Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and culminating the monthlong WorldPride festivities, this year’s NYC Pride March taking place on Sunday, June 30 is set to be the largest Pride parade since the tradition launched in 1970. Approximately two million people attend the event each year, making it the biggest Pride celebration in the world, and that number should easily be surpassed this year.
More than 550 groups—non-profits, community organizations, corporate sponsors, small businesses, political candidates and activists—and over 100 floats marched in last year’s parade. This year, the theme is “Millions of Moments of Pride” and the Grand Marshals will be the cast of FX’s Pose, UK Black Pride founder Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, Navy veteran and transgender flag creator Monica Helms, the Gay Liberation Front, the very first LGBTQ activist organization formed after the Stonewall Rebellion, and the Trevor Project, a national organization providing crisis counseling for LGBTQ youth.
The march has a new route this year which, in addition to ensuring plenty of viewing space for spectators, will pass by landmarks like the Stonewall Inn and the AIDS Memorial Park. The U-shaped route will start at 26th Street and Fifth Avenue and head south on Fifth, then turn west on 8th Street and head back north on Seventh Avenue up to 23rd Street. It will begin at noon and is expected to last into the evening.
Revelers can continue on to Times Square, where the WorldPride Closing Ceremony will take place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event will be hosted by Comedienne Margaret Cho and will feature performances by Melissa Etheridge, Jake Shears and more.
The Department of Transportation has announced the following street closures between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Formation:
19th Street between Sixth and Ninth Avenues
18th Street between Seventh and Ninth Avenues
17th Street between Seventh and Ninth Avenues
16th Street between Sixth and Ninth Avenues
15th Street between Seventh and Ninth Avenues
Route:
Seventh Avenue between 19th and Christopher Streets
Christopher Street between Greenwich Avenue and West Fourth Street
Greenwich Avenue between Christopher Street and Sixth Avenue
Eighth Street between Sixth and Fifth Avenues
Fifth Avenue between Eighth Street and 33rd Street
Dispersal:
29th Street between Madison and Sixth Avenues
30th Street between Madison and Sixth Avenues
31st Street between Madison and Sixth Avenues
32nd Street between Madison and Sixth Avenues
33rd Street between Madison and Sixth Avenues
Festival:
University Place between East 13th Street and Waverly Place
East Eighth Street between University Place and Greene Street
To avoid traffic, your best bet will be to take the subway. The 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R, or W trains at 14th Street-Union Square will take you to the starting point, while the 2, 3, A, C, E, or L at 14th Street will be the closest stops to the parade’s end point. Check back on Friday for our weekly subway update for any service changes that may impact your trip.