The city began its Pride celebration earlier this month with several feats, including a new art unveiling on Lincoln Road, the Miss Miami Beach Pride Pageant at Exchange Nightclub, and the annual Pride Flag Raising at Miami Beach City Hall.
Compounded with the arrival of the Queen of Pop, Madonna, in the 305 for her Celebration Tour, the start of Miami Beach Pride has never been stronger. The 12-day occasion has attracted more than 170,000 people in recent years, making it the largest Pride celebration in the state and one of the biggest in the nation.
With this weekend's upcoming festival and parade, partygoers can look forward to plenty of activities and performances.
"Our goal has been to be as inclusive as possible of the many facets of our community, and the main way we do that is by keeping the festival free," says Patrick Gevas, Miami Beach Pride's media director. "Other events require tickets, which we never have for 16 years, and that's something we're proud of. We've been able to do that through a robust grants program as well as generous corporate sponsorships."
On Saturday, the festival, which takes place at Lummus Park on Ocean Drive, between 11th and 14th streets, will host performances by Colombian singer Farina and dance artist Ultra Naté at the Love Spirit Entertainment Stage, while actor, singer, and author Billy Porter will serve as the parade's grand marshal alongside Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reality star Lisa Rinna and Grace & Frankie star June Diane Raphael on Sunday. Potter will also be performing at the festival after Sunday's parade.
DJs will also get ready to lead the weekend's rhythms, with Alexis Tucci, Alex Acosta, and Bill Kelly gracing the HealthyMD Dance and Capital One Café stages.
Several activations will also be up and running throughout the festival, including the Women's Tent, designed for the lesbian community; the T-Tent, designed for the trans community; and the Community Stage, which aims to showcase local up-and-coming talent while also being a quieter pavilion away from the more extravagant sounds and lights of the weekend.
Miami Beach Pride aims to honor the local LGBTQ community's history while looking forward to a brighter future.
Photo by Carina Mask
This year's theme is "Pride, Progress, Perseverance," which, according to Gevas, aims to honor the local LGBTQ community's history while looking forward to a brighter future, especially amid extreme political polarization against the queer community.
"Tensions are very high in our country right now, and one new element this year is the 'Pride Through Time' exhibit that's at the 12th Street entrance — a retrospective of 100 years of people advocating for LGBT rights and acceptance," Gevas said. "Walk through the archways, and you'll see some names you may recognize and some you probably won't. We felt that it was important when the community is under legislative attack to not only see how far we've come but to inspire us to continue to advocate for ourselves."
Organizers recommend rideshare as a great idea for those looking to avoid bumper-to-bumper traffic. The Miami Beach Pride website has more information for those looking to find more details when preparing.
For both the festival and the parade, guests are encouraged to show up as their unique and authentic selves to celebrate.
"It's easy to see a major festival, and now one of the largest Pride celebrations in the entire state, but it's put on by a very small number of dedicated people who love this community and understand the importance of producing programming to bring people together," Gevas says. We have countless volunteers as well, and it feels very rewarding to be able to work as hard as everyone does to create a safe space for our community."
Miami Beach Pride Festival and Parade. Noon Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14, at Ocean Drive between Fifth and 15th streets, Miami Beach; miamibeachpride.com. Admission is free; VIP tickets cost $250.
