Headliners, theme, grand marshals, more for the 2025 Phoenix Pride Festival & Parade released

PHOENIX — Details, such as the theme, entertainment lineup and parade grand marshals, for the 2025 Phoenix Pride Festival & Parade were released on Friday.

The Phoenix Pride Festival will take place Oct. 18 and 19 at Steele Indian School Park in downtown Phoenix.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix Pride Parade will be on Oct. 19. It is expected to start at 10 a.m. at Thomas Road and Third Street and move northbound to Indian School Road.

The festival will run from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 18) and resume from noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday (Oct. 19).

The grand marshals for the parade will be the Grand Canyon Sisters Perpetual Indulgence — a local fundraising, support and visibility organization — and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.

“It’s been five years since the pandemic and we’ve been operating with a similar festival configuration during those years, so it is time to change things up a bit,” President of the Phoenix Pride Board of Directors Daniel Eckstrom said in a press release. “We are always reviewing feedback and suggestions and looking at ways to give our community more of what it wants, and festivalgoers this October are going to be treated to a revamped layout, enhanced entertainment experiences and more.”

Which headliners are performing at the 2025 Phoenix Pride Festival?

The theme of this year’s Phoenix Pride Festival is “Our Pride is Our Resistance. Our Difference is Our Power.” and was inspired by the winning piece from the Phoenix Pride Call to Artists titled “Black Sheep” by artist Jackson Kloog.

Here is the performance schedule for the Circle K Main Stage on Saturday:

• Snow Tha Product at 7:30 p.m.
• Big Freedia at 8:30 p.m.

Here is the performance schedule for the Circle K Main Stage on Sunday:

• Debby Holiday at 6:30 p.m.
• Todrick Hall at 7:45 p.m.

More performers will be announced at a later date.

What else is at the 2025 Phoenix Pride Festival?

The festival will also have more than 60 acres of activities including multiple stages of live entertainment, food and drinks, a dance pavilion, exclusive VIP experience, a health and wellness pavilion and kids’ space.

In addition, there will be support for those in need such as cooling tents, seniors’ relaxation area and a team that will ensure the event is accessible for all attendees.

There is a new event at the festival this year, a Sunday afternoon Tea Dance which will be at the dance pavilion from noon to 4 p.m. The DJ for the dance party will be Jamie J Sanchez of California.

Admission to the dance party will be included in all two-day and Sunday-only festival tickets.

Children 12 and under, as well as active military, receive free admission. Meanwhile, children aged 13-17, seniors 55 and older and former military will receive discounted admission at the ticket gate.

Other adults have multiple ticket options:

• General Admission: 
  • 2-day with express entry: $55.15
  • 1-day with express entry: $39.31
  • 1-day: $34.02
• VIP
  • 2-day VIP (21+): $171.39
  • 1-day VIP (21+): $118.55
• Walter Studios AfterParty
  • GA: $49.87
  • VIP upgrade: $18.17
• Meet and Greets 
  • Big Freedia (Saturday): $55.15
  • Todrick Hall (Sunday): $55.15

Tickets for the festival are currently on sale.

Credit cards and ApplePay will be accepted on-site at the festival for admission and drinks. There will also be ATMs available for attendees to use.

Event organizers are expecting more than 45,000 people to attend the festival that weekend.

“It is important to remember that the Phoenix Pride Festival and Parade are more than just a celebration,” Eckstrom said. “The American LGBTQ+ community continues to face a period of increased discrimination, hate and marginalization under the current presidential administration, and bringing our community together to celebrate Pride is an act of open and active defiance of that administration.”

“We will be joining together in October with our entire community … to demonstrate plainly and clearly that we will not be intimidated, we will not be erased, we will not be made silent and we will continue to fight for the rights, dignity and equity of all people, regardless of where they come from, their physical abilities, how they worship or who they love.”

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