San Diego Gay Pride 2023

San Diego Pride 2023

With 265 days with sunshine, its nearly always a good time to visit San Diego, and there is no better time than during the city’s annual Pride festival. Plan early as this is one of San Diego’s biggest events.

• Stay close to all the pride festivities in the Downtown district, home to some of the city’s better hotels and just 8 minutes from the block party (Hillcrest neighbourhood is short on nice hotels). Stay at The Bristol, a boutique hotel located at the crossroads of the city’s most vibrant neighbourhoods.

Highlights during the San Diego pride weekend include the  Spirit of Stonewall Rally, the Pride Block Party in Hillcrest, and the always colorful San Diego Pride Parade on the last Saturday of the event.

The Rally

• Friday, July 14, 2023 @ 6 PM – 7 PM – The official opening of the San Diego Pride weekend with inspiring speakers, recognize LGBTQ leaders, and raise the Pride flag at Hillcrest Pride Flag, 1500 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103.

The Block Party

• Thursday, July 13th &  Friday, July 14, 2023 – 4:00 PM to 11pm – The Pride of Hillcrest Block Party kicks off San Diego Pride weekend in the heart of Hillcrest! This event for those 21 years and older includes food, drinks, carnival rides, and lots of DJs, go-gos, and dancing!
• Stay close by in the Mission Valley district, close to all the gay bars and clubs. Try the Kings Inn Hotel, with a great pool, gym and perfect location.

San Diego Pride Circuit Parties

Other events not to be missed include:

• LE Parties Pool Parties & Events – July 12th to 16th, 2023.
• Rich’s Pride Week San Diego  – July 12th to 16th, 2023.
• The Unite Pride Circuit Party  – July 14th to 17th, 2023.
• San Diego DILF Out & Loud – July 14th to 17th, 2023.
• Furrageous & Sub Woofer – San Diego Bear Pride – July 14th & 15th, 2023
• The Pride by the Pier Party – July 15th, 2023.
• GPS Party – San Diego Edition – July 15th 2023.
• The Escapade Sunset Cruise – July 15th, 2023.
• United We Groove Cruise – July 16th, 2023.
• San Diego Sunset Tea Dance – July 16th, 2023.
• The Hole in the Wall Sunday Block Party – July 16th, 2023.

The San Diego Parade & Route

• Saturday July 15th 2023 – 10 am to 3 pm – San Diego Pride leaves from the intersection of Normal Street and University Avenue, west to 6th Avenue and then south to Balboa Drive and Quince Street. (1.5 miles)
• Watch for the military contingent, which includes active duty and veteran service members. Be sure to cheer them on at the parade when the contingent passes by!
• What’s a parade without a marching band? Over 200 Southern California youth make up the Pride Youth Marching Band, which will perform down the San Diego Pride Parade route.  And it wouldn’t be a Pride parade without motorcycles – and lots of them! Listen for the revving of the engines, and watch the Motorcycle Contingent cruise by as part of the procession.
• It’s tradition to close out the San Diego Pride Parade with the giant rainbow flag! As always, everyone is welcome to join in and help carry the flag to the San Diego Pride Music Festival.
• Stay close to all the pride festivities in the Downtown district, home to some of the city’s better hotels and just 8 minutes from the gay bars. Stay at The Bristol, a boutique hotel located at the crossroads of the city’s most vibrant neighbourhoods.

The Pride Music Festival

• Saturday, July 15 – Sunday, July 16 2023 – Don’t miss the San Diego Pride Music Festival on Saturday (11 am–10 pm) and Sunday (11 am–9 pm), during which some 40,000 revelers of all ages and backgrounds dance and celebrate to performances by more than 100 musicians on four different stages. This is a ticketed event. 
• Stay close to the park with more than 70 nearby hotels and some stunning condos with great views.

The Rainbow Zone

• The Free Rainbow Zone is located just outside the Pride Music Festival and includes many longtime attractions of the San Diego Pride Festival, including Art of Pride, Lambda Archives history area, Senior Cool Zone, Youth Zone by Trevor Project, Pride Family Picnic  and more! And no ticket is needed – this area is completely free and open to everyone!

Where to stay during San Diego Pride?

Hillcrest and North Park are two neighborhoods in San Diego that attract LGBTQ+ travelers on the hunt for gay friendly entertainment, drinks and socializing.

The following hotels are currently trending with our readers and are close to the gay bars and clubs:

Pendry San Diego,    Gaslamp Plaza Suites,    The Westin,    Inn at the Park