FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
St. John’s, NL — St. John’s Pride has announced key details for its 2026 Pride Festival, including festival dates, theme, and Grand Marshals. The festival will take place July 8 to 19, 2026, with the Pride Parade and Pride in the Park happening on Sunday, July 19.
This year’s theme, This Party is a Protest, reflects the dual nature of Pride as both celebration and commemoration. It recognizes Pride as an act of collective joy that remains rooted in resistance, solidarity, and the ongoing fight for liberation and safety for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
St. John’s Pride also announced its 2026 Grand Marshals, Overdose Awareness and Response St. John’s (OARS). OARS is a grassroots collective of trained harm reduction advocates, registered nurses, and people with lived experience who promote a harm reduction based approach to substance use and provide community led overdose response, education, and support.
In their role as Grand Marshals, OARS has created a list of calls to action for all levels of government in response to the growing overdose crisis in Newfoundland and Labrador. These calls to action are available on St. John’s Pride’s website and will be used by St. John’s Pride to help guide its organizing, advocacy, and festival planning for the 2026 Pride Festival and beyond.
“Queer joy in the face of adversity is in itself an act of protest which ground us in the origins of the modern Pride Movement,” said Eddy St Coeur, Co Chair of the St. John’s Pride Board of Directors. “St. John’s Pride hopes that by centering OARS in our parade, we can uplift their work and draw attention to the realities many in our community face disproportionately and to the stigma they too often receive instead of care and support.”
While initial planning is underway, dozens more events will be added before the festival kicks off in July. In 2025, St. John’s Pride delivered one of its largest festivals to date, with more than 30 official events and thousands of people gathering downtown on the final day for the Pride Parade and Pride in the Park.
Additional festival details, including event announcements and participation opportunities, will be shared throughout the spring. Community members are encouraged to stay tuned to the St. John’s Pride website and social media channels for updates.
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Contact:
Ellen Davis
ellen@stjpride.ca
(709) 765-9101
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