Toronto's Pride facing $700K shortfall; 2027 festival may scale back

Pride Toronto is confronting a $700,000 funding shortfall and expects to run a deficit this year, with organizers warning that next year's festival will be dramatically scaled back.

Executive director Kojo Modeste said Toronto that the organization can no longer rely on hope that sponsors and government will step up. "What I'm saying to folks is for 2027, it is going to look very different," he said. "We no longer can continue to operate on hope that sponsors and our government will step up to the plate."

This year's Pride—kicking off imminently with the Dyke March, Drag Ball, Family Pride programming, and Sunday's Pride Parade—will proceed largely unchanged because contracts are already signed and more than 300 artists are booked. But planning is already underway for significant reductions: staging, the number of artists, and the number of events are all being reconsidered.

The shortfall reflects a broader crisis facing Pride organizations across Canada. Many are warning of declining corporate sponsorships and rising operating costs. Some multinational partners, particularly U.S.-based companies, have reduced or paused support amid backlash to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. In March and April, Pride organizers across Canada asked Ottawa and Queen's Park for dedicated funding—$3 million annually—but those requests have produced no results yet.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam said Toronto that discussions with the province went nowhere. "We thought this was going to be an easy win for the government and unfortunately nothing has transpired, nothing tangible has come out of those discussions and nothing has been offered from the government," they said. A Ministry of Tourism spokesperson said the province has provided nearly $4 million in direct funding to Ontario Pride organizations since 2018, with Pride Toronto and Capital Pride receiving the maximum available.