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Long Beach Pride Festival canceled
The parade on Sunday is scheduled to go on. It starts at 10 a.m.
LONG BEACH, Calif. - The city of Long Beach has canceled the highly anticipated Long Beach Pride Festival just before its scheduled weekend run at Marina Green Park, sparking widespread disappointment from organizers and community members.
What we know:
The Long Beach Pride Festival, which was scheduled to take place Saturday and Sunday at Marina Green Park, has been officially canceled by the city.
According to special events officials, organizers failed to provide necessary documentation for safety reviews, including plans for emergency exiting and critical infrastructure like staging and electrical systems.
Despite the festival's cancellation, the annual Long Beach Pride parade will proceed on Sunday at 10 a.m., starting at Ocean Boulevard and Lindero Avenue.
The parade features 141 entries, marking the largest lineup in the city's history.
Additionally, several performances—including sets by Grammy winner Thelma Houston, Robyn S, and Thea Austin—have been relocated to the Terrace Theater.
Five other city-permitted special events and local businesses will remain fully activated under the weekend's theme, "Fearless and Free."
Roughly 300 advance tickets had been sold for $75 each, and attendees have already begun utilizing social media to demand full refunds.
What we don't know:
It's unclear exactly how the refund process will be managed for the ticket holders or how much total economic revenue local businesses will lose due to the festival infrastructure being dismantled.
It's unknown whether the organization will face formal legal scrutiny, following public complaints on social media alleging potential fraud regarding the timeline of ticket sales up against the cancellation notice.
What they're saying:
City officials emphasized that the decision was strictly a matter of public safety.
"Unfortunately ... the Long Beach Pride Festival will not be able to take place this year as sufficient information to safely permit the event has not been made available by the event organizers," Special Events officials said in a statement on the city's website. "Despite continued collaboration and multiple deadline notices, the City did not receive the required documentation needed to complete safety reviews... there is no longer sufficient time to safely permit the festival this year."
Long Beach Pride President Tonya Martin pushed back against the decision, calling on Mayor Rex Richardson and the city council to find a way to make the festival happen.
"Long Beach Pride is deeply disappointed by the City's decision to cancel the Long Beach Pride Festival, a long-standing community institution built by volunteers, sustained by love, and rooted in the belief that every person deserves to live openly, safely, and with dignity," Martin said. "Canceling Pride sends the wrong message. It tells LGBTQ+ residents, workers, students, small business owners, artists, families, visitors, and allies that their safety, visibility, and celebration are negotiable."
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn also expressed her mixed sentiments regarding the sudden shift.
"While I am happy that the Pride parade will go on as planned, I am disappointed that the festival has been canceled," Hahn said. "I hope that people will still come out and celebrate this weekend, see the performances that have been relocated to the Terrace Theater, and support the local Long Beach businesses that are just as proud as ever."
What's next:
Festival organizers have pledged to collaborate with city leaders, public safety partners, and elected officials to find a path forward that restores the festival for future Pride weekends in Long Beach.
Meanwhile, the city will add additional transit options throughout the weekend to connect downtown locations to the Bixby Park area, ensuring visitors can safely navigate the remaining holiday activities.
What you can do:
Those who purchased tickets and are seeking refunds should monitor the official Long Beach Pride website for more information.
To support the community and local economy, residents and visitors can still attend Sunday's parade at 10 a.m.
The Source: This report is based on official public statements issued on the city of Long Beach's website and the official Long Beach Pride festival platform.