Long Beach’s 42nd Pride Parade and Festival is just a few weeks away, and planners with the city and the long-running nonprofit organizer are promising another massive, joyous celebration that revelers have come to expect.
The weekend, held on May 17 and 18, will be two days of “live music and fairy dust,” said Elsa Martinez, the interim president of Long Beach Pride. Dozens of vendors have so far confirmed their booths, and organizers have booked a range of musicians, from DJs to country crooners and hip hop artists. There will also be a ballroom contest, drag performances and more.
“It’s going to be a very musical, very dance-worthy, happy, party time,” Martinez said.
The centerpiece of Pride weekend is the annual parade on May 18, a 1.5-mile route that starts at Ocean Boulevard and Lindero Avenue and travels toward Downtown on Ocean and Alamitos Avenue. Led by the seven grand marshals, the parade will showcase a colorful melange of floats, dancers, baton twirlers and drag queens.
The two-day Long Beach Pride Parade and Festival is the third largest of its kind in the U.S., according to organizers, who expect around 80,000 attendees in a showcase behind only New York and San Francisco.
Pride celebrations, held in hundreds of cities nationwide, began to appear after the 1969 Stonewall uprising, a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ rights movement. With time, the Long Beach festival’s emphasis has shifted, from basic civil rights, health and family issues, to more recently protecting the rights of transgender people.
Leaders say the parade retains some political flavor but focuses on more celebratory aspects of gay culture and reflects this journey from social ostracism toward increased acceptance.
“The Long Beach Pride Parade is more than just a celebration — it’s a cherished tradition that reflects the heart and soul of our city,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. “It’s a vibrant expression of love, acceptance and unity, reminding us of the power of living authentically and standing together.”
This will also be the second year the parade is planned and funded by the city of Long Beach. Historically, the nonprofit Long Beach Pride has paid for and operated both the festival and parade.
But the city assumed control of the parade last year, after the nonprofit asked for help putting on the event in the wake of upheaval from the pandemic and scheduling changes. The pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 events, while 2022 and 2023 parades were moved to August instead of their traditional date in May.
The city has allocated up to $100,000 for the parade this year, according to a city spokesperson. Councilmember Cindy Allen has also allocated $10,000 from her office’s funds, and the Port of Long Beach has kicked in $25,000.
“The Pride Parade is not just a great community event, it’s an important movement at a time in our nation’s history where we are the most vulnerable,” Allen said in a statement. “Our commitment to our LGBTQ+ community is unwavering, and we will continue being a leader in the fight for equality.”
Long Beach Pride continues to run the festival with a $700,000 operating budget. Martinez said the nonprofit is already planning to regain control of the parade starting in 2026.
“We are very grateful and excited that the city was able to put on the parade last year and this year, but we understand that that was because of all the hard times and difficulties we had economically, but that might not be the case next year,” Martinez said. “We are planning and looking forward to putting on the parade next year.”
In a written response Friday, a city spokesperson said any funding for future parades “would need to be identified and approved through the City’s fiscal year budgeting process.”
Tickets for the festival are $20. For more information and tickets, click here. The parade on May 18 is free to attend. For more info, click here, or use this link to apply for a parade entry.