2022 @ 11:00am
Johnson Street Bridge

Let your Pride flags fly over the Johnson Street Bridge during the biggest and most anticipated parade of the year. A new parade route takes marchers east, then south onto Wharf Street providing scenic water views before turning onto Government, Belleville and Menzies Streets. The colourful march, with as many as 140 entries and 40,000+ spectators, will envelope the downtown Inner Harbour. Opening ceremonies welcome with Songhees Nation and other Indigenous and Two-Spirit Guests of Honour. It’s time to come out and show the Pride In You!

Cost: FREE
More info: Event Page
RSVP: Facebook
Join the Parade: Parade Application

Pride Festival in the Park

June 26, 2022 @ 10:00am-8:00pm
MacDonald Park

After the Victoria Pride Parade, join thousands in MacDonald Park in James Bay for a multifaceted queer-themed festival. Programming includes an early afternoon family-friendly festive atmosphere with music, fun activities, bouncy castle, drag story time, and surprises. Later transitions into an experiential afternoon of music, dance, live bands and some of the best drag talent in Canada. For the first time the Festival grounds will be entirely fenced in and licensed, creating a dynamic, festive atmosphere where you can take in all the action, walk throughout the venue and have room to social distance. Hosts: Peach Cobblah & Isolde N. Barron with special musical guests, Queer As Funk and Ange Hehr.

Cost: FREE (Suggested donation of $5+ to keep Pride accessible, no one turned away.)

More info: Event Page
RSVP: Facebook
Vicious Poodle Pride Lounge Tickets: Eventbrite
Become a Vendor: Vendor Application

Queer Activism Night

June 30, 2022 @ 5:00pm – 8:00pm
The Bay Centre, 1050 Douglas Street

The Victoria Pride Society Youth Council invites everyone to a night full of intersectional 2SLGBTQ+ activism. Amazing locals will speak on everything from self-empowerment to social justice issues. Dinner will be provided. Secure your spot before space runs out!

This year’s speakers will be announced shortly.

Cost: FREE
Event Page: Facebook
RSVP: Eventbrite

Memorial Drag Ball Game

July 1, 2022 @ 12:00pm
Victoria West Park

A community favourite! Come out and enjoy what will be a perfect sunny day while watching (or playing) a game of ball in drag! The Memorial Drag Ball Game is Canada’s only Pride event in remembrance for those who passed during the AIDS pandemic. It is a multi-generational, picnic in the park with local entertainment– Eves’ Destruction Roller Derby – BBQ’s, drinks and food, kids face painting, drag story time, queer drag fun.

Cost: FREE
Event Page & RSVP: Facebook

Pride In The Word

July 2, 2022 @ 7:00pm-9:30pm
Lecture Theatre at the Victoria Conference Centre

Pride In The Word is hosted by its renowned co-founder, Billeh Nickerson. The largest Pride literary event in Canada features six writers bringing an intersectional lens to our 2SLGBTQIA+ communities with words and performance.

Featuring: Tawahum Bige, who is Lutselk’e Dene and Plains Cree and Two-Spirit, reading from his new collection, Cut to Fortress; local writers, Robin Stevenson, who will read from her new picture book, Pride Puppy, as well as Ali Blythe author of two critically acclaimed books exploring trans-poetics; Danny Ramadan, a Syrian-Canadian author, public speaker and advocate for LGBTQ+ refugees, reading from his forthcoming novel, The Foghorn Echoes (2022) Penguin Random House; and Isabella Wang, who will read from her debut collection of poems, Pebble Swing, short-listed for the 2022 BC and Yukon Book Prizes and nominated for the Livesay prize.

Cost: $20 Eventbrite + tickets at the Door (tap or cash).

(Sliding scale & pay-it-forward) purchase two tickets and pass one on to a community member.

Masks are mandatory for this indoor event.

Thank you for helping keep our queer folks and performers safe!

Event page: Facebook

Pride Float

July 3, 2022 @ 1:00 pm
Pride float down the gorge waterway
Hosted by Pridedemic Victoria. Come down, dress up, and decorate your kayak, canoe, or paddleboard for a 2-hour float along the gorge! Palli Paddle will be set up at Craigflower-Kosapsom Park (Rentals $25!!)  Please do not go past Tillicum Bridge and make sure to take any garbage back with you! Starts at 1 pm and float leaves at 2!
Non-alcoholic beverages will be available at the beach after the float.
Donations are welcome and a percentage will go towards the Victoria Pride Society.

Please wear a lifejacket and remember to take garbage with you when you leave

Main float meet-up spot: Craigflower-Kosapsom Park

Cost: FREE

Book your paddle today

Craig flower/ Kosapsom Park location:
Victoria Kayak & Canoe Club location:

Event page: Facebook

Support the Victoria Pride Festival 2022

Become a Partner

Victoria Pride relies on the generous support of our partners to make Pride events happen year after year. Check out our partner page for more information on how your business can support Pride in Victoria.

Donate

Donations help us bring free and accessible pride events to our 2SLGBTQIA+ communities as well as support our growing youth programming.

Volunteer

Victoria Pride is a volunteer led organization and it takes almost 200 volunteers to make Pride happen every year. Check out our volunteer page for opportunities to get involved.

Planning a Pride Event?

Let us know! We’re happy to help promote your pride event to the community.

Questions?

For more information, watch for our FAQ page COMING SOON!

Or email us at info@victoriapridesociety.org.