Get the best of Vancouver in your inbox, every Tuesday and Thursday. Sign up for our free newsletter. Happy Pride season! As ever, it's set to be a summer of sunshine and rainbows. Despite the never-ending horrors, queer joy will persist. Here is just a sample of the Pride events happening in the city over the next couple of weeks. July 26 @ the Pearl Van Vogue Jam Arts Society and Canadian Mother Posh Basquiat are putting on the Ritz at this year’s film-inspired Posh Ball. The night features a trio of title-holding ballroom stars (Icon DJ MikeQ, Icon Overall Father Dashaun Basquiat and Icon Jack Mizrahi Gorgeous Gucci) as competitors bring it in a variety categories for face, body, hands, and more. Pride Celebration Soccer Matches July 26 @ BC Place / August 2 @ Swanguard Stadium Both of the city’s soccer teams are having Pride nights. The Whitecaps face off against Sporting Kansas City for a colourful evening of kicking balls in the annual Pride soccer match in July, and a week later Rise FC faces off against Ottawa Rapid FC. Summer Sounds Pride Celebration July 31 @ šxʷƛ̓exən Xwtl’a7shn (650 Hamilton St.) It’s time for a Hot Dyke Party. The all-lesbian rock band takes to the plaza, alongside all-trans indie outfit Houseguest, for an open-air concert in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Cirque du Slay July 31 @ Rio Theatre Did someone ask for a big top? April O’Peel Productions is hosting a night of raunch and revelry, with circus, burlesque, drag, comedy, and more. One thing’s for sure: the performers are putting their whole circussy into it. Normie Pride Fest July 31 to August 3 @ various location Normie Corp has sent out a memo: three days of parties need your response by EOD. There’s an all-Brazilian dance night at Celebrities, a three-room Love Island-themed party, and a warehouse rave to close out the week. Vancouver Trans March August 1 @ Commercial Drive The annual Trans March isn’t just a gathering of people from across the gender spectrum: it’s a demand for an end to discrimination, police violence, poverty, sex work criminalization, and more. Volunteer-run and impulsively organized, it is grassroots to its core. August 1 @ Village Studios Hot as hell drag queen Jane Smoker returns to the stage to host the Vancouver version of this Montreal pop party, featuring DJs from Seattle (Nick Bertossi) and Quebec (Ian Jackman). Get ready for a night of dance, drag, and fashion. Vancouver Pride events August 1-3 @ various locations After the huge scale of hosting Canada Pride last year, this year's official Pride celebrations are a little scaled back. The annual parade will still take place on August 3, and Davie Street Pride Festival will return for the first time since 2019 with two stages, dedicated to drag and music. Pride is also involved in a large number of events over the weekend, from club nights to daytime drag and music performances. Birdhouse Pride Festival August 1-3 @ various locations The Birdhouse takes over four venues for three days (and nights) of events, including block parties, club nights, drag shows, and after-hours grooves. Whether you’d rather celebrate Pride in a daytime parking lot or a late-night warehouse rave, you’ve got options. The annual Public Disco Pride event is part of it too, promising a high-energy celebration of queer dance music. Vancouver Dyke March August 2 @ Commercial Drive Pride started as a riot—and the 21st annual Dyke March channels that grassroots energy into a volunteer-run march and festival that snakes between two parks on the Drive. The event celebrates all queer and trans people, and usually ends with an event stage and market for community summer vibes. August 2 @ The Hilton Vancouver One-off parties need something a bit special to get included… and sure enough, Heatwave sets itself apart by promising to be “Vancouver’s only Pride pool party”. Stay hydrated, and pray the lifeguards are in full Baywatch drag. Bob the Drag Queen DJ set August 2 @ Hollywood Theatre Happyland isn't at Playland this year, so we'll have to wait to see when the one-day drag-and-music festival (and chance to ride the Wooden Rollercoaster in nothing but body glitter and a G-string) returns. The organizers instead have summoned RuPaul's Drag Race winner Bob the Drag Queen to spin tracks, with beloved local DJ Softieshan also on deck. August 3 @ Industrial Garden If you want to close Pride with a bang—or at least a moan—then this queer and kinky party might be for you. Organized by House of Lola, Restricted Entertainment, and Sin City, the massive warehouse promises to become an off-kilter sideshow where you can indulge your wild side.