Capital Pride Ottawa
About This Event
Capital Pride, or Fierté dans la Capitale, is Ottawa's late-summer Pride, and it runs fully bilingual: the parade info packs, signage and much of the programming come in English and French. It started small. The Ottawa Festival Network traces it to a June 1986 picnic in Strathcona Park attended by about 50 people; the parade followed in 1989 and the Capital Pride name in 2008.
Today it's a nine-day festival that ends with a Sunday parade through Centretown and a two-day street fair on Bank Street, the spine of the Village. Organizers count more than 200 groups and about 11,000 marchers, and they put the parade crowd at over 150,000; nobody independent has published a count.
Practically, the parade and street fair are free and walkable from most downtown hotels. Late August is also tourist season in the capital, so book rooms early.
The 2026 edition ran August 22 to 30. The parade stepped off on Sunday, August 30, with Olympic hockey player Brianne Jenner as grand marshal and Mayor Mark Sutcliffe among the marchers; the Bank Street fair ran August 29 and 30. It's usually the last full week of August, but the 2027 dates hadn't been announced when we checked.
Parade Route
Where to stay during Capital Pride Ottawa
via Stay22Schedule & Sub-Events
+ Add EventDetailed schedule coming soon.
Check the official website for the latest programme.
Practical Tips
The parade runs 1-4pm on Sunday Aug 30 through Centretown — stake out a spot along Bank Street early for the best view.
Most festival programming is free, but the Capital Pride Pageant at the National Arts Centre needs a ticket booked in advance.
ASL interpretation is provided at the Pageant, and the venue itself is accessible — worth flagging if you're planning around access needs.
Videos
Ottawa's public school board registers to march in Capital Pride after all
