Philly Pride moves from the Gayborhood to Ben Franklin Parkway

Philly Pride Festival moves to Ben Franklin Parkway

The Philadelphia Pride Festival is less than a month away. But the event won't be in the Gayborhood anymore. Organizers are moving the event to accommodate a larger crowd.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia is less than a month away from the annual Pride Festival. But this year, the event won't be held in the Gayborhood. Instead, it's moving to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Philly Pride leaves the Gayborhood

What we know:

Philly Pride 365, the organization that puts on the event, says the move "reflects the continued growth of the event, the need for a safer and more accessible footprint, and a broader vision for Pride as one of Philadelphia's largest civic and cultural gatherings."

Why is Philly Pride moving?

Big picture view:

Philly Pride 365 says the festival is moving simply because of how popular the event is now.

Organizers say attendance has increased from about 47,000 in 2022 to about 147,000 last year, and that with that many people in the Gayborhood, they can't "accessibly, safely or effectively hold the event."

Community reacts to venue change

What they're saying:

Some attendees are questioning the move, specifically whether the community will feel safe. 

"I feel like a lot of people are really used to being in this area because they do feel safe here," Amir Hayward said of the Gayborhood.

Zee Ray has traveled from Cecil County, Maryland to attend Philly Pride for the last two years. Ray says that "it moving kinda might be a bummer, like people might not feel as safe or as comfortable."

Others are upset about the $10 tickets, saying that charging money for people "to be prideful and live in their authentic selves," may feel like a "money grab."

What's next:

The 2026 Philly Pride Festival is on Sunday, June 7 at noon. More info, including how to get tickets for the event, can be found on Philly Pride 365's website.