Halifax Pride organizers gearing up for festival despite government cuts

We speak with the executive director of Halifax Pride about this year's celebrations and the importance of community support.

As June wraps up, so does Pride month across parts of the world. But in Halifax, organizers are preparing for the festival to begin on July 16.

It will kick off with a flag raising at Grand Parade Square downtown at 5 p.m.

Then, the festival is set to bring a wide variety of events at venues across the municipality, including drag shows, sign making and a community market, all despite a drop in funding this year due to government budget cuts.

“It was very disheartening,” says Halifax Pride 2026 executive director Fiona Kerr of the funding cuts. “I think everybody in the arts and culture sector felt it.”

The non-profit organization also received project funding, so it wasn’t just its operational funding taking a hit.

“A lot of things were really up in the air for a while there, but we were really able to kind of shift and pivot and consolidate some things, and it thankfully worked out in our favour,” says Kerr.

“As things are shifting politically and socially south of the border and also here, it’s just becoming more and more important,” she says of Pride. “What we do is just so crucial to people in our community and even allies now as things become more complicated and difficult for our community.”

The festival runners were still able to expand some programming and plan a new concert.

The parade, The Bump and The Grind, and various family events will be returning this season, too.

The events are scheduled to run from July 16 to July 26.

“Make sure to monitor the weather, it’s been very, very hot the last few years… make sure you bring water, make sure you bring sunscreen,” she advises, adding pets should be left at home.

Halifax Pride also encourages residents to apply for volunteer positions.

They needed to fill 500 shifts, and Kerr says they’re 60 per cent of the way to the goal.

Kerr says there’s more information on how to sign up to volunteer on the Halifax Pride website for those interested.

“I’m just so happy that Pride is happening we obviously are struggling like every other non-profit organization and every other queer organization, but seeing our community come together and seeing our festival come together is always so uplifting and I love the work we do, it’s really important and it’s really fun.”

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