Marche des Fiertés de Tours

Twenty years of marching in Tours

Organized by the Centre LGBTI de Touraine, the Tours Pride March celebrates its 20th edition on Saturday, June 6th, 2026. The first march in Tours took place in 2006: organizers expected 300 people and ended up with 800. Two decades later, the event has become a highlight of June in Indre-et-Loire, with a defiant motto for the anniversary: "20 years of existence, 20 years of resistance." The Centre LGBTI sums it up: "As long as there is a need for a space of visibility to defend our rights, our march will continue. This is not a party, but a revolt."

The community village, starting at 12:30 PM

The Saturday festivities begin on the esplanade of the Château de Tours, on Avenue André Malraux, where the community village welcomes the public from 12:30 PM. You will find partner association booths, prevention and information areas, local drinks, and food trucks. Speeches will take place before the departure, featuring the Centre LGBTI de Touraine, as well as unions highlighting workplace discrimination and intersex individuals denouncing non-consensual medical procedures.

The parade, departing at 3:30 PM

The march sets off at 3:30 PM from the esplanade of the Château de Tours. The route heads to Place Jean-Jaurès, passes through Les Halles, and returns to the starting point. Three floats equipped with large speakers, led by drag queens, will keep the parade moving to electronic music; everyone is invited to join in to dance and make their voices heard. Rainbow flags, signs, and banners will accompany the thousands of participants through the streets of Tours.

Pride Week, from June 1st to 5th

As in previous years, the march is preceded by a cultural week spread across several city venues, including the guinguette de Tours sur Loire. The program includes: "Queermesse," the opening of the collective Queer exhibition, a concert, a makers' market, a conference, drag shows, an outdoor film screening, a musical evening with aerial dance, a film-debate, and a drag cabaret. The program highlights local artists.

The closing party

After the march, the organizers invite everyone to the guinguette de Tours starting at 8:00 PM for a cha-cha-cha workshop, a performance by artist Tiger Saint Laurent with students from the University of Tours, speeches by the organization, and a DJ set by Lego Fast to wrap up Pride Week.