San Diego Pride and Festival is the city's largest annual civic event. For the past few years, San Diego Pride has been mostly virtual with much of the celebration scaled down due to Coronavirus.
On December 2, 2021, it was announced that Pride and its many affiliate gatherings will return full-scale to San Diego in 2022.
The following is a press release from San Diego Pride Executive Director, Fernando Zweifach López:
"Pride brings us together in times of protest, mourning, victory, and celebration. Pride helps connect us to the community and our found family. Pride gives us access to life-saving direct services and provides grant funding to our local and global LGBTQ community," said Fernando Z. López, San Diego Pride Executive Director. "I’m inspired by the thought of our community coming together again. Together we will continue to pursue justice with joy."
Pride week will begin Saturday, July 9, and runs through July 17, 2022. The events include:
- She Fest - July 9, 2022
- Light Up the Cathedral - July 13, 2022
- Spirit of Stonewall Rally - July 15, 2022
- Pride 5K Walk & Run - July 16, 2022
- San Diego Pride Parade - July 16, 2022
- San Diego Pride Festival - July 16 - 17, 2022
San Diego Pride’s Parade and Festival is the 4th largest Pride in the nation and hosted over 350,000 attendees in 2019. Past festivals have featured headliners like Kesha, TLC, Melissa Etheridge, and En Vogue.
In 2020, San Diego Pride held the first-ever Pride Live where over 400,000 folks tuned in to celebrate the LGBTQ community. In 2021, San Diego Pride held over 40 hybrid virtual and in-person events, with over 100,000 attendees throughout Pride week.
Since its founding, San Diego Pride has granted over three million dollars back to the local and international LGBTQ+ community from the revenue generated by the annual Pride week events.
“LGBTQ diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our efforts to invite people to our vibrant city because when people feel welcome, they want to visit,” said Julie Coker, President and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority. “That is why we are so excited San Diego Pride is scheduled to return in 2022. It will highlight our friendly, inclusive spirit while attracting visitors to our hotels, restaurants, and cultural attractions and boosting our local tourism economy.”
Additional information for all events can be found HERE. Early bird tickets for the San Diego Pride Festival are now available and can be purchased HERE.
“I’m delighted that Pride week is returning in 2022 in its full capacity; its events are true San Diego institutions,” said City of San Diego Council President Jen Campbell. “This return signifies how far we’ve come in our battle against COVID-19 and how close we are to returning to normal. Thank you San Diego Pride for not only the work you do for these events but every day to make us a better city for all.”
“I’m excited San Diego Pride festivities will return for 2022 in full force; it’s an honor for our region to play host to one of the nation’s largest Pride celebrations,” said Nathan Fletcher, Chair, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “Pride Month in San Diego County unites communities, supports regional businesses, and benefits people served by local nonprofits. As an ally, I stand with our diverse LGBTQ+ neighbors as they continue to raise awareness, celebrate LGBTQ+ history and pursue equity, opportunity, and a future free from prejudice.”
For more details about San Diego Pride click HERE.
About San Diego Pride
Founded in 1974, San Diego Pride is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is as follows: Fostering pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally.