Montréal gets ready to roll out the Rainbows! - FIERTÉ MONTRÉAL'S 19TH EDITION TO BE FESTIVAL'S LARGEST AND MOST INCLUSIVE YET!

MONTRÉAL, July 23, 2025 /CNW/ - Mobilizing over 300 organizations from the community, cultural, non-profit, and economic sectors, all committed to the advancement of 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, the Fierté Montréal Festival, presented by TD Bank Group in collaboration with Loto-Québec, invites the communities and their allies to join the festivities from July 31 to August 10. Fierté Montréal Festival will celebrate the creativity and resilience of communities of sexual and gender diversity in three distinct event Hubs – Urban, Village, and Olympic – stretching from downtown to the East end of Québec's metropole.

"Thanks to a growing interest, locally and internationally, in the Fierté Montréal Festival, we are continuing to innovate and build on the festival's strengths. With the loyalty, trust, and solidarity of our valued partners in our three festival Hubs, we are once again able to amplify the voices of communities of sexual and gender diversity. Amid a steep and rapid decline for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights around the world, Montréal itself is a beacon, proudly flying the rainbow flag," said Simon Gamache, Executive Director of Festival Fierté Montréal.

Celebrating queer beings and being queer: the Pride Parade

With "Blossom Here, Now!" as this year's rallying cry, the Pride Parade will welcome tens of thousands of participants down Boulevard René-Lévesque on August 10 to celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and call attention to what we're fighting for. "Blossom Here, Now!" is an invitation to claim our right to blossom fully, to shine brightly, and to love freely.

Parade Grand Marshals make the message louder and prouder

Fierté Montréal Festival's Grand Marshals are individuals who, through their activism and talent, inspire and contribute to improving the lives of 2SLGBTQIA+ people. In 2025, we proudly welcome Ness Murby, the first openly trans, queer, and Métis Paralympic athlete, and Farah Alibay, a Québécoise aerospace engineer committed to popularizing science and an advocate for greater equity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Diverse and inclusive programming

This nineteenth edition of Fierté Montréal Festival will spotlight over 250 artists, of whom a tremendous majority are people from 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, proudly featuring a roster of artists who are trans and/or from racialized communities.

Chris Ngabonziza, Director of Programming and Artistic Development, adds: "The 19th edition programming is the culmination of work begun three years ago—a collective approach that deepens our commitment to inclusion. It is deployed across our three hubs, with a rich and consistently ambitious offering; but above all, it is a huge celebration of queer culture, in all its diversity."

The Village is where our heart is

The Village will be buzzing with a bold and daring program of talented creators. In collaboration with Festival M.A.D. and the SDC du Village, the first edition of the Rainbow Market will showcase 2SLGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs, artists, artisans, and designers from August 1 to 3. From July 31 to August 10, the Dovato Stage will host local queer artists featuring drag shows, live bands, burlesque troupes, DJ sets, Bollywood dance, pop music, a show for kids and even a high heel race! At Le National, the comedy night Des gags et des paillettes, presented by La Presse, returns on August 5 and 6, hosted by Phil Lacroix and Yann Aspirot—aka Greg and Tom in the web series Mon Bro—accompanied by local artists, including Coco Belliveau, Tranna Wintour, Maxence Garneau, and Magalie Saint-Vincent.

Community Days, presented by Cogeco, will be back August 8 and 9 on Rue Sainte-Catherine Est. The public is welcome to discover more than 100 community groups and organizations, businesses, sports clubs, and sociocultural associations involved with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Families are invited to Place du Village on Saturday, August 9^th, to enjoy children's activities. In collaboration with the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, the Jardins Gamelin will also be decked out in rainbows on July 31, August 1, 2, and 6. Fierté Littéraire is back with a series of events showcasing queer creativity of the literary kind. The Festival will close with L'After T-Dance (August 10), presented by romeo's gin, at Sainte-Catherine Hall.

Fierté Montréal Festival will host the public at its Headquarters (1306, Rue Sainte-Catherine East), which will house an information booth, a community exhibition, and the Festival's boutique.

Urban Hub: diversity delights downtown Montréal

For the second consecutive year, the Fierté Montréal Festival will light up our downtown. The Quartier des Spectacles will host 2SLGBTQIA+ artists and their allies on the Loto-Québec Stage at the Esplanade Tranquille. A series of free events will showcase Indigenous artists during Lumière des Nations, presented by Fugues, followed by a program of trans artists, Transcendance (July 31); an evening dedicated to women of sexual and gender diversity with FeminiX, presented by Rogers (August 1); a lively tribute to nightlife as queer revolution with Mundo Disko, presented by Merck (August 2); and our signature show ImmiX, presented by ICI Musique, featuring beloved artists  Lisa LeBlanc, Gabrielle Destroismaisons, Martine St-Clair, Calamine, Safia Nolin, and Lennikim, and more, who will share the stage with a raft of emerging artists (August 3).

"At Loto-Québec, we are committed to supporting events that bring people together, inspire, and contribute to celebrating a more inclusive society. Our collaboration with the Fierté Montréal Festival reflects our commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities for all," said Eric Meunier, Director of Social Engagement, Loto-Québec.

The Festival returns to Place des Arts with Katherine Levac's hilarious show, L'été de ma Fierté! (August 1), featuring guests Mona de Grenoble and Anne-Sarah Charbonneau. CinéQueer, a co-presentation with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), will offer three days of free screenings at the Alanis Obomsawin Theatre (August 4, 5, and 6), in collaboration with the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma and the Festival image+nation. CinéQueer online will be available throughout the Festival, in collaboration with the image+nation Festival. Two free community exhibitions will be presented at the NFB Space from July 31 to August 6.

The MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises will host a series of panels about issues related to inclusion within and for our communities, organized in collaboration with 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations: Surrogacy (August 2, 1 pm), Bisexuality (August 2, 3 pm), an Inter-generational Dialogue on HIV (August 3, 1 pm) and a historical look back at Pride celebrations in Montréal since 1979 (August 3, 3 pm). Meanwhile, the Cinémathèque québécoise will host a round table discussion on rural queer experiences in Europe and Québec (July 30, 4:30 pm).

Nightlife enthusiasts will notice a slew of beloved parties that 2SLGBTQIA+ communities will recognize throughout several Fierté Montréal 2025 Editions, as well as official after-parties during the two weekends of the Festival, with seven club nights hosted at venues Club Soda and the Société des arts technologiques (SAT).

Olympic Hub: the big shows on a main stage scale

Starting on August 7, the TD Stage at the Olympic Park's Esplanade will host the big free shows that attract tens of thousands of festival-goers every year. It all kicks off August 7 with the world's largest free drag show, La Soirée 100% Drag, presented by Cabenuva, with hostesses Barbada and Rita Baga, gathering drag royalty of local drag luminaries along with a range of drag artists from various franchises of RuPaul's Drag Race. On August 8, DistinXion, presented by Novartis, will highlight queer fxmmes with Fefe Dobson, Charlotte Day Wilson, and G Flip. Xcellence, a celebration of racialized 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and their allies, will bring Iniko, Bilal Hassani, and Ivy Queen to the stage (August 9). On August 10, the biggest dance floor in town will host the highly anticipated Mega T-Dance, featuring renowned DJs such as Black Flamingo and Marti Frieson.

 "TD has a long history of supporting all communities, including the 2SLGBTQ+ communities year-round. As we celebrate Pride this year, we're proud to once again support Fierté Montréal Festival—an event that brings people together and amplifies diverse voices across the 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Through the TD Ready Commitment, we continue to support initiatives and community programming that help make a positive impact for the communities we serve," said Laurence Levy, Senior Vice-President, Branch Banking, Quebec Region, TD Canada Trust.

Recognizing our change-makers

Fierté Montréal hands out a trio of prizes to individuals and associations who have been part of making progress in 2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy and visibility. Accorded annually in recognition of people and groups working to end stigma against people living with HIV (serophobia), the Prix Claude-Tourangeau went to GAP-VIES. For exceptional work on 2SLGBTQIA+ rights advocacy in Montréal and throughout Québec, the Prix Bâtisseur was awarded to the Conseil québécois LGBT. The Prix John Banks, awarded to people or collectives who shine their light on and within Pride, went to the Sœurs de la perpétuelle indulgence de Montréal.

Social responsibility: our mission to the core

Fierté Montréal Festival continues its commitment to environmental responsibility, accessibility, and prevention, with long-term goals dedicated to sustainability, harm reduction, stopping sexual violence, and support to vulnerable members of our communities and artists. We constantly endeavour to improve accessibility measures in collaboration with a wide range of community stakeholders, such as REZO, the GRIP, Collectif Social, the Centre psychologique pour artistes, L'Aparté and Kéroul.

"Fierté Montréal is much more than a festival; it is a vibrant celebration of the diversity, creativity and resilience of 2SLGPTQI+ communities. By supporting events such as this one, we are reaffirming that each and every individual must be able to develop fully, love freely and participate actively in the economic, social and cultural life of our country. I am proud that our government is assisting Fierté Montréal, as well as the countless artists, entrepreneurs and organizations who make our communities stronger and more inclusive," stated Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Member of Parliament for Hochelaga–Rosemont-Est, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism).

"The Fierté Montréal Festival is a shining showcase of diversity, but also a necessary reminder that the fight for the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ people is far from over. In a context where hate speech is experiencing a worrying resurgence around the world, more than ever, our solidarity must be unwavering. La Ville de Montréal is proud to support the 19th edition of the Festival and to reaffirm that it is, and will remain, a space of inclusion, equality, and acceptance for all people. I invite the public to join the festivities in large numbers to amplify the voices that lift us, to celebrate love and freedom, and to fly high the flag for Pride," declared Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.

A program for everyone

Explore the expansive and inclusive Fierté Montréal Festival 2025 programming on our website, and come out to meet 2SLGBTQIA+ communities where their pride is at.

Never Without Our Partners       

Fierté Montréal thanks its loyal partners, as well as those who have recently joined us, without whom it would be impossible to continue the fight for full recognition of the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities: TD Bank Group, supporter since 2008, Loto-Québec, the Ville de Montréal, the Gouvernement of Québec, the Gouvernement of Canada, Tourisme Montréal, the Conseil des Arts de Montréal, Cabenuva, Rogers, Trojan, the SAQ, Air Canada, Bubly, Radio-Canada, stm, Merck, Loblaws, sans nom, Bud Light, Hydro-Québec, Dovato, Apretude, Fugues, MTL Dans la poche, Cogeco, La Presse, IN Magazine, CTV, Publicité Sauvage, Virgin Radio, Énergie, Rouge, Cult, Le Devoir, GoMag, Petit Futé, Québec Le Mag, Gay City News, Culture Cible, Neo, the SDC Village Montréal, the Société de développement et de mise en valeur du Parc olympique, the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, PME MTL Centre-Ville, the European Union through its delegation based in Canada, the Regroupement des évènements majeurs internationaux and Fierté Canada Pride.

About Fierté Montréal

Since 2007, Fierté Montréal has been amplifying the voices of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities to ensure their social representation and inclusion, and to defend their rights. As vectors of social change, our festival, community initiatives and artistic/cultural projects celebrate the creativity and resilience of our communities. By listening to and collaborating with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, we call attention to their struggles and realities on the level of both the general public and institutions.

Fierté Montréal is based in Tio'tia:ke, on the unceded territory of the Kanien'kehá:ka Nation. We recognize them as the custodians of the lands and waters on which we gather. Tio'tia:ke is historically known as a gathering place for many First Nations, and today, a diverse Indigenous population, as well as other peoples, reside here. It is with respect for connections to the past, present, and future that we recognize the ongoing relationships between Indigenous Peoples and the Montréal community at large.

SOURCE Fierté Montréal

Media Requests: Dominique Gagnon, Account Manager, Public Relations, [email protected]