Highlights for Pride Season 2026

Supported by Miami’s Pride‑365 approach and a rich, inclusive local scene, these events collectively position the city as a sun-soaked, culturally immersive escape for LGBTQ+ travellers. Whether attending high-energy festivals, engaging with local arts, or enjoying iconic Miami Beach settings, visitors can celebrate Pride in a destination that balances vibrant entertainment with authentic cultural experiences.

Looking for another great reason to explore more of Greater Miami and Miami Beach this spring? The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched Explore Miami, a limited-time program running April 1 through May 31, 2026, featuring special offers, discounts and experiences at cultural institutions, attractions, outdoor adventures and more across the destination. From museums and wildlife encounters to live performances and historic sites, the program encourages both visitors and locals to discover something new while taking advantage of exclusive deals.

Explore Miami invites invites both locals and visitors to dive into the best of Greater Miami and Miami Beach’s experiences, as there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Along the way, take advantage of exclusive deals, buy one get one specials, and complimentary perks that make exploring even more rewarding. See below for some of the amazing offerings, and explore the full lineup of experiences and participating offers at exploremiami.com.

HIGHLIGHTS OF SPECIAL OFFERS INCLUDE:

Deering Duo Discovery

Step into history and let curiosity run wild at the Deering Estate, where the past and paradise perfectly mingle. Enjoy a Buy One Get One Free deal on Adult General Admission and double the adventure without doubling the price. Breezy bay views and trails that totally leaf visitors wanting more make this 1920s treasure equal parts museum and nature escape.

Gator Bites and Airboat Delights

Snap into adventure at Everglades Alligator Farm with 50% off children’s general admission plus an airboat ride that makes a splash. This wild and wonderfully walkable attraction features more than 2,000 gators, exotic snakes and close up wildlife encounters at every turn. A small, easy to navigate layout pairs perfectly with shady trees, orchids, ponds and waterfalls for a breezy Old Florida vibe. Live alligator shows and feeding time deliver a jaw dropping experience packed with bite.

Smell the Savings in the Air

Sniff out something scent-sational at Tijon Miami with a buy one get one half off deal on perfumes or immersive experiences. This fragrance playground blends science and style, letting creativity take the lead through hundreds of global oils and dreamy notes. Mix, match and make magic in a real perfumer’s lab, then bottle up a signature scent worth bragging about. Double the aromas, double the fun and half the price makes this deal simply unforgettable.

Bayside Bliss

Step into a slice of European elegance at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens where art, history and gardens bloom in perfect harmony. Wander through jaw-dropping architecture and labyrinthine gardens while soaking up sweeping Biscayne Bay views. Seasonal savings make this cultural gem even sweeter with 50% off adult admission. Time to make history, beauty and a little magic part of the Miami daycation.

Four Miles of Adventure, Half the Price

Swing into wild savings at Zoo Miami with 50% off admission for up to six adventurers. Wander four miles of lush trails and meet 2,500-plus creatures from tigers to koalas in sprawling, sun-soaked habitats. Explore the only subtropical zoo in the continental U.S. where the Everglades, Amazon, Africa and Asia come to life under Miami skies. Leaf through a jungle of over 1,000 plant species and let the wild side roam free.

Below is a complete list of attractions and museums participating in Explore Miami:

• Deering Estate
• Everglades Alligator Farm
• Fantasy Theatre Factory at the Sandrell Rivers Theater
• Flamingo Adventures at Everglades National Park
• Freedom Tower Miami
• GableStage at The Biltmore
• Jungle Island
• Miami Marlins
• Museum of Graffiti
• Oleta River State Park
• Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM)
• Paradox Museum
• Phillip And Patricia Frost Museum of Science
• Sky Tours Miami
• Tequila Town
• Thriller Miami Speedboat Adventures
• Tijon Miami
• Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
• Wynwood Walls
• Zoo Miami

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After 35 groundbreaking years, the longest-running and most influential queer women’s music festival in the world, has entered a historic new chapter. Founder Mariah Hanson has passed the torch to two longtime members of the Dinah family: Bella Barkow, who rose through the ranks as the festival’s Operations Manager, and Los Angeles-based trailblazer Rose Garcia, the real-life inspiration for Papi on The L Word and a cast member of The Real L Word.

For more than three decades, The Dinah has been far more than a festival, it is a global cultural phenomenon. It has helped launch the careers of queer artists, drawn international audiences, and hosted major pop stars including Doechii, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bebe Rexha, Lizzo, and Meghan Trainor. Notably, The Dinah has been running longer than Coachella, while consistently delivering world-class talent and cultural impact.

Its longevity is especially remarkable in today’s political and cultural climate, where women-centered and LGBTQ+ events face increasing challenges and closures. That The Dinah remains independently owned, community-led, and centered on queer women’s visibility speaks to the strength of its leadership and legacy.

The acquisition ensures The Dinah remains independently owned, community-led, and deeply rooted in LGBTQ+ culture, now operating under the marquee of the duo’s newly founded company, BellaRose Productions. The transition signals not only continuity, but a powerful evolution of an institution that has shaped queer women’s space for more than three decades. Few LGBTQ+ events, particularly those centered on queer women, have ever achieved this level of cultural impact, longevity, and commercial success. This sale stands as a pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ history and culture.

With this historic transition, The Dinah remains firmly in the LGBTQ+ community and Dinah family’s hands. Garcia and Barkow bring complementary strengths to the role, along with an insider’s understanding of what has made The Dinah a trusted and transformative platform for queer women and allies.

The Dinah returns to Palm Springs, California September 30–October 4, 2026

Rose Garcia, the real-life inspiration for the iconic “Papi” on The L Word, combines star power with authenticity and a steadfast commitment to LGBTQ+ visibility. A fan favorite on The Real L Word, she has expertly balanced leading Garcia Real Estate Group with devotion to her family and advocacy within the LGBTQ+ community. As a prominent Latina lesbian entrepreneur, her real estate success has brought her features in Newsweek, BuzzFeed, Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, and HGTV’s House Hunters. Garcia has also emceed The Dinah and other major queer events, further amplifying her influence. A Stage 3 ovarian cancer survivor now in remission, she steps into this chapter with renewed purpose as co-owner of The Dinah alongside Bella Barkow under their new venture, BellaRose Productions.

With a career spanning Toronto raves to major festivals in Los Angeles, Bella Barkow brings extensive experience in large-scale LGBTQ+ event production. From her early days in West Hollywood nightlife to producing speed-dating events for queer women and managing major festivals including LA Pride and the Outloud Festival, she has established herself as a key figure in California’s queer event scene.  Bella joined The Dinah team in 2018, quickly rising from Pool Party Stage Manager to Operations Manager, and now brings deep operational expertise and an intimate knowledge of the festival’s inner workings.

Together, their leadership promises a thoughtful blend of tradition and innovation, preserving what has made The Dinah mythic for over three decades while infusing it with fresh energy and bold new ideas. That energy is already taking shape. The excitement begins this year with the 35th edition of the festival.

In an era when few queer women-centered events survive, let alone thrive, this milestone moment ensures The Dinah’s story is far from over, it’s only beginning to be written. Stay tuned and visit www.TheDinah.com and follow The Dinah on its social media platforms for ongoing updates, announcements, and exclusive news.

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In a journey across continents and decades, we watch the impacts of one of the greatest health crises of the last hundred years through the eyes of those who both survived it and must now remember those who didn’t. At once an odyssey through time and a love story to the narrator’s found family, this haunting, lyrical novel in five parts explores questions of grief, statelessness, and memory and is a meditation on survival in the age of AIDS. It’s an evocative debut novel reflecting the determination and resilience of a gay diaspora as it faced extinction.

Available from Dundurn Press

Ellis Scott was born in the U.K. and grew up in Canada. He has published nine stories in literary journals, including The Iowa Review, Yolk, and The Fiddlehead. His first short story was nominated for a 2020 Pushcart Prize.  Night Terminus is his first novel.

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Big Lou Junod dominated every room he entered. He worshipped the sun and the sea, his own bronzed body, Frank Sinatra, and beautiful women. He was a successful traveling handbag salesman who carried himself like a celebrity. He’d return from the road with stories of going to nightclubs where the stars—Ava Gardner, maybe Liz Taylor—“couldn’t keep their eyes off . . . your father.” He had countless affairs and didn’t do much to hide them.

Lou could be cruel to Fran, his wife of fifty-nine years, but he loved his youngest son. Tom was a skin-and-bones, nervous boy, devoted to his mother, but Lou sought to turn him into a version of himself. He showered him with advice about how to dress (“A turtleneck is the most flattering thing a man can wear”), how to be an alpha male, and especially, how to attract and bed women. His parting speech when Tom went to college was: “Do yourself a favor and date a Jewish girl. They’re all nymphos.” When Tom started seeing his future wife, Janet, Lou’s efforts to entice Tom into his version of manhood accelerated on nights in New York, L.A., and Paris.

Tom wrestled with Lou’s imposing presence all his life. When one of Lou’s mistresses stood up at his funeral and announced, “Can we all . . . just agree . . . that this . . . was a man,” Tom set off to learn the facts of his father’s life, and why he was the way he was. The stunning secrets he uncovered—about his father, his father’s lovers, and deceptions going back generations—staggered Tom, but in the process allowed him, at last, to become his own man, by his own lights.

In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man is an intensely emotional detective story powered by a series of cascading revelations. The book is a triumph of bravura writing; it is a tale of a son reckoning with the consequences of his father’s life, and in the end, the story of the son’s redemption.

Available from Penguin Random House

Tom Junod is a senior writer for ESPN, where his work has won an Emmy and the Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting. He is a two-time winner of the National Magazine Award for Feature Writing and a winner of the James Beard Award for essay writing. Previously, he was a staff writer at GQ and Esquire. The film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood was based on his article in Esquire. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and daughter.

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Whisked from her local scene and thrust into the eye of a hurricane of grief on a global stage, Melissa joined Hole for the band’s 1994 Live Through This world tour just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and Hole’s prior bassist, Kristen Pfaff, with Courtney Love at the center of it all. It was a tour of passionate intensity, as a chaotic yet stunningly powerful band constantly threatened to spin out of control. Melissa brings the reader with raging intimacy into the action, offering a heroic portrait of the unforgettable Courtney Love as she howled into the darkness as if to keep grief at bay.

That was only the beginning of Melissa’s journey through alternative rock. Part rock memoir, part travel diary, part psychedelic scrapbook, Even the Good Girls Will Cry is a behind-the-scenes rock ’n’ roll memoir with a soulful intimacy and mystic undertone that sets it apart from memoirs by her peers. It is a vivid dispatch from the last analog decade, artistically capturing that bygone era in all its messy, angsty glory.

Available from Da Capo/Grand Central Publishing

Melissa Auf der Maur, was born and raised in Montreal, Canada with a fine arts education. She is an acclaimed musician, photographer, curator and producer, best known as the former bassist of rock bands Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins.  In 2010 she co-founded Basilica Hudson, a multidisciplinary art center in Hudson, NY, where she lives with her family and magic cats.

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The FAM Program is a newly-launched network dedicated to building a community of queer entrepreneurs. The FAM targets individuals who might not consider themselves business people—side-hustlers, part-owners, artists—in creative or non-traditional fields. It’s tailored to 2SLGBTQI+ individuals who might experience barriers due to their identity, easing opportunities to access training, seek funding, and expand the queer business network across Canada. Queer entrepreneurs join now under The FAM Program’s free trial, available until March 31, 2026.

The Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce (CQCC) has announced the launch of The FAM Program (The FAM), dedicated exclusively to empowering 2SLGBTQI+ business owners and entrepreneurs nationwide. Available to any member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community who owns 1 to 100 percent of their business, The FAM Program is a national professional network that strengthens queer entrepreneurship with vibrant community support, opening doors to capital and fundraising. The FAM members enjoy access to resources and events across Canada, including networking opportunities, practical resources, workshops, and high-visibility spotlight opportunities.

Despite progress, the queer business community continues to face significant barriers, making it difficult to access capital and other support. The FAM Program eases the path to growing, starting, or scaling a business, no matter the size. The program welcomes queer-identifying entrepreneurs and business owners, from side-hustlers to consultants to established business leaders. The business does not need to be queer-focused to be a member.

“The goal of The FAM Program is to increase the visibility of 2SLGBTQI+ businesses and to create a strong community of professionals that may have faced challenges because of their identity,” says Sarah Evalina, CQCC’s Chief Operating Officer. “These businesses bring so much to the larger communities. By connecting these queer professionals through The FAM Program, we can strengthen these individual ventures that are driving economic growth in markets across Canada.”

Benefits of the FAM Program include:
● Exclusive invitations to CQCC networking events that help entrepreneurs build meaningful connections and expand their business community.
● Access to a national Community Hub, offering opportunities to meet, collaborate, and learn from other queer entrepreneurs and supportive organizations across Canada.
● Industry-focused workshops designed to boost sales, increase referrals, and strengthen essential business skills.
● High-visibility spotlight opportunities that elevate entrepreneurs on a national stage, introducing FAM members to new customers, fellow business owners, and corporate partners committed to supporting queer-owned businesses.

The FAM Program fills the gaps for queer entrepreneurs. Says Elaine Kwok, of Go Banana!, a Toronto marketing and design agency, “The FAM can help us be part of a thriving business community. That means helping us meet potential clients and partners, providing educational and practical resources, and even lobbying for government support for small businesses.”

There are over 100,000 queer-owned businesses in Canada, which employ over 435,000 Canadians. These businesses contribute significantly to Canada’s economy, generating $22 billion in economic activity. Queer business owners can engage with the program at queerchamber.ca/FAM. The FAM Program is free to join until March 31st, 2026.

The Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce is Canada’s leading advocate for queer-owned businesses and 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs. Through networking, education, suppliers’ certification, and advocacy, CQCC works to ensure queer businesses and allies thrive and continue contributing to a strong, inclusive national economy. Founded in 2003, CQCC represents more than 100,000 2SLGBTQI+-owned businesses, contributing over $22 billion in economic activity and employing more than 435,000 Canadians. In 2023, the Government of Canada selected CQCC to administer the world’s first $25 million 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program, further expanding support for queer entrepreneurs across the country.

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“Our queer elders have lived through generations of change, from societal rejection to hard-won rights, yet their stories remain underrepresented,” said executive producer Michelle Mama. “Queer people age with different challenges. In creating this documentary, we are honouring their experiences, struggles, and joys while amplifying their voices for future generations.”

“At its core, Queer Elders Project is about the importance of connection – across generations, geographies, and personal histories,” said producer Hannah Donegan. “Despite the adversity they’ve faced, our subjects remind us that life doesn’t stop surprising you, and that new experiences, relationships, and moments of joy can emerge at any stage of life.” Director Maya Bastian added, “This film is an opportunity to challenge stereotypes about aging, particularly within the 2SLGBTQ+ community. These are powerful, beautiful stories of survival and joy that deserve to be told.”

Spanning the course of a year, the documentary will intimately follow four remarkable working-class queer and trans seniors from diverse backgrounds across North America. Navigating the challenges of health, personal expression, and affordability, they find balance in the joy of community, resilient spirits, and the hope that even in life’s final act, there’s always something to look forward to. Filmed over four seasons in Charlottesville, Virginia; Fargo, North Dakota; and Toronto and Thunder Bay, Ontario, the documentary will premiere on TVO in spring 2027 following a 2026 festival run.

Produced by Gay Agenda, the film is directed by Maya Bastian (Tigress) and produced by Hannah Donegan (The Loneliest Race), with Michelle Mama (Summer Qamp) serving as executive producer.The film was produced with the support of TVO, Knowledge Network, and the Canada Media Fund.

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Isaac is an inexperienced gay youth whose first sexual encounter via a dating app is disappointing, yet thrillingly addictive. He spends his final months before university escaping into a dizzying new world of casual sex, but his world changes when he meets twenty-eight-year-old Harrison at a party.

Isaac is immediately drawn to this handsome, charismatic artist, but as they grow closer, his sense of self becomes increasingly hazy. As Harrison becomes more demanding, Isaac tries everything to prove his worthiness, but he soon realizes that he must confront his toxic ideas about love, sex, and men, as well as himself.

Written with verve and confidence, Isaac brilliantly captures the capriciousness of youth and the vagaries of queer desire.

Available from Arsenal Pulp Press

Curtis Garner (he/him) was born in Cornwall, UK, in 1996. He has a degree in creative writing and English literature from the University of Greenwich and an MA with Distinction from the Manchester Writing School, where much of Isaac was written. In his spare time, he reviews novels on Instagram. He lives in the London borough of Hackney.

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Expanding on themes from her best-selling memoir, Ani also offers fascinating reflections on contemporary popular culture—ranging from gender and queer politics, to the music industry in the virtual age, to climate change. The book includes previously unpublished photographs and journal entries, song-birth sheets, paintings, and the lyrics for some of her most treasured songs. The coauthors explore how Ani’s music and art are profoundly tied to her experiences of the interconnectedness of all consciousness and tuning in to receive creative inspiration. Ani’s striking openness produces a book that is both meditative and activating. This is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the dedication, intuition, and vision that drive Ani’s lifelong journey of creating art that not only reflects, but also empowers, transforms, and heals.

Available from Akashic Books

ANI DiFRANCO is a Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter and musician who has released twenty-three albums, traversing genres and addressing a range of autobiographical, political, and social issues. She is widely considered a feminist icon, and created her own record label, Righteous Babe Records, in 1990. She regularly releases new music, and continues her decades-long career as a major touring artist. DiFranco released a collection of poems and paintings titled Verses in 2007. Her memoir, No Walls and the Recurring Dream, was a New York Times bestseller, and she is the author of two children’s books, The Knowing and Show Up and Vote. In 2024, she completed a five-month run on Broadway in the role of Persephone in Hadestown.

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Her stories include strange encounters with celebrities and film directors such as Paul Verhoeven, Tom Cruise, Sharon Stone, Prince, Jennifer Tilly, Sylvester Stallone, David Mamet, Bob Fosse, and so many others. Often hilarious, usually cautionary, and almost always wrapped in absurdity, Gershon’s tales explore how she found herself through bad decisions, awkward moments, and cringe-worthy encounters that somehow gave rise to survival skills.

Gershon stresses that while it can be important to listen to others, it’s more important to listen to oneself. To trust your gut. In a world full of bullies, predators, and people trying to tell her who she was, or who she should be, it was crucial for Gershon to become an AlphaPussy: a woman who navigates through this perilous jungle of a world with personal agency and responsibility.

Available from Akashic Books

GINA GERSHON has been starring on stage, screen, and television for over forty years. She has recorded albums and toured across America, and performed at Carnegie Hall three times, playing her Jew’s harp with Sting, Laurie Anderson, Joan Baez, and Gogol Bordello. Gershon is the author of In Search of Cleo: How I Found My Pussy and Lost My Mind, which she also performed as a one-woman show with an accompanying album; and coauthor (with her brother Dann) of the young adult novel Camp Creepy Time. In 2019 she performed another one-woman show, Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues, at the Café Carlyle. Gershon’s film credits include Bound, Showgirls, The Insider, Face/Off, and The Player, among others. Her television credits include The Assassin, Elsbeth, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Riverdale, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, to name just a few. And her Broadway credits include Sam Mendes’s Cabaret, the Tony Award–winning Boeing-Boeing, and more. She lives in New York City.

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