MONTREAL

Montreal comes out with a landmark Gay Pride festival lineup

CTV Montreal Published Tuesday, May 9, 2017 12:08PM EDT Last Updated Tuesday, May 9, 2017 2:12PM EDT

Montreal's 11th annual Gay Pride festival kicks off under the multicolored canopy as of August 11. (CTV Montreal)

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When this year’s canopy of rainbow-tinted balls was suspended over the streets of the gay village, it marked a special year for both the city of Montreal and the members of its LGBTQ community.

As a result, organizers of the 11^th annual Canada Pride Montreal – a special National edition of Montreal Pride -- expect a record turnout in the second week of August, when M.C.s Gregory Charles and Marie-Mai open the festivities with an inaugural presentation, Montreal is Proud.

The festival’s full roster—made public on Monday—boasts a number of local and international pop culture stars, among them Nelly Furtado, Ria Mae, Martha Wainwright, Jonas, the Barabé twins, Elisapie Isaac, David Usher, Matt Holubowski, Elvira Kurt, Dan Bigras, country star Guylaine Tanguay, as well as former contestants of reality TV’s RuPaul’s Drag Race.

There will be 10 large-scale shows happening on as many nights at Parc des Faubourgs, Pride’s new primary outdoor venue, as well as Place Emilie-Gamelin.

Overall, more than 150 advocacy and community-oriented events will be offered during the festival—the only LGBTQ event slated to take place as part of the city’s 375^th anniversary. Besides the time-honored gay pride parade running along René Levesque Blvd, there will also be a community day, sports tournament, and conferences on issues in sexual diversity.

What else is on the menu:

the celebration of Drag star Mado Lamotte’s 30-year career
Three T-Dances on Sundays August 13 and 20, including a retro version with the Boogie Wonder Band and the Mega T-Dance
An evening dedicated to emerging First-Nation, bisexual, queer and trans artists of color: Excellence
A tribute to Acadians hosted by Édith Butler to mark the National Day of Acadians
Supernova, an intense evening with the singers Jonas, David Usher, Lulu Hughes, Yann Perreau and Kim Richardson
Ria Mae opening for Nelly Furtado
Performances by Canada’s best drag queens during Illusion show
A humour-filled evening hosted by Elvira Kurt
A Cuban Fiesta put on by the Cuban Martinez Show
Ethnie-Cité, a multicultural tour around the world with Moe Hamandi and Em
Spectacular numbers by former contestants of the popular Reality TV program RuPaul’s Drag Race and the winner of Mx Pride Canada 2017