Nashville Pride: The Festival is Back, Bigger and Better

Nashville Pride is back! After many postponements and eventual cancellation in 2020, the festival returns this year on September 18-19 and the location has moved to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. 

The last pride festival in Nashville before COVID hit was in June 2019 and it was a record-breaking year. It’s estimated over 75,000 people attended the two-day event which included the festival and parade. 

There were over 200 vendors, multiple stages filled with live music and performances, a kids area and much more. Festival attendance alone exceeded 50,000 people. 

This was also the year organizers brought back the pride parade. The first in over a decade, it drew a crowd of over 25,000 people to watch the 100+ groups, floats, bands, vehicles and more parade through Nashville down Broadway.

Hopes were high going into the 2020 festival season for another record-breaking year before the world shut down during the pandemic. Events were held virtually but with everything opening back up, everyone is ready to celebrate again in person and this is one not to miss. 

Sam Parker with Good Neighbor Festivals who organizes the event each year states, “This year’s lineup is the biggest we have had yet!”

There’s also pre-pride events scheduled including the Nashville Pride Turnabout on Friday, August 27 at 7 p.m. and the Nashville Pride Pageant on Sunday, August 29 at 7 p.m. Both events will be held at Play Dance Bar.

Early bird VIP tickets are now available for purchase along with Friends of Pride tickets. General Admission weekend tickets will be available for pre-purchase starting July 16. 

For updates and ticket information, visit www.nashvillepride.org.

COVID-19 Policy

All attendees entering the festival are required to present either:

Proof of a Full COVID-19 vaccination 

OR

Proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours (3 days) prior to Saturday, September 18

Attendees are encouraged to wear a mask to ensure everyone’s safety.

Find the Full Nashville Pride COVID-19 Policy HERE.