Montréal Pride Festival announces it will go digital for 2020
A digital programme of events will bring the community together from 10-16 August.
By Will Stroude
Montréal Pride Festival has announced it will go digital for 2020, bringing together the LGBTQ community for a week-long virtual display of solidarity as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to be felt.
The largest Pride event of the Francophone world was initially forced to cancel August’s annual parade and Community Day after restrictions on mass gatherings were imposed in Quebec back in April, but organisers have found a way to ensure people can show Pride with a programme of digital events from 10-16 August.
Whether French or English-speaking, festival-goers will be able to take part in a series of online conferences and activities in the Montréal Pride Festival ‘360 Edition’, which will also include a modified version of the popular Community Day on August 15.
The events will shine a spotlight on different LGBTQ experiences over the course of its seven days, with each day having a different theme.
“The Pride movement was born out of adversity and has since overcome major historical challenges; its spirit cannot be postponed nor cancelled”, said Éric Pineault, founding president of Montréal Pride.
“The communities of sexual and gender diversity — especially those whose rights and freedoms are not fully recognized and whose visibility is often limited to the festival’s duration —can not only celebrate social advances that concern them but also use this moment as an opportunity to advocate on behalf of their rights while they gather together in a different way, this year.”
In 2019, Montréal Pride Festival welcomed 3.4 million visitors over the course of 11 days of celebration. With the latest virtual festival announcement, thousands will be able to continue to show Pride from the safety of wherever they currently are in the world.
Head over to fiertemtl.com/en to check out the full programme.
