Edinburgh Pride month: All the LGBTQ events to enjoy in the capital this June
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Pride month has officially begun and Edinburgh will be buzzing with events as June comes into full fling.
The capital is famous for its iconic Pride Festival at the end of June where the streets fill with parade-goers, but vibrant Pride events will be held throughout the month across the city.
Locals and visitors alike can enjoy book fairs, film nights, walking tours, concerts, and more this Pride. We've compiled a list of fun things to do to celebrate the LGBTQ community this month.
Pride & Prejudice Queer Book Fair - June 6
Local booksellers will be dotted around the 18th-century building of The Georgian House with assortments of LGBTQ literature and rare books to celebrate the opening of Below Stairs Books, a new secondhand bookshop.
Book fair and stallholders will include Lighthouse, McNaughtan's, Typewronger, Lavender Menace Archive, and The National Library of Scotland.
You can visit the event website here.
Pride Short Films - June 6
Edinburgh's French Institute is hosting an evening of queer short films at the Institut francais d Ecosse in West Parliament Square on June 6. They will be showing three films with an entrance fee of £8 for non-members and £5 for members.
The event's website reads: "Dive through the first moments of a lesbian love story in the outskirts of Strasbourg, an inclusive boxing club in Marseille and the unexpected encounter of a truck driver and a drag queen."
You can find more information about the event here.
Porty Pride - June 6-8
Porty Pride is a grassroots community-run Pride that welcomes all members of the community to join in on their festivities.
This year, the beach-side festival will take place from Friday, June 6 to Sunday, June 8 and features an exciting lineup of events.
The weekend will include a queer film night, poetry workshop, dog walk, touch rugby, a dip in the North Sea with swim group Blue Balls, a queer climbing night at the Climbing Hangar, and a daytime disco, among other exciting offerings.
This year's programme marks the fourth year of Porty Pride, which came about during the pandemic in 2021.
You can find the full programme of events here.
Queer Folks' Tales - June 12
Edinburgh's bi-monthly storytelling series Queer Folks' Tales continues into pride, welcoming a range of queer storytellings with diverse backgrounds from across Edinburgh and Scotland.
Hosted by Edinburgh's Turan Ali, the event takes place at Scottish Storytelling Centre and begins at 7.30pm on June 12.
The event's website reads: "Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking, the mix of true and fictional stories across the year is as varied as the range of storytellers invited."
You can find more information on the event here.
Pride Festival - June 21
Edinburgh's Pride festival will kick off on Saturday, June 21 with a weekend of exciting festivities.
The Pride March will meet at Scottish Parliament and set off from 1pm, heading up the Royal Mile down George IV Bridge, and concluding in Bristo Square.
The main event will see X Factor star Diana Vickers leading the performances. She'll be joined by singer Kelli-Leigh, as well as RuPaul's Drag Race UK stars Ellie Diamond and O'Connor.
Also set to perform are local drag talents Sissy Scorpio, and Rozie Cheeks, with high-energy DJ sets throughout the day from Sylva, Darran Glasgow, and Lezzer Quest. The main stage will by hosted by Edinburgh drag queen 'royalty' Blaze. It'll all kick off from 2pm, after the march comes to an end.
Edinburgh LGBTQ Walking Tour - all month
Edinburgh locals and visitors alike can explore the city through a new lens with the LGBTQ History Tour, a brand new walking tour of the city.
Edinburgh Live recently reported on Fraser Horn's new tour company, Street Historians, when he decided to replace his Harry Potter tours with LGBTQ tours this June. Founded by Fraser just last year, the company aims to set itself apart from other tour companies through fresh offerings and brave stances.
The tour melds history and humour, offering a broad look at queer history in the UK, taking visitors through Scotland's place in the gay rights movement, and examining queer characters from Edinburgh's local history.
You can find more information on the Street Historians website here.
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