Pride Edinburgh 2027: March, Main Stage, Route & Where to Stay

Pride Edinburgh at a Glance

Pride Edinburgh is one free day in June. It starts with a march from the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, up the Royal Mile through the Old Town, and ends at a festival around Bristo Square, by the University of Edinburgh, with a Main Stage, a community fair and a market. When the stage closes, the night moves across town to the Pink Triangle, the cluster of gay bars at the top of Leith Walk and Broughton Street.

The organisers call it Scotland's longest-running free celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, and it's run by volunteers. In 2026, under the theme Forever Together, it was their 29th Pride event in their 31st year.

The 2027 date hasn't been announced yet. Pride Edinburgh 2026 was on Saturday 20 June 2026, so 2027 is most likely to fall on a Saturday in mid to late June. This guide follows the 2026 day, and we'll update it when the organisers confirm the 2027 date and line-up.

• Around midday: the march forms outside the Scottish Parliament
• 1pm: the march sets off up the Royal Mile
• From 2pm: Main Stage performances at Bristo Square
• Evening: the Pink Triangle bars

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Pride Edinburgh 2027: Key Facts

• Date: to be announced, expected on a Saturday in June 2027 (2026 was Saturday 20 June)
• Cost: free, with no tickets needed for the march or the festival
• March start: the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood
• Festival: Bristo Square, Teviot House and Potterrow Dome, with a youth space at the University of Edinburgh Futures Institute
• Organiser: Pride Edinburgh, a volunteer-led charity based at 60a Broughton Street
• Official site: prideedinburgh.org

What Happens on the Day

The March

The march is the heart of Pride Edinburgh. In 2026 it formed from 12:15pm outside the Scottish Parliament and set off at 1pm. Before it left, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence led a Minute of Noise and a Minute of Silence. There were no speeches before the march.

The route climbs through the Old Town. From Holyrood it heads up the Canongate and the High Street, across the Lawnmarket, then along George IV Bridge, Bristo Place, Lothian Street and Potterrow, finishing via Crichton Street and Charles Street by Bristo Square. Be ready for hills: the organisers describe the Canongate as steep and cobbled and the High Street as uphill cobbles, before the route flattens out on George IV Bridge.

Anyone can join the march, and businesses and organisations can register to march together. If you can't do the whole route, you can join part-way, watch from a viewing point on the High Street, or book the Ride With Pride access bus for people who can't complete the full march.

The festival at Bristo Square

Once the march arrives, the Pride Village takes over the area around Bristo Square, Teviot House and Potterrow Dome, with a youth space at the University of Edinburgh Futures Institute. In 2026 Main Stage performances began from 2pm.

The 2026 Main Stage was headlined by Cher Lloyd, with Kelli-Leigh, Kah-Lo, Michelle McManus, Bryn Christopher, Donna Marie Gaga, Frankie Lily and the DJ act GALIVERSE, hosted by the Edinburgh drag performer Blaze. Alongside the stage there's a Community Fair, where LGBTQ+ organisations and groups from across Scotland have stalls, and a Queer Creatives Market for artists, makers and small businesses.

The 2027 line-up hasn't been announced yet.

After the festival: the Pink Triangle

When the stage closes, the Pink Triangle is the place to carry on: the gay bars around the top of Leith Walk, Greenside Place and Broughton Street, a 20 to 25-minute walk from Bristo Square. CC Blooms, Planet and The Street are all within a couple of minutes of each other there.

The Story of Pride Edinburgh

Pride Edinburgh began as a grassroots march for visibility and equality, and the organisers say it has grown into one of Scotland's most anticipated cultural events, combining activism, music, community and joy in the capital. It's still run by volunteers, from the planning committees to the event-day teams.

The organisers count 2026 as their 31st year and their 29th Pride event. They frame it as both protest and celebration: "Pride is protest. Pride is celebration. Pride is visibility. Pride is belonging."

The event is free to attend and relies on sponsors, donations and volunteers. In 2026 Lidl GB returned as headline partner, with Heineken as the official beer and cider partner, Starbucks as official event partner, NEXT and The Johnnie Walker Experience as event partners, and Lumo as the official travel partner.

How It Works: Free Entry and What to Know

It's free

Pride Edinburgh is a free event. You don't need a ticket for the march or the festival, and the organisers ask people who can to donate through their website to help keep it free.

On the day

The Pride Village is in a busy part of the Old Town, and the organisers warn that crowds and noise levels will be high, with cobbled streets and gradients in places. There's a designated welfare and treatment area, and in 2026 there were 50 trained stewards along the route. If you need help at any point, ask a steward or volunteer.

For a break from the crowds, in 2026 George Square Gardens had an outdoor Chilled Space from 12:15pm, and there was an indoor Community Quiet Zone, a low-stimulation space open to everyone.

Accessibility

The organisers publish detailed access information. In 2026 it included:

• At the start: flat, smooth gathering areas at the Scottish Parliament, accessible parking and toilets at Holyrood Car Park, and drop-off points at Horse Wynd and Queen's Drive
• Along the route: toilets at museums along the way, with the National Museum of Scotland and Edinburgh Central Library on George IV Bridge as the last accessible toilets before the festival area
• Changing Places: a Changing Places toilet at the University of Edinburgh Library on George IV Bridge
• In the Pride Village: step-free access, accessible viewing areas, quiet spaces, accessible toilets, food and water
• The access bus: Ride With Pride, booked in advance by emailing contact@prideedinburgh.org, with wheelchair space available

Spaces on the access bus are first come, first served, and the upper deck is open-top.

The Pink Triangle: Gay Bars over Pride

Edinburgh's gay bars sit in the Pink Triangle, around the top of Leith Walk, Greenside Place, Picardy Place and Broughton Street.

• CC Blooms, on Greenside Place next to the Edinburgh Playhouse, has been there since 1994 and bills itself as Edinburgh's original gay bar.
• Planet, at 6 Baxter's Place, bills itself as Edinburgh's longest-running gay bar. It opened in 1993 as Route 66.
• The Street, on Picardy Place at the top of Broughton Street, is independently owned and calls itself an LGBTQ bar that welcomes everyone.
• The Regent, in Abbeyhill about 15 minutes' walk east, is an LGBT+ and straight-friendly real ale pub.

CC Blooms, Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland

Planet, Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland

The Street, Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland

Regent Bar, Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland

For the full guide, see Gay bars in Edinburgh.

Make a Weekend of It

Pride Edinburgh is a single day, so most visitors turn it into a weekend. The Pink Triangle is busy all weekend, not just on Pride night, and it's compact enough that you can try every bar in an evening.

• For food: CC Blooms works as a bar and restaurant during the day, with brunch, and The Street serves food late every night.
• For a pub afternoon: The Regent in Abbeyhill has real ales, comfy sofas and table-top games, and it's an easy walk on the way to or from Holyrood.
• For the sauna: Steamworks is a men-only gay sauna in Broughton Market, a little lane just off Broughton Street, a few minutes from the Pink Triangle bars. It's a sister business of Planet.
• For the city itself: the march route takes you up the Royal Mile past St Giles' Cathedral, so you'll already have seen the heart of the Old Town. Calton Hill, at the top of Leith Walk, is a short climb from the Pink Triangle for the view over the city.

If you're coming from further afield, Glasgow is an hour or so away by train, and its gay bars around the Merchant City make an easy second night.

Where to Stay for Pride Edinburgh

June is busy in Edinburgh, and hotels fill up for summer weekends, so book early. The city centre puts you within walking distance of everything: the march starts at Holyrood, the festival is by Bristo Square in the Old Town, and the Pink Triangle is at the eastern end of the New Town.

For a gay-owned stay, Alva House is a small adults-only guesthouse on Alva Place, just off London Road near Easter Road. It says it's proudly gay-owned and operated and set up for the LGBT community, and the bars around Broughton Street are a short walk away.

Hotel

Alva House, Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland

Getting to Edinburgh for Pride

By train

Edinburgh Waverley is in the city centre, with direct trains from London King's Cross, Glasgow, Newcastle, York and beyond. Lumo, the 2026 official travel partner, runs trains between London and Edinburgh. From Waverley it's a walk of about 15 to 20 minutes down to Holyrood for the march start.

By tram and bus

Edinburgh Airport has trams into the city centre, with stops at Princes Street and Picardy Place, right by the Pink Triangle. Lothian buses cover the rest of the city.

By car

Roads in the Old Town close for the march, and parking in the centre is limited. Accessible parking is available at Holyrood Car Park, but for most people the train, tram or bus is easier.

Pride Edinburgh FAQ

When is Pride Edinburgh 2027?

The organisers haven't announced the 2027 date yet. Pride Edinburgh 2026 took place on Saturday 20 June 2026, so 2027 is expected on a Saturday in June. We'll update this guide when the date is confirmed.

Is Pride Edinburgh free?

Yes. The march and the festival at Bristo Square are free, and you don't need a ticket. The organisers ask people who can to donate.

Where does the Edinburgh Pride march start?

Outside the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood. In 2026 it formed from 12:15pm and set off at 1pm.

What is the Edinburgh Pride march route?

From Holyrood it goes up the Canongate and the High Street, across the Lawnmarket, along George IV Bridge and Bristo Place, then via Lothian Street, Potterrow, Crichton Street and Charles Street to the festival area by Bristo Square.

Where is the Pride Edinburgh festival?

Around Bristo Square in the Old Town, with spaces at Teviot House and Potterrow Dome and a youth space at the University of Edinburgh Futures Institute.

Who headlined Pride Edinburgh 2026?

Cher Lloyd headlined the 2026 Main Stage, with Kelli-Leigh, Kah-Lo, Michelle McManus and Bryn Christopher, hosted by Blaze. The 2027 line-up hasn't been announced.

Where are the gay bars in Edinburgh?

In the Pink Triangle, around the top of Leith Walk, Greenside Place and Broughton Street. CC Blooms, Planet and The Street are all there, a 20 to 25-minute walk from Bristo Square.

Is the Edinburgh Pride march accessible?

The organisers publish detailed access information: the route has steep cobbled sections on the Canongate and High Street, and you can join part-way, watch from a viewing point, or book a place on the Ride With Pride access bus.