While the organizing committee is already at work on the 2019 edition of the Montréal Pride Festival, Jean-Sébastien Boudreault, vice-president, confirmed today the city of Montréal’s application to host the WorldPride 2023 event, at a press conference held during the 2019 Fierté Canada Pride National Conference & AGM, an annual gathering of Canada’s most influential Pride organizations from sexual and gender diversity communities.
“It is with great Pride that I confirm Montréal’s candidacy as the host city of the prestigious WorldPride event, in 2023, and call on the over 55 Canadian Pride member organizations of InterPride to support our candidacy, which can only benefit both socially and financially, our Canadian population!”, said Boudreault.
Should the city of Montréal be selected to host the WorldPride 2023, — and that possibility is strong in light of the support from many Pride organizations in Canada and around the world —, it will undoubtedly be the most prestigious event of the year not only for Québec, but for Canada. From 2019, when the winning city will be announced, this event will provide great leverage in the continued positioning of Québec and Canada as major LGBTQ + destinations in the world.
Montréal’s application will have to stand out over those of Houston, Texas, USA, and Sydney, Australia, who have also indicated their intention to submit their candidacy. The vote, involving InterPride’s more than 300 Pride organizations from around the world, will be held in Athens in October 2019.
About the Montréal Pride Festival
Since 2007, at the initiative of Montréal’s LGBTQ+ communities, the Montréal Pride Festival has promoted their rights and celebrated their cultural wealth and social advances. The largest gathering of the communities of sexual and gender diversity (SGD) in the Francophone world works locally on a daily basis while serving as a beacon of hope for people living in LGBTQ+ hostile regions of the globe. In 2018, the festival generated a total attendance of 2.1 million visitors. In 2019, the festivities will be held from August 8th to 18th.
