7 Black Pride celebrations you can’t miss

An estimated 1.2 million adults in the U.S. identify as Black and LGBTQ+, according to a study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law—and there are plenty of Pride events where we can celebrate our intersectionality in June and beyond. (The Center of Black Equity lists more than 40 Black Pride events in the United States and around the world.)

But when LGBTQ+ folks, like me, are trying to decide which Black Pride festival to plan around—and what to do beyond the fest’s events—it can get overwhelming. To help you decide which one is right for you, I pulled together a shortlist of Black Pride events that span from San Francisco to London, and from June to September. Here, you’ll find the best Black Pride events—plus plenty of Black- and LGBTQ+-owned businesses to round out your itinerary.

New Orleans Black Pride Weekend is part of NOLA Pride, so LGBTQ+ folks won’t miss seeing the over-the-top Pride Parade loop through the French Quarter. Don't miss the empowering Black Queer Legacy Summit, which brings LGBTQ+ folks together for workshops, engaging panels, and exhibits that celebrate the rich history of the Black queer community. And on Saturday, join queer revelers at Louis Armstrong Park for the New Orleans Black Pride Community Festival, which features music, art, and lots of food. Plus, the park is on the parade route so you won’t miss the floats passing by.

Explore the city’s LGBTQ+ history on the New Orleans Queer Underground Tour to hear stories about jazz artists, sex workers, street gangs, and drag performers working for the mafia. Beyond bars and clubs, be sure to stop by gay-owned clothing store Bourbon Pride, Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Book Shop, Fifi Mahony’s (an extravagant wig shop), and Material Life, a lesbian-owned gift shop that highlights art by Black artists and designers.

Astor Crowne Plaza and Homewood Suites by Hilton, both Black Pride host hotels, are conveniently located in the historic French Quarter. But if you want a good night’s sleep outside the Quarter, check out The Burgundy, an 1890s Eastlake-style double-shotgun house transformed into an LGBTQ+-owned bed and breakfast.

This Dallas Southern Pride event celebrates LGBTQ+ Black Pride and recognizes Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. Kiki with locals and out-of-towners at the “Welcome to Dallas” reception at the Canvas Hotel, a hip property just south of downtown. There’s a full line-up of activities, but don’t miss the Juneteenth Unity Festival and Pool Party. A cool plunge is a good way to combat Dallas's hot June temps (daily averages climb toward 92 degrees).

Visit Top Chef alum Tiffany Derry’s Roots Southern Table for unique twists on soul food staples such as black-eyed-pea hummus and oxtail ragu. If you plan to stay downtown, you’re only a 10-minute ride from both the African American Museum of Dallas and Oaklawn's lively queer nightlife, including the lesbian bar Sue Ellen’s, the go-go dancer–filled Tin Room, and Round-Up Saloon, Dallas's largest LGBTQ+ country and western dance club.

Celebrations will kick off at the Crowne Plaza Dallas Downtown but we’d recommend bedding down elsewhere downtown, where hotel options are plentiful and range from the more budget-friendly (Hotel Indigo) to the upscale (like The Joule and The Adolphus).

Harlem Pride hosts a series of events throughout June—including the Legacy of Pride awards that celebrate local community members and allies—but its crown jewel is Harlem Pride Celebration Day, a festival that draws more than 20,000 people to northern Manhattan. With a full line-up of performers, food vendors, and community-based orgs promoting their services, it serves as an opportunity to welcome and educate visitors and locals alike about Harlem’s LGBTQ+ community.

Dive deep into Harlem’s rich Black music history. Visit the world-famous Apollo Theater on Wednesdays for Amateur Night, known for launching the careers of legendary singers such as Billie Holiday, James Brown, Lauryn Hill, and H.E.R. Catch a show at Harlem Stage to see performances by the likes of Grammy award-winning Robert Glasper and dancer Sun Kim. Harlem also has its share of Black- and queer-owned watering holes. At 4West Lounge, grab a drink and bar food bites like grilled mango jerk wings on Open Mic Wednesdays.

Book a room at the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel, located on the same block as the iconic Apollo Theater and a 20-minute walk from Central Park’s northern border. The hotel’s décor honors Harlem’s history, art, and culture. The Aloft Harlem, a block away from the Renaissance, offers a more modern, colorful option in the area.

For more than 20 years, queer people from across the African diaspora have gathered for Soul of Pride in San Francisco, a world-renowned epicenter for LGBTQ+ rights. Although integrated into San Francisco’s general Pride activities, Soul of Pride has its own energy. Revelers congregate in the Urban Global Village next to City Hall to turn up with guest DJs and watch dance and drag performances.

Take a stroll through The Transgender District, an area co-founded by drag artist Honey Mahogany, Janetta Johnson, and Aria Sa’id to recognize the 1966 Compton Cafeteria riot—the first documented uprising of transgender and queer people in U.S. history. Support Black- and women-owned vintage clothes shop ReLove on Polk Street and LGBTQ+-owned Fabulosa Books on Castro Street.

The Castro remains SF’s iconically queer neighborhood. Book a room at the trendy Beck’s Motor Lodge to allow you more time to explore the neighborhood and beyond via the F Line trolley.

This is the international Black Pride celebration everyone should consider attending. Touted as the world’s largest celebration of LGBTQ+ Black people and queer people of color, UK Black Pride welcomes people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin, and Middle Eastern descent. Every year, organizers create a village in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park full of food vendors, LGBTQ+ resources, and engaging workshops to address everything from mental health to community building, while celebrating the resilience of local queer asylum seekers and refugees. Don’t miss out on the line-up of emerging talent on the Community Stage.

Mingle with locals and go bar hopping in Soho, Vauxhall, or Central London. Start the night at Club Bootylicious, a monthly event at Club Union with DJs playing everything from old-school R&B to Afrobeats. And be sure to book tables at some of London’s Black-owned restaurants and bars, including the double Michelin-starred Ikoyi (you’ll need to book about a month out) or the Caribbean-inspired Limin, which serves beach-club vibes year-round.

Check into the Soho's trendy Sanderson London which hosts an adults-only Tipsy Tea with a menu of Alice in Wonderland–inspired cocktails. It’s also a short walk from the Oxford Circus stop, making it easy to take the Tube around the city. (To get to the fest, you’ll take the relatively new Elizabeth Line straight to the Stratford station.)

The Minnesota People of Color Pride Festival welcomes all ethnicities but offers a safe space for Black queer people to mingle on the “Fantastic Black Voyage,” an LGBTQ+ river cruise. On Sunday, Minneapolis’s Powderhorn Park buzzes with food vendors and queer advocacy groups, as well as LGBTQ+-owned and -friendly businesses from across the Twin Cities.

In Minneapolis, be sure to stop by Gay 90s, a bi-level club filled with drag shows and multiple bars and dance floors. Catch a concert at gay-owned First Avenue, where Prince was known to perform. And chocolate lovers can't leave without a stop at gay-owned Dancing Bear Chocolate. And if you’re in St. Paul, head to the Black- and queer-owned Black Garnett Books or grab a local craft beer at the women-owned Urban Growler Brewing Company.

Book nights at the 300 Clifton Bed & Breakfast, a historic mansion with a four-season hot tub and a haunted movie room with a speakeasy (you read that right). It’s located downtown close to the gay bars and the trendy Uptown neighborhood.

Atlanta is the birthplace of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., home to the 330-acre Tyler Perry Studios, and where you'll find a thriving community of Black entrepreneurs. It’s no surprise that it was chosen to host Global Black Pride 2024, a souped-up version of the city’s annual Atlanta Black Pride Weekend. So, what’s different this year? A new Global Black Village will host several events, including a two-day Human Rights and Health Conference. The film festival, as well as a fashion show highlighting local and international designers, are expected to draw crowds.

Exploring the city’s connection to the Civil Rights Movement is a must on any trip to Atlanta. Visit the National Center for Civil Rights and Human Rights to learn about important LGBTQ+ figures such as Bayard Rustin, a Black gay activist who organized the March on Washington in 1963. Then, grab a seat at one of chef Deborah VanTrece’s restaurants: Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours (global soul food), Oreatha’s at the Point (Southern cuisine with vegan options), or La Panarda (Italian cuisine). Afterward, dance the night away at The Heretic or Bulldogs, the oldest gay bar in ATL.

The LGBTQ+-friendly Starling Atlanta Midtown has a full-service spa and outdoor pool with private cabanas, perfect for late summer days. Guests here are within walking distance of Piedmont Park, which hosts the Black Pride Community Festival every year, and tons of restaurants and bars, including the Nook on Piedmont, which serves ‘The Bloody Best,’ a 32-ounce Bloody Mary made with BBQ mix.