Memphis Gay Pride Fest & Parade 2024

Memphis Gay Pride Fest & Parade 2024

From a dance party to a parade, the Memphis Gay Pride Festival has something for everyone and is presented each year by Mid-South Pride.

• Visiting for Memphis Pride? Stay at the Memphian Hotel, opened in 2021, with beautiful decor, spacious rooms and scrumptious breakfasts!

The Event

• Thursday, May 30th to Sunday June 2nd, 2024 – Memphis Gay Pride has been growing in size over the past decade attracting more than 20,000 visitors to the city. Get ready for the most colorful weekend of the year in Memphis.

Thursday – Drag & Drive

• Head to the Summer Drive in from 7pm for a unique movie experience showcasing To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar with Host Justin Allen Tate and Will Ryder
• Drag show starts at 10pm with Performers: Brenda Newport, Kaiyla JonVier Dickerson, Zoey Adams, Will Ryder, Macc Onner, Mariah Kelly West. Shiklina, and Jade Porchett!

Friday – The Big Gay Dance Party

• Memphis Gay Pride kicks off on Friday with the annual Gay Dance Party at The Crosstown Theatre on 1350 Concourse Ave,from 8pm. The theatre is just a 3 minute drive from the gay bars in Midtown.
• The theatre has great acoustics and will be transformed into a festive and glittering ballroom to mark the welcome return of the event.

Saturday – Parade Day

• The centerpiece of the weekend’s activity takes place Saturday as Mid-South Pride presents the annual Memphis Pride Parade. The parade leaves runs down heading west on Beale Street and ends at Downtown’s Robert Church Park located at Fourth and Beale. The parade starts at 1pm.
• In addition to the parade, other events include music, celebrity appearances, awards presentations, a drag show, various contests and more. Gates open at 10am and shows continue on the main stage throughout the day until 5pm.

Saturday – The Festival

• The Pride Festival is a diverse and community-friendly festival that includes live entertainment on 2 stages,  over 150 vendors, a food truck park, a car show, kids area, adult area, VIP lounge, free and discreet HIV screenings, and more.
• Memphis pride festival runs from 10am to 5pm at Robert Church Park.
• Stay at the recently opened Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis for great views of the parade and close access to all the events. The hotel has an expansive pool deck with private cabanas and is just a stone’s throw away from the culture and nightlife that fills one of the most famous streets in America.

Sunday – Brunch

• To help close out the weekend, Mid-South Pride will host The Grand Marshal’s Drag Brunch at The Jerry Lee Lewis Cafe, where Pride-goers can dine, drink and relax.

Gay Memphis

Most of the gay nightspots in Memphis are located in midtown. Popular venues include:

• Dru’s Bar – Dru’s Bar in Midtown prides themselves on their friendly atmosphere. So sit back, grab a PBR and pick out a song on the jukebox, or grab a few more as liquid courage to get on stage for karaoke. Check their schedule for Drag Shows, comedy shows, and other events.
• The Pumping Station – Located in the heart of the up and coming Crosstown neighborhood, the Pumping Station has been open since 2001. Get your leather out because Wednesday night is Leather Kilt, Kink, And More (or Less!).  Not only does the Pumping Station have fun special events, they also make sure to give back with community fundraisers.
• Mollie Fontaine Lounge – Popular camp mixed venue. Mollie’s is an antiques-filled Victorian house lounge offering martinis, tapas & sing-along piano plus DJs & bands.
• Atomic Rose – Memphis’s Premier Drag Club and the place you should visit on the weekend! -On Friday night, Bella DuBalle invites you to DuBalle Room for a night to remember.

Where to stay during Memphis Pride

Here are the Hotels we recommend that keep you close to all the action,

River Inn of Harbor Town,  Peabody Memphis,  The Central Station,  Holiday Inn Express