Richmond will come alive with color, music, and community as Virginia Pride Fest 2025 takes over Midtown Green 2401 West Leigh Street on Saturday, September 27, from noon to 8 p.m. The day caps off more than a week of events organized by VA Pride to celebrate Richmond’s LGBTQ community, culminating in the state’s largest LGBTQ festival.
Headlined by viral rap star Saucy Santana, the lineup also features trans pop singer Mila Jam, club icon Kevin Aviance, and RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Aja, alongside Virginia-based performers like The Chapstix, What’s Our Age Again, and Teshia LeSane. Dance and drag remain central, with the Latin Ballet of Virginia, the Virginia Ballroom Alliance, and Mr., Miss., and Mx. VA Pride joining local drag icons on stage.
Presented by OutRVA, Pridefest 2025 is free for all to attend. This year’s theme, Live.Out.Loud., underscores the importance of safe, joyful spaces where LGBTQ people can be fully themselves. The day also includes the Allianz Youth Pride Pavilion with age-appropriate entertainment for queer youth and families, and a Sober Space hosted by the McShin Foundation featuring mocktails, games, and shaded seating. Accessibility features such as ADA seating, ASL interpretation, and mobility assistance ensure Pridefest remains open to everyone.
More information can be found HERE.
Virginia Pride Festival 2025 is presented with the support of Out RVA, Allianz, Hit Play, Virginia Lottery, CarMax, Bank of America, CoStar Group, Genworth, CapTech, and Bar West, with media support from Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond Magazine, Queer RVA, and RVA Magazine. Special thanks to Steve Davis of River Fox Realtyfor his support.
Pridefest 2025 Highlights
- Headliners: Saucy Santana, Mila Jam, Kevin Aviance, and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Aja.
- Virginia Artists: The Chapstix, What’s Our Age Again, and Teshia LeSane.
- Performances: Latin Ballet of Virginia, Virginia Ballroom Alliance.
- Youth Pavilion: Allianz Youth Pride Pavilion featuring family-friendly music, drag, theater, and interactive entertainment.
- Accessibility: ADA seating, ASL interpreters, reserved handicapped parking, and mobility assistance.
- Sober Space: Hosted by McShin Foundation, featuring craft mocktails, snacks, and shaded seating.
Pride Week 2025 Schedule
Sept. 20 – Pride Kick Off at New York Deli, 10 p.m.
Sept. 21 – Bingo! at Bingo Beer Co., noon–2:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 – Rainbow Roll at Rollerdome, 6–9 p.m.
Sept. 22 – Happy Hour at The Graduate Richmond, 6 p.m.
Sept. 24 – VA Pride Honors at Godfrey’s, 7 p.m.
Sept. 24 – Ponyboi screening at Movieland, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25 – Pride Anthem Karaoke at Barcode, 8 p.m.–1 a.m.
Sept. 26 – Pride After Dark at Thirsty’s, 8 p.m.–1 a.m.
Sept. 27 – Pridefest 2025 at Midtown Green, noon–8 p.m.
Sept. 28 – Pride Closing Party at River City Roll, 4–8 p.m.
🌈 Pride Fest 2025 Schedule – September 27, 2025
🎶 Main Stage
- 12:00 PM – Pridefest 2025 Opening with DJ Alta Tude
- 12:30 PM – Welcome
- 12:40 PM – Hosts: Grace Wetpants & Malachi Lee
- 12:50 PM – Drag Performances: Mr., Miss, and Mx VA Pride
- 1:20 PM – Chapstix
- 1:50 PM – Hosts: Stacy Max & Autumn Childress
- 2:00 PM – Latin Ballet of Virginia
- 2:25 PM – Drag Performance: RVA King Collective, Haus of Envy
- 2:40 PM – Teshia LeSane & Sound
- 3:10 PM – Drag Performances: Miss RVA Black Pride, Mr. & Miss Godfrey’s, Godfrey’s Angels
- 3:25 PM – Firework Award & Scholarship Presentation
- 3:50 PM – What’s Our Age Again
- 4:25 PM – Parade of Colors
- 4:40 PM – DJ Alta Tude Line Dance Lapalooza
- 5:10 PM – Hosts: Melanin Monroe & Nellyfresh
- 5:25 PM – Mila Jam
- 5:55 PM – Aja
- 6:15 PM – Kevin Aviance
- 6:45 PM – Live Out Loud Ball with VA Ballroom Alliance
- 7:15 PM – Saucy Santana
🎤 Allianz Youth Pride Pavilion
- 12:00 PM – DJ Statistics Jam Session
- 12:30 PM – Welcome to Youth Pride! Presented by Rayge Monet and Javon Love
- 12:45 PM – Dollz Entertainment
- 1:20 PM – Disney Drag Performances
- 2:00 PM – SPARC Touring Ensemble
- 2:35 PM – Science Museum of Virginia Activity
- 3:00 PM – Latin Ballet of Virginia
- 3:30 PM – Vision of Grace
- 3:50 PM – Mermaid Storytime with Appalachian Mermaid Society
- 4:05 PM – Meet Mr., Miss, and Mx VA Pride
- 4:15 PM – Crowd Activity: Learn a Dance Drag Performances
- 5:20 PM – Rayge Monet and Javon Love
- 5:30 PM – DJ Statistics Jam Session
Live.Out.Loud | A Letter From Virginia Pride
Dear Friends,
As we gather for Pridefest 2025, we do so in a time that feels like one of the most challenging in a generation. Our community, especially our trans and non-binary siblings, faces relentless attacks meant to make us invisible, to silence our voices, and to turn back the clock on decades of progress. But if history has taught us anything, it is that we are a community that will not be erased.
We stand today on the shoulders of those who came before us—activists, leaders, and allies who risked so much to secure the freedoms and rights we enjoy today. They marched when it was dangerous and spoke up when it was hard, and in so doing, paved the way for us to celebrate Pride in the heart of Richmond at the largest LGBTQ event in Virginia. Their courage is our inheritance, and it calls on us to be just as bold.
This year’s theme Live.Out.Loud. is both a call to action and a promise. We will not be quiet in the face of hate. We will not hide in the shadows. Together, we will live out loud, loving who we love, being who we are, and building a future where every member of our LGBTQ+ community can thrive.
Virginia Pride remains steadfast in our commitment to make sure our community is safe, seen, and celebrated—not just today, but every day. Pridefest is more than a festival. It is a declaration of power and belonging, and proof that when we come together as a community, we are unstoppable. Our joy, our resilience, and our refusal to be silenced are the most powerful acts of defiance we have.
This day would not be possible without the support of our generous sponsors and donors who believe so strongly in our community that they have chosen to invest in us, even when it is hard. Because of their support, Pridefest remains free and open to everyone—a space where we can celebrate, laugh, and stand together in joy and resistance.
So today, let’s honor those who blazed the trail, celebrate who we are, and recommit ourselves to the work ahead. Together, let’s be bold, be brave, and Live.Out.Loud.
With pride, power, and solidarity,
James Millner
VA Pride Director and The Virginia Pride Committee
RVA Mag & Queer RVA Pride Coverage
In the lead-up to Pridefest, we’ve been spotlighting the people, spaces, and stories that make Richmond’s LGBTQ community so powerful:
- Drag as Resistance: The Art and Activism of Qing Izmadi
- Beth Marschak and the Legacy of Richmond Lesbian Feminists
- Justice Dwight’s Art of Love, Resilience, and Queer Pride
- Gold Lion Community Space: Where Pride Meets Purpose
👉 Download the full Virginia Pride Guide 2025 PDF HERE
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