A quick guide to Montreal's 2023 Pride Festival
The countdown is on for the Montreal Pride Festival, happening Aug. 3 to 13.
The 17th edition of the largest LGBTQ2S+ celebration in the Francophone world includes performances from more than 150 artists in The Village, Olympic Park and other venues.
Here is a guide with some festival highlights:
PRIDE PARADE
The festival's marquee event, the Pride Parade, is set to return this year after being abruptly cancelled at the last minute in 2022 due to staffing issues.
The parade happens Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. on Rene-Levesque Boulevard between Metcalfe and Alexandre-De-Seve streets.
Organizers expect around 15,000 people will take in the festive protest in support of LGBTQ2S+ communities.
Florence, left, and Billie dance at the site where the Montreal Pride parade was supposed to start from in Montreal, Sunday, August 7, 2022. Festival organizers cancelled the parade over concerns for security due to the lack of staff. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
THE VILLAGE
The Jardins Gamelin, located near the BERRI-UQAM metro station, will be a hub for free entertainment. It all starts on Aug. 3 with a performance from Indigenous artists beginning at 5 p.m., followed by a dance party at 8 p.m.
On Aug. 4, the "XoXo" concert will fill the greenspace with a range of sounds from pop, rock, and R&B starting at 5 p.m.
On Aug. 6, the Blush Collective takes over the space for a festive night showcasing talent from Montreal’s burlesque and drag scenes.
Over at the National on St. Catherine Street, Montreal drag star Barbada will host a free Pride Party on Aug. 5 at 8 p.m., with drag shows, live music and plenty of dancing.
For literature buffs, the Fierté littéraire will return to Théâtre La Comédie de Montréal Theatre from Aug. 7 to 11, featuring roundtables, poetry readings and an outdoor book fair.
Drag Queen Barbada poses for photographs in Montreal, Friday, November 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes.
OLYMPIC PARK ESPLANADE
Action at the festival’s main site, Olympic Park’s Esplanade, is all free to attend.
It starts Aug. 9 at 5 p.m. with a DJ set with Barbada, followed by musical performances from Edith Butler, Lumiere and many others.
The kick-off also features Drag Opera, where opera and drag artists will join forces on stage. That’s followed by chamber pop ensemble Queer Songbook Orchestra, performing alongside Safia Nolin, Martha Wainwright and other guests.
The Drag Superstars show on Aug. 10 will see stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race hit the TD Stage, including Jimbo, Aquaria, Yvie Oddly, Heidi N Closet and Alexis Mateo.
Olympic Park is also the place to be following the Aug. 13 Pride Parade. A dance party will start at 2 p.m. and continue all day, with the closing show starting at 10 p.m.
While most Pride events are free to attend, there are a handful of ticketed events. Those include comedy show "Me Joke-Tu" with Acadian drag artists Sami Landri and Chiquita Mere. They perform at the National on Aug. 3 at 8 p.m.
There are also several late-night cabarets and themed parties requiring tickets that you can purchase online.
You can find the full Montreal Pride event schedule on the festival's website.
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