CALGARY — Calgary’s annual Pride Parade took over downtown Calgary Sunday.The 2026 Calgary Pride Parade took place Sunday along 9 Avenue SW, travelling from 5 Street SW to 4 Street SE in Calgary’s East Village.Calgary Pride described this year’s parade as both a celebration and an opportunity to ''highlight advocacy around visibility.''Tourism Calgary estimates the annual parade attracts approximately 60,000 spectators and features nearly 150 entries, although an official 2026 attendance figure was not immediately available..One of the most visible groups at the front of this year's parade was the Dykes on Bikes Calgary Chapter, which Calgary Pride named among its 2026 Grand Marshals.SAIT invited students, employees, alumni, family members and allies to participate, while the Calgary Area Girl Guides registered youth members and adult Guiders from across the Calgary, Chinook and Prairie Rose areas.UFCW Local 401 also announced that its members would participate in the parade.The Alberta NDP publicly organized a contingent for the parade, with Calgary-Edgemont MLA Julia Hayter, other NDP MLAs, volunteers and supporters advertised as participants.Calgary Pride reopened its parade to political parties and politicians. Under the organization's new Politics & Pride policy, political groups were required to apply and demonstrate a record of supporting marginalized communities and policies supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ people.The organization said political participation was ''being permitted on the condition that political entities support rather than shape the organization's mission.'' .Following the parade, Calgary Pride hosted additional events at locations across the city, including Pride on the Island at Prince's Island Park. The event featured live entertainment, food vendors and a beer garden.A separate Black Pride Festival was also scheduled at Cold Garden in Inglewood, with live entertainment, vendors, food and other activities.As of publication, Calgary Pride had not released an official 2026 attendance figure for Sunday's parade.
