Long Beach Pride Parade marches on despite festival cancellation

The Long Beach Pride Parade is set to step off Sunday morning with a record 141 entries — the largest in the event's history — after the city-funded march was cleared to proceed independently of the Pride Festival, which was canceled at the last minute when organizers failed to submit complete permitting documentation.

The festival's abrupt cancellation exposes tensions between city permitting timelines and community event logistics, arriving at a moment when Pride organizers say LGBTQ+ rights face escalating pressure from federal and state political forces nationwide.

The Long Beach Pride Festival was canceled after organizers failed to deliver complete operational, construction, public safety, structural and electrical plans by the city's deadline, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. City officials said site plans submitted around 7 p.m. Friday arrived incomplete and lacked critical details needed to clear the stage, electrical systems, tent and emergency exits for public use. Event permit applications normally require 65 days' advance notice; an expedited review pathway requires at least 14 days.

"Despite continued collaboration and multiple deadline notices, the City did not receive the required documentation needed to complete safety reviews, inspect critical event infrastructure, such as the stage, electrical systems and tent, and emergency exiting plans to ensure compliance with public safety standards," the city said in a statement.

Long Beach Pride President Tonya Martin said organizers spent the final 24 to 40 hours before the cancellation at the negotiating table. "We truly believed we could find a path forward," Martin said. "The Long Beach Pride Festival has been built by volunteers, sustained by love, and rooted in more than 40 years of visibility, safety, and belonging for our community. We are heartbroken, but we are not going anywhere." In a separate statement, the Long Beach Pride Team said the decision "comes at a moment when LGBTQ+ people are facing escalating attacks from the current federal administration and from political forces across the country," and called on the city to "do more to protect and uplift" the community.

The city said it offered Long Beach Pride two alternative venues — the Long Beach Terrace Theater and Bixby Park bandshell — which organizers declined. In response, the city launched its own gathering, "Canceled? Never Heard of Her!" at Bixby Park from noon to 7 p.m., featuring live music, drag shows and dancing. Pop-up celebrations spread rapidly to bars, parks and businesses along Broadway as community members rallied around the informal celebrations.

Vendors who typically spend six months and thousands of dollars preparing for the festival found themselves pivoting on short notice. "Everyone's really pulling in trying," vendor David Keyes told ABC7 Los Angeles. "Pride is not about a venue, it's a community and everyone is stepping up to make the best of what we can for Pride this year." Vendor Chris Parker offered a sharper declaration: "It's a testament to queer culture — we are resilient and one thing about resilience in the queer world, you show up and you show out. And we did just that." The city said it is working with organizers to address vendor refund issues.

The parade, independently funded and produced by the city of Long Beach, kicks off at 10 a.m. Sunday. Community member Salvador Flores, who planned to join the informal park gatherings, summed up the day's spirit: "At the end of the day, this is pride. It's the community just being themselves, enjoying themselves, enjoying what's also ours, the parks."