Parade, drag shows, and fan parks: What to know about this year’s Edmonton Pride Festival

The Edmonton Pride Festival has returned for yet another year of rainbow madness. Downtown Edmonton is going to turn into the ultimate Pride festival destination, lighting up the city in more ways than one.

Edmonton’s ICE District will be transformed for a whole weekend of spectacular Pride events and concerts. Whether it be for the community Pride Parade, sing-alongs with your favourite drag queens, or a powerful stage performance, this weekend has it all. You won’t be able to get enough of some of these legendary artists, so soak it up while you can.

From Aug. 21 to Aug. 23, you’ll definitely want to check out what this festival has in store.

What to expect at the Edmonton Pride Festival

These three days in August will be jam-packed with the best Pride events in the city. Although Pride is technically celebrated in June, that doesn’t mean the fun stops when the month ends.

From Madonna, Mariah and Whitney to Celine, Cher and Britney, you’ll be able to sing along to these pop hits at the Friday event. Featuring a free inflatable microphone, drag queen performances, and massive crowd sing-alongs, this Divas Sing Along evening will be nothing short of fantastic.

On Saturday, the huge festivities come to fruition.

The day will kick off with the Pride parade from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Starting at Churchill Square, this parade will make its way through the downtown core before finally ending at ICE District’s Fan Park.

Once the parade comes to an end, Fan Park will be full of vibrant energy from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Here, you’ll be able to dance your heart out to live music, celebrate the day with some of the city’s best drag performers, check out the marketplace, visit the food trucks, and so much more.

To finish off the weekend, there’s going to be an Indigenous Pride celebration on Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. This event in particular hasn’t released many details, but stay tuned for more information on this exciting, informative event.

Keep in mind, all these events are not only open to all ages, but are free as well! This means that everyone will get a chance to embrace their true selves at this festival. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are.

If you’re looking to get your daily dose of drag, divas, and dancing, you’re going to be in the right place. You’re going to want to get ready for a night to remember.

When: Friday, Aug. 21, to Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026
Time: Various times
Where: Various locations
Cost: Free

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Alyssa Gallardo

Alyssa is a Staff Writer for Dished and Curiocity Edmonton. She’s a big fan of everything entertainment, and can always be seen running around the city going from concert to concert.

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