Seattle Identified as a Top Destination for LGBTQIA+ Travelers Ahead of Pride Month 2025
SEATTLE – Recently named one of the safest U.S. cities for LGBTQIA+ travelers, Seattle shines as an ideal destination to celebrate Pride Month this June. With electric citywide events and a commitment to equity, Seattle honors the LGBTQIA+ community and its legacy of advocacy and inclusion. From hosting one of the first U.S. Pride celebrations in 1974 to Washington’s early legalization of same-sex marriage in 2012, Seattle has championed LGBTQIA+ visibility, rights, and representation – most recently marked by Mayor Bruce Harrell declaring May 30 Love For All Day in Seattle while aboard Visit Seattle’s Love For All Boat in 2024. Experience that legacy by supporting the city’s flourishing LGBTQIA+ businesses and events this June and year-round.
“Supporting small LGBTQ-owned businesses, organizations, and events during Pride Month and throughout the year is a powerful way to invest in equity, visibility, and economic empowerment for queer communities,” said Chris Marcacci, Deputy Director of GSBA, Washington State’s LGBTQ+ and allied chamber of commerce. “Your continual support helps sustain safe, affirming spaces and lets the community know that they are welcome and wanted in these times. GSBA offers year-round connection to these communities through our website and member directory.”
From Capitol Hill to the newly renovated Waterfront, celebrate Pride Month in Seattle with the following events, festivals, performances, and businesses:
Festivals
- Pride in the Park (June 7): The Seattle Out & Proud Foundation, known as Seattle Pride, kicks off its 51st annual Pride Month celebrations with a festival at Volunteer Park, complete with food trucks, live music, drag performances, and community spaces.
- White Center Pride Street Festival (June 7): Organized by White Center Pride, Seattle’s White Center neighborhood will host a Pride festival featuring LGBTQ-friendly vendors, beer and food gardens, and performances by local artists.
- Indigiqueer Festival (June 27): Friends of the Waterfront and Gathered in This Place, an inter-tribal organization that supports the Indigenous Two-Spirit LGBTQIA+ community, partner to host a festival of live performances on Seattle’s Waterfront at Pier 62.
- Queer/Pride Festival (June 27-29): Taking place on the streets of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, this three-day, 21+ music and arts festival will feature live drag performances, DJ sets, and musical performances by headliners like Tinashe, Lil’ Kim, and Countess Luann.
- Trans Pride Seattle (June 27): Gender Justice League presents Trans Pride Seattle’s annual festival celebrating the lives and community of trans people with a lineup of live music, drag performances, and community speakers.
- Seattle PrideFest (June 28-29): One of the largest free Pride festivals in the U.S., PrideFest will host four stages of entertainment for all ages in Capitol Hill on June 28. On June 29, the festival will move to Seattle Center, where attendees can enjoy hundreds of vendors, food, drinks, and entertainment.
- Seattle Pride Parade (June 29): Community-led parade that begins near Seattle Center and ends near Westlake Center.
Individual Pride-Themed Events, Programs, and Exhibitions
“Seattle has a long, proud history of celebrating and uplifting our LGBTQIA+ community—not just during Pride Month, but year-round. June is one of my favorite months in Seattle with Pride events lighting up the city,” said Jen Barnes, CEO & Founder of Rough & Tumble, a pub for women’s sports. “Rough & Tumble will be out in full force—from sponsoring Trans Pride and marching in the Pride Parade, to neighborhood gatherings and our own events. Yet, it’s just as, or more, important to celebrate and support our queer community all year long, not just for one month. Being part of the queer community means being part of a family and we’re honored to be celebrating all our siblings every single day and with you!”
Jump into Pride Month in Seattle at the following events, programs, and exhibitions:
- Rough & Tumble Pride Events: Rough & Tumble celebrates Pride in June and year-round with a Tea Dance on June 22, Pride Tee Design Competition (to be announced), and drag bingo and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” viewings every Friday.
- Mariners Pride Month games (June 4 and 13): The Seattle Mariners celebrate Pride Month with two Pride-themed ticket specials for home games at T-Mobile Park on June 4 versus the Baltimore Orioles and June 13 versus the Cleveland Guardians.
- Seawolves Pride Night (June 8): The Seattle Seawolves play the Miami Sharks for their special Pride Month night, featuring Rainbow City Performing Arts marching band.
- Pride: The Ric Weiland Collection (Opens June 14): The Museum of History and Industry presents its new exhibit, “Pride: The Ric Weiland Collection,” starting June 14.
- SIFF Pride (June 28-30): SIFF presents a free series of film screenings with showings of “Love, Simon,” “To Fong Woo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar,” “D.E.B.S.,” and “Strange World.”
- Seattle Sounders FC Pride Match (June 28): Presented by matchday sponsor Starbucks, the Seattle Sounders host their annual Pride Match at a home game against Austin FC.
- Seattle Storm Pride Night (June 27): The Seattle Storm celebrate Pride Night at a home game against the Connecticut Sun. Climate Pledge Arena’s concourse will be set up with activations that support the LGBTQIA+ community, and fans can shop the Storm’s Pride merch line.
- Pride Weekend at Kimpton Palladian Hotel (June 28-29): For Pride weekend, Kimpton Palladian Hotel will offer its limited-edition “Palladian Pride Package,” which includes a two-night stay, access to the longest bloody mary bar in Seattle, and brunch at Shaker + Spear with live entertainment by Sativa the Queen. Packages will be available May 31.
Local Shows and Drag Performances
- A Drag Concert at W Seattle (June 8): Morgan McMichaels, Judas Joe Manson, Dolly Madison, and Anita Spritzer present a night of live performances at W Seattle.
- Sativa the Queen Pride Show (June 22): All-day rosé party at The Princess & The Bear with performance by local artist Sativa the Queen.
- Le Faux Playhouse (June weekends): Seattle’s drag cabaret experience presents “Bad Girls Brunch” and “Evolution.”
LGBTQIA-Owned Businesses to Support
“Pride Month in Seattle is both a celebration and a call to action — a time to reflect on where we’ve been as a community and how we continue fighting for a more just, inclusive future,” said Charlie Hunts, owner of Charlie’s Queer Books in the Fremont neighborhood. “This year, Charlie’s Queer Books will be expanding our Queer Book Fair on June 14 to include a second kid-focused day on June 15. The weekend will be a great mix of visibility, resource-sharing, and fun.”
Support Seattle’s these LGBTQIA-owned businesses this Pride Month and year-round:
- Bite Society: Pike Place Market vendor selling snacks served in collectable, tattoo-themed packaging
- Cone & Steiner: One-stop-shop featuring local brands of snacks and staple goods
- Ghost Gallery: Art gallery focused on local and regional artists and designers
- Howdy Bagel: Small-batch bakery specializing in bagels and breakfast sandwiches
- Kamp Social House: Event space and eatery serving New American and Caribbean cuisine and cocktails
- Nomadica: Self-pour wine dispensary with local and international wines and beers
- Marination: Hawaiian-Korean cuisine with four locations in Seattle
- The Plant Store: Plant store that provides free, lecture-based plant science classes
- Stoup Brewing: Family-friendly brewery in Capitol Hill, Ballard, and Kenmore
- Terra Plata: Eatery with rooftop patio, specializing in locally sourced dishes
- Wildrose: One of the oldest lesbian bars on the West Coast
Explore more LGBTQIA-owned businesses in Seattle on The Intentionalist, founded by Seattle leader and entrepreneur, Laura Clise.
Additional Resources and Content
For more information about Seattle’s LGBTQIA+ communities, hotspots, and resources, check out visitseattle.org.
Learn more about the LGBTQIA+ people and businesses that shape Seattle on VISITSEATTLE.tv:
Do you have a recommendation for how to celebrate Pride Month in Seattle? Please submit your ideas to [email protected]. We would love to hear from you!
About Visit Seattle:
Visit Seattle has served as the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Seattle and King County for more than 50 years. A 501(c)(6) organization, Visit Seattle enhances the economic prosperity of the region through global destination branding along with competitive programs and campaigns in leisure travel marketing, convention sales, and overseas tourism development. Visit visitseattle.org.