In celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, Nashville Pride Festival has pulled out all the stops for two full days of entertainment, fun, and inclusivity.
Featuring over 225 vendors, food trucks aplenty, three stages of live entertainment, showstopping headliners, and much more, the 32nd annual Pride Festival is sure to be one for the books.The Nashville Pride Festival, presented by Bridgestone and Nissan, will be held at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on Saturday, Sept. 18 and Sunday, Sept. 19.
The weekend kicks off with the highly anticipated Pride Parade on Saturday at 10 a.m. (starting at 2nd and Union), and rolls into an evening full of can’t-miss performances. At the forefront of star-studded performances is the Equality Main Stage. This year’s lineup includes the Grammy-winning duo Salt-N-Pepa, plus Kim Petras, Orville Peck, The Aces, Tommy Genesis, Brooke Eden, Dominique Morgan, and more. In addition to the main stage, the Stonewall Stage and the Rainbow Stage will further showcase the variety of entertainment Pride Festival has to offer. Nashville’s very own LGBTQIA+ artists will be well represented on the festival’s multiple stages with performances by Tayls, Freak Daddy, Mike Maimone, Mercy Bell, Andrea Moss, Vyrgo, and more. Showstopping drag queens will also grace the stage for performances throughout the weekend, and it wouldn’t be Music City without several big-name surprise guests scheduled to make appearances.
“It is our goal every year to have a very well-rounded and diverse lineup,” says Festival Director Jack Davis. “We were definitely able to grab A-list talent but I also think if you look at the entire lineup it is age diverse, racially diverse—it is our goal that anyone that’s attending the festival should be able to see themselves on the stage at some point during that event. We think it’s very important.”
Beyond the phenomenal entertainment, the festival provides plenty of fun for all ages. The Kids and Family Zone offers family-friendly activities such as face painting, carnival games, art projects, prizes, and more. Attendees can also visit the Youth Area hosted by the Just Us program at the Oasis Center for an array of activities, games, and tables from organizations promoting safe spaces and youth engagement. A manicure station, pronoun and pride button making, and lawn games are just a few of the many youth-centric activities featured. A wide selection of vendors and food trucks will also be in attendance throughout the two-day festival.Above all else, Nashville Pride is a place of inclusivity, diversity, celebration, and love.
It’s more than just a festival; it’s a place where everyone is not only welcome but celebrated for being exactly who they are.“I think [Nashville Pride Festival] provides a space that, in a perfect world, we would all see every day. It is a loving environment where you can come as you are, with no armor on, and be treated equally,” says Davis. “I think that alone brings out the best in our community—in the Nashville community, in the Tennessee community—and that feeling I can only describe as euphoric.”
(Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park; 600 James Robertson Pkwy; nashvillepride.org)