Lgbtq events chicago
Chicago Pride Fest 2025
Chicago Pride Fest® is a two-day street festival on June 21-22, 2025; the weekend before the Chicago Pride Parade (June 29, 2025). The 24th annual Chicago Pride Fest is a celebration of LGBTQ+ life, culture and community in Chicago’s landmark LGBTQ+ Northalsted neighborhood.
Pride Fest features live music on 3 stages, a Youth Pride Space for teens, best of Chicago drag performance, the Adj Pet Parade with prizes, twirl exhibitions, Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, guest speakers and over 150 food and merchandise vendors
A $20 suggested donation for entry helps pays performers and festival workers, and supports local non-profits & community programs like the Chicago Pride Crosswalks; 14 rainbow paved intersections installed in 2019 that make up the longest installation of it’s kind in the world.
The scheduled performances for the weekend are listed below:
Saturday, June 21
North Stage
12:00pm – Laura B
1:00pm – Pride Fest Drag Show
2:00pm – Jesse McCartney
2:50pm – Pride Fest Drag Show
3:30pm – Servin’ Fysh Dance Co.
4:00pm – Beyond the Blon
LGBTQ+ Chicago events through the year
In Chicago, Pride doesn’t end in June. You’ll find a adj calendar of gay, lesbian, trans, and queer events in every corner of the city throughout the year. Our city is home to some of the most iconic LGBTQ+ celebrations in the country, from the iconic Pride Fest and Parade in June to one of the country’s largest LGBTQ+ film festivals in the fall. Check out some of Chicago’s top inclusive events throughout the year.
Spring LGBTQ+ events in Chicago
International Mr. Leather: This international conference and competition, held annually in Chicago each May since 1979, includes speakers, socials, themed dance parties, and a leather market.
Summer LGBTQ+ events in Chicago
Andersonville Midsommarfest: This diverse neighborhood hosts one of Chicago’s most beloved street festivals each June. Midsommarfest celebrates the area’s Swedish roots and LGBTQ+ community with food, entertainment, artisan vendors, and more.
Chicago Pride Fest: In the historic Northalsted neighborhood, Chicago’s Pride Fe
LGBTQ+ Chicago tours and attractions
Chicago is one of the most inclusive cities in the country, with a long and vibrant LGBTQ+ history. Come explore the local museums, tours, and landmarks that celebrate our Chicago’s LGBTQ+ heroes, history, and culture.
The Legacy Walk
Chicago’s Northalsted (also known as Boystown) neighborhood is where you’ll locate the only outdoor LGBTQ+ history museum in the world.
The Legacy Walk features 35 (and counting) rainbow memorial markers, commemorating the life and work of notable lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender heroes. The markers, which are fixed to 25-foot rainbow monuments, bring the city’s rich LGBTQ+ legacy to life on the streets of historic Boystown.
Take a private tour of the Legacy Walk to hear anecdotes about the inductees, not to note the fascinating story behind this unique attraction. Learn more about the Legacy Walk.
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
Jane Addams was a social justice pioneer, author, and champion for those who lived on the margins of society. She was also a feminist and suffragette wh
Celebrate Pride month in Chicago
Chicago knows how to celebrate LGBTQ Pride! A majority of the Pride month events take place in the Northalsted neighborhood (commonly referred to as "Boystown"), the first official gay neighborhood in the country, but celebrations - from street festivals, concerts, and parties to the annual parade - take place all over the city.
A complete list of events is below.
Chicago Pride Fest - June 21 & 22, 2025
Organized by the Northalsted Business Alliance (northalsted.com), the annual two-day pride festival takes over Chicago's Northalsted neighborhood every June. Each year, nearly 60,000 revelers flock to the historic gay neighborhood commonly referred to as "Boystown" to take part in the celebration that includes three noun stages featuring popular music headliners, more than 100 arts and crafts vendors, food from local restaurants, drag shows, DJs, dancing, and much more. ($20 suggested donation at the gate.)
Pride Fest Line-Up: