CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Charlotte’s annual Pride festival and parade are returning mid-August 2025 -- but there are some important event changes to know about!
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect at the 25th-annual Charlotte Pride.
🌈 2025 Charlotte Pride festival details
The 2025 Charlotte Pride festival will take place over the course of two days:
- Saturday, Aug. 16: From 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 17: From 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The festival will take place in Charlotte’s Uptown, but in a new location this year. The 2025 festival will be held at First Ward Park in Uptown -- primarily off of both sides of North Brevard Street between 7th and 9th streets.
Below is a look at the festival map.
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First Ward Park is located on the east-side of Uptown, in the First Ward neighborhood.
Uptown is Charlotte’s downtown community, located in the center of the city.
🌈 2025 Charlotte Pride parade details
The annual Charlotte Pride parade will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 17.
The parade will run along South Tryon Street near First Ward Park, where the festival is taking place.
According to organizers, the parade will start at the corner of 9th Street and Tryon Street, and will move along Tryon Street until 4th Street. The parade route ends at 4th Street.
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The VIP parade viewing area will be located between Tryon and North College streets, between 5th and 6th streets.
🌈 Charlotte Pride entertainment
Dozens of performers will take the main stage at Charlotte Pride over the weekend.
Here’s a look at the performer lineup for each day:
Main stage - Saturday, Aug. 16
- 10 p.m.: Shaun Ross
- 9 p.m.: Plane Jane & Amethyst
- 8 p.m.: Snow Wife
- 7 p.m.: Adore Delano
- 6:20 p.m.: Young Shiloh
- 6 p.m.: Kuzh
- 5:05 p.m.: Janelle Sy’mone
- 4:30 p.m.: Carolina Down Boys
- 4 p.m.: Charlotte Pride Drag Revue 2: Lulu Cavalli, Nova Stella, Cierra Nichole, Marceline Mashic, Porsche Ka’Orie Dupree XL
- 3:35 p.m.: B0S
- 3:10 p.m.: Chris Pierce
- 2:40 p.m.: Lamar
- 2 p.m.: DJ Wandergirl
- 1:30 p.m.: Charlotte Pride Drag Revue 1: Jayla Serena Mitchell, RC Cola, Dahlia Dialup, Faith N Mae, Giselle Cassidy Carter
- 1 p.m.: Maggie Lowe
- 12:40 p.m.: The Charlotte Pride 2024 Drag Court
- Noon: Opening ceremony
Saturday will feature emcees Lolita Chanel and Malachi.
Main stage - Sunday, Aug. 17
- 5:30 p.m.: The Charlotte Pride 2025 Drag Court
- 4:45 p.m.: Carlos Dwayne
- 4:25 p.m.: Chasyn Sparx
- 4:05 p.m.: Dana
- 3:30 p.m.: Angel Prodigy
- 3:05 p.m.: Gerem3
- 2:45 p.m.: Angel Blacc
- 2:25 p.m.: John Maddrey
- Noon: DJ Ghost
🌈 Roads to close starting Friday
Charlotte Pride was scheduled to start setting up the event on Friday, Aug. 15.
The event and event set-up will close parts of Brevard, 8th and 9th streets starting on Friday.
---> Related: Charlotte Pride prepares for big event despite losing sponsors for 2025
🌈 Parking, transportation options
Tens of thousands of people were expected to attend 2025 Charlotte Pride.
Parking near the festival grounds may be limited due to a high volume of attendees. An increase in traffic is also expected near the festival.
🚗 Parking in street, garage, or lot
Metered street parking may be an option in some areas near the festival. There are around 1,800 metered on-street parking spaces that require payment between 7 a.m.-10 p.m. every Monday through Sunday.
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There are also several paid parking garages and lots throughout Uptown. Some garages and lots allow you to book and pay for a parking space in advance.
To avoid parking in Uptown altogether, festivalgoers can use the city’s public transportation, including the light rail or public bus systems.
🚏 How to use Charlotte’s light rail system
Charlotte’s light rail, known officially as the LYNX Blue Line, goes from south Charlotte near I-485 to the University of North Carolina’s Charlotte campus. The service travels directly through Uptown, with several stops within Uptown.
There are several light rail stops/stations throughout Uptown, including near the 2025 Charlotte Pride festival grounds. Two stations are just near First Ward Park: The 7th Street station, and the 9th Street station.
You can buy light rail tickets at vending machines present at all LYNX Blue Line stations and stops, or on your phone using the CATS-Pass app. One-way tickets are $2.20 each, and are valid for 90 minutes once activated.
Similarly to the light rail, the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) also operates the Gold Line streetcar service, which runs through Uptown from east to west. According to CATS, the Gold Line service will be temporarily adjusted due to Charlotte Pride and the parade.
🤳🏾 2-day all-access CATS pass
CATS is offering a two-day all-access pass for Charlotte pride weekend.
The special pass can be used for unlimited rides for all services between Aug. 16-17.
Visitors can buy the special pass on the CATS-Pass mobile app. The cost is $10 through Aug. 15. After that, “regular prices” apply.
🚏 Light rail park and ride stations
Don’t live near a light rail? You can park at a LYNX park-and-ride station, and take the light rail into Uptown.
There are 10 park and ride locations connected with the Blue Line.
Parking is free at the following LYNX park and ride locations:
- I-485/South Boulevard
- Sharon Road West
- Arrowood
- Archdale
- Tyvola
- Woodlawn
- Sugar Creek
- Old Concord Road
- University City Boulevard
- JW Clay Boulevard/UNC Charlotte
Learn more about the light rail on CATS’ website here.
🌈 Festival forecast
It’s been a rainy week in Charlotte, but that’s expected to change in time for Charlotte Pride weekend!
Our First Alert meteorologists predict that the weekend will be generally rain-free, though scattered showers or storms couldn’t totally be ruled out. Rain chances were much lower for Saturday and Sunday, compared to the week prior.
Temperatures will warm up for the weekend, with highs reaching the low 90s both days. Conditions were expected to be humid, with feels-like temperatures actually in the upper 90s.
Tropical Storm Erin in the Atlantic Ocean was projected to become a hurricane by the weekend, but the storm wasn’t forecast to impact the Charlotte area over the weekend.
---> Related: Woman creates inclusive gym in Charlotte for LGBTQ community
🌈 Festival attractions
A food court will be present on festival grounds. Bars will be present throughout the festival grounds, with at least one mocktails bar on site.
More attractions will be present on festival grounds, including:
- Flourish: A Celebration of LGBTQ Arts & Culture. Happening from 1 p.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16 at the Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte. LGBTQ performers and groups will show off their skills through spoken word, short films and more in an air-conditioned space.
- Youth & Family Zone: Noon-6 p.m. both days at First Ward Park. People under 21 years old and their guardians are welcome to join for family-friendly entertainment, arts and crafts, a family care tent, and more.
- Health Fair: Noon-10 p.m. Saturday, and noon-6 p.m. Sunday. The Health Fair will be located along 8th Street by First Ward Park, and will offer access to vaccines, HIV or STI tests, and other health-related resources.
- Neighborhood Market: Noon-10 p.m. Saturday, and noon-6 p.m. Sunday at First Ward Park. Local artists, artisans and craftspeople will sell individual, handmade goods.
- Charlotte Black Pride stage & dance tent: Noon-6 p.m. both days on North Brevard Street. The stage and dance tent will be “partying it up” during the festival.
🌈 What is Pride?
Pride started in 1970, one year after the Stonewall Uprising as a commemoration and demonstration for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community. The first marches were held in cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Charlotte Pride was founded in 2000, and held its first festival of about 10,000 attendees in 2001.The parade was introduced in 2013.
Within four years, it became Charlotte’s largest annual parade. In 2023, more than 260,000 people attended the festival throughout that weekend.
Charlotte Pride has programs and projects that happen year-round like Charlotte Trans Pride, Charlotte Pride Interfaith programs, and an annual Reel Out Charlotte: The Queen City’s Annual LGBTQ Film Festival.
🌈 Hang out with us!
All weekend long, you’ll find members of the WBTV team -- including on-air talent -- at Charlotte Pride!
Find us at our booth on the Great Lawn of First Ward Park in the middle of the festival grounds. Stop by, snag some swag, and say hey to the WBTV team! We’re a proud partner of Charlotte Pride.
See you there!
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