fierté montreal pride 2024
Arts & Life

A comprehensive guide to free outdoor fun at Fierté Montreal Pride 2024

by Savannah Stewart

From Aug. 1 to 11, Montreal’s streets will radiate pride.

With a jam-packed schedule of events featuring over 240 artists, including some big names in music and drag, there’s something for nearly everyone at Fierté Montreal Pride 2024. 

The festival officially runs from Aug. 1 to 11, but Fierté is also supplemented by some earlier community events, starting on July 25. And to accommodate the ever-growing crowds of festival-goers, a third location has been added as of this year: the Quartier des Spectacles will feature a lineup of shows, activities and events, as well as the usual locations in the Village and the Olympic Park Esplanade.

Here are just a few of the free outdoor events going on for Montreal Pride. 

Afro Drag

Kicking off the start of official Fierté Montréal events is an evening of Black drag excellence at the Esplanade Tranquille’s Loto-Québec stage, the main meeting space at the festival’s added Quartier des Spectacles location. Nine artists will take the stage for this nighttime cabaret, with a DJ set sure to get the crowd moving. (Quartier des Spectacles, Thursday, Aug. 1, 8–11 p.m.)

Transcendance

Montreal’s trans community is invited to a special 5 à 7 dance party at the Esplanade Tranquille, hosted by Miss Dupré Latour and featuring music by DJ Syana and the Transmasc/MoC Choir of Montreal. (Quartier des Spectacles, Saturday, Aug. 3, 5–7 p.m.)

Lesbian BBQ

Lesbians of Montreal, unite! With free food and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages courtesy of the Quebec Lesbian Network, and music by the lesbian and queer DJs of FeminiX, everything is in place for an enjoyable barbecue for everyone who identifies with the lesbian community, be they lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, pansexual, cis or trans women, non-binary or queer people. After the barbecue wraps up, the dancing continues, as the FeminiX show draws to a close at 11 p.m. (Quartier des Spectacles, Sunday, Aug. 4, 4–8 p.m.)

The High Heels Obstacle Race / La Course capotée

A crowd favourite every year at the festival, the High Heels Obstacle Race has businesses and organizations competing to raise awareness about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Competitors in full drag and donning the highest of high heels will race through an obstacle course vying to collect the most condoms, as the audience watches on with glee. It’s an event guaranteed to make you laugh, and you’ll get some free condoms out of attending, too. (The Village – Monday, Aug. 5, 6–8 p.m.)

ImmiX

The first of the mainstage shows for Fierté Montréal’s big weekend from August 8-11, ImmiX is a night of musical celebration, presented by ICI Musique. The evening’s lineup includes big names from the Quebec and Canadian music scenes like Marjo of the music group CORBEAU, Inuk singer Elisapie, Mitsou, and rapper Sarahmée. (Olympic Park Esplanade, Thursday, August 8, 8:30-11:30 p.m.)

Vivacious DJ set kicks off La Soirée IconiX

Kicking off an evening chock full of drag entertainment is former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Vivacious, with a DJ set sure to get the party started. After this 5 à 7 event, festival-goers with a VIQ pass can experience Montreal Drag Queen and Canada’s Drag Race season 3 winner Gisèle Lullaby’s G-Stop, a private party with the queen herself. After that, it’s back to the TD Stage at the Esplanade for the evening’s main event: La Soirée Drag Superstars! (Olympic Park Esplanade, Friday, Aug. 9, 5:30-7 p.m.)

Drag Superstars

RuPaul’s Drag Race fans will rejoice at the lineup for this evening of drag, featuring fan favourites from several franchises of the reality competition show that has taken over the world. Hosted by Rita Baga, who represented Montreal in season 1 of Canada’s Drag Race, the evening will (Olympic Park Esplanade – Friday, Aug. 9, 9-11:30 p.m.)

Community Days

Discover some of the many organizations, community groups, clubs and businesses that cater to the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities at this yearly tabling event in the Village (The Village, Friday, Aug. 9, 11 a.m.– 6 p.m.)

Outdoor bookfair

Peruse books by queer authors all while enjoying the animated vibe of Saint Catherine Street East during the Fierté Montréal festival, and get a book signed by a local writer! (The Village, Saturday, Aug. 10, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.)

Pride Parade

Like in previous years, Montreal’s pride parade will bring the rainbow to René Lévesque Boulevard, kicking off at the corner of Metcalfe Street and culminating in the Village. Be sure to quiet down in time for the minute of silence at 2:15 p.m. to honour the lives lost to HIV/AIDS and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ violence, as well as missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people. After the parade is the Mega T-Dance, a massive celebration marking the closing night of pride festivities over at the Olympic Park Esplanade. (Sunday, Aug. 11, 1–5 p.m.)

A comprehensive guide to free outdoor fun at Fierté Montreal Pride 2024

For more on Fierté Montreal Pride 2024, please visit their website.

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Posted in Arts & Life

by Savannah Stewart

Contributing editor for Arts
Savannah Stewart is a freelance journalist and Managing Editor at The Rover. She is passionate about community reporting and is happiest writing about art, language and culture in Montreal.