The 43rd annual Long Beach Pride Parade and Festival, a celebration of the city’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community — featuring live entertainment, cultural programming and more — will kick off this weekend, starting on Friday, May 15.
The iconic celebration has been a fixture in Long Beach for decades. This year’s theme, “Fearless and Free,” is a direct response to ongoing attacks against LGBTQ+ people across the country, according to a news release from the nonprofit that organizes the festival.
Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, executive orders, and rhetoric have been on the rise across America in recent years. Long Beach’s LGBTQ+ community, including the people who founded the first Pride Parade back in 1984, are no strangers to discrimination. The event, organizers said, serves as a reminder of the community’s resilience, and continued fight for equality and justice.
“It is times like these — surrounded by violence and political militants — that create fear within our community,” Long Beach Pride President Tonya Martin said in a news release. “We must remember that where our spirits join is the place of unbreakable fearlessness and the road to freedom. By living fearlessly and free, the LGBTQ+ community continues to lead the way for all vulnerable groups, proving that every voice matters.”
While the parade will take place on Sunday, May 17, the Long Beach Pride festival will run on Saturday and Sunday — with Teen Pride, a special event for LGBTQ+ youth — kicking off the weekend’s festivities on Friday.
Spectators line the parade route along Ocean Boulevard for the 41st Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Spectators view the Long Beach Pride Parade from a balcony on Ocean Boulevard on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The 41st incarnation of the Long Beach Pride Parade moves along Ocean Boulevard on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Participants on motorcycles ride west along Ocean Boulevard at the 41st Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
A spectator views the Long Beach Pride Parade through large bubbles on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Attendees at the 40th annual Long Beach Pride Festival on Sunday, Aug. 6. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Attendees watching drag shows at the new Drag Dome at the 40th annual Long Beach Pride Festival on Sunday, Aug. 6. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Attendees dancing at the Fiesta Caliente stage at the 40th annual Long Beach Pride Festival on Sunday, Aug. 6. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Participants walk along Ocean Boulevard at the 41st Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Attendees dance at the Long Beach Pride Festival on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023, at Marina Green Park. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, left, rides with Long Beach Vice Mayor Cindy Allen in the Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
A participant waves to spectators at the Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Spectators line the parade route along Ocean Boulevard for the 41st Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Participants walk along Ocean Boulevard at the 41st Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
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Spectators line the parade route along Ocean Boulevard for the 41st Long Beach Pride Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Teen Pride, according to the event’s website, is “more than an event — it’s where friendships are forged in the spirit of joy and acceptance.” A school ID will be required for entry.
The event will kick off in earnest on Saturday, with various live performances and other activations planned throughout the day. Day one entertainment will include a set from DJ Retroclub, a screening of the film “Long Beach Pride Throughout the Years” and a performance by iconic local drag queen Jewels of Long Beach.
Saturday evening will close out with performances from Grammy Award winning singer Thelma Huston, known for hits like “Don’t Leave Me This Way” and “I’m Here Again,” alongside a show from Thea Austin, the co-writer and lead vocalist on “Rhythm is a Dancer” released by Snap! — which gained massive success overseas upon its release.
Robin S, best known for her 1992 “Show Me Love,” which has since become an extremely popular dance hit, will headline the Saturday lineup at the Pride Festival. Her set will start at 9:05 p.m.
On Sunday, the entertainment will continue with performances from xBValentine, Brenda Guzman, DJ Angie V, and DJ Les Ortiz. Sunday’s main headliner, according to the Long Beach Pride website, has not yet been announced.
The Pride Parade, meanwhile, is now organized by the city instead of the Long Beach Pride nonprofit.
That change was first announced in 2024, when Long Beach Pride leaders asked the City Council for help funding the parade, citing financial challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues.
The city is once again organizing the parade this year.
The parade will kick off at 10 a.m. Sunday and will feature more than 100 participating organizations, businesses and stakeholders showcasing a variety of floats and displays.
This year’s grand marshals include xBValentine, former Long Beach Youth Poet Laureate Helena Donato-Sapp, Downtown Long Beach Alliance President and CEO Austin Metoyer, LGBTQ Center Long Beach Executive Director Ellie Perez, and local drag queen, actor and dancer Scott Kaske “Dolly Levi.”
Other grand marshals will include Bill Sive, president at Gay Elder Circle; Mark Ramos, chair of the LA County Democratic Party; Signal Hill Mayor Keir Jones; and California state Treasurer Fiona Ma.
On the day of the parade, there will be no parking from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Ocean Boulevard, from Redondo to Atlantic avenues, and on immediate side streets on the north and south sides of Ocean.
The following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic during the designated times:
6 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Ocean Boulevard from Redondo to Lindero avenues, including side streets on the north and south sides of Ocean Boulevard.
7 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Shoreline Drive from Ocean Boulevard to Shoreline Village Drive.
8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Ocean Boulevard from Lindero to Atlantic avenues, including all side streets on the north and south sides of Ocean Boulevard.
8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Alamitos Avenue from Ocean Boulevard to Broadway.
Admission to the Pride parade is free. For additional details about the parade, go to longbeach.gov/prideparade and visit longbeachpride.com/festival for more about the festival.