Your ultimate guide to Chiang Mai Pride 2026

GEN ACT RUN: Run for Recognition

Already with 1,400 people registered and over 90 costume contest entries before the starting gun, the GEN ACT Run is kicking off Chiang Mai Pride 2026 with some serious momentum. The free 5km costume run around Chiang Mai PAO Public Park is raising awareness and support for the Gender Recognition Bill – legislation that concerns the rights and dignity of every person regardless of who they are. You can read the drafted bill and add your signature via the link here. Registration closes May 15 and if dressing up is your thing, the costume contest winner takes home B3,000.
May 17. Free entry. Registration here until May 15. Chiang Mai PAO Public Park. Starts at 2.30pm

Film screening and poster making

Sapphic Riot is hosting a screening of ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ – the 2024 psychological horror film following two teenagers who bond over a shared obsession with a mysterious television show. At its heart, it’s a film about identity and self-expression, something that has resonated deeply with queer audiences since its release, making it a fitting choice for Pride season. After the screening, stick around to help make signs and posters that will be carried at the Pride parade – a hands-on way to contribute to the march before it even begins.

May 20. Free. Sapphic Riot. From 6pm-11pm

Cover Dance and Seminars

MAYA Lifestyle Shopping Center transforms into a stage for dance crews on Friday 22 with a cover dance competition that really gets into the spirit of Pride.  Applications remain open until May 20, after which the final 20 selected teams compete on the day for a grand prize of B7,000 alongside prizes for first and second runner-up. Running between the performances are two forum sessions covering topics that are less expected at a dance competition but no less important. The first on how the constitution relates to human rights and the second on business and how they can contribute to quality and human rights in the workplace. A day out that manages to be both high energy and genuinely informative.

May 22. Free entry. MAYA Lifestyle Shopping Center. From 3.30pm

MOU Signing at Tha Phae Gate

In search of real commitment to the cause, a memorandum of understanding is being signed publicly at Tha Phae Gate on May 24 – a joint agreement committing Chiang Mai to becoming a city of equality. All 25 district representatives will be present alongside business sector representatives and NGOs, making this one of the most visible and broad-based commitments the city has made. The MOU reinforces no discrimination based on gender, gender-neutral bathrooms and agrees to a zero-tolerance stance against sexual discrimination or harassment in the workplace. It will also contribute to Thailand's Bangkok World Pride 2030 bid.

Other provinces including Khon Kaen and Phuket have already signed their MOUs but Chiang Mai Pride is doing it outdoors and publicly at Tha Phae Gate – a deliberate statement about visibility that sets the tone for everything that follows. The signing takes place around 3pm.

May 24. Free entry. Tha Phae Gate. From 3pm

This is the main event. After the MOU signing wraps up the parade officially opens at Putthasathan Chiang Mai before the main walk makes its way to Tha Phae Gate, leaving around 6pm and arriving around 8pm. At the gate, a stage opens with around 10 speakers from marginalised communities, including sex workers and the disabled, each taking a minute to share their experiences. Three longer speeches follow, expanding on why Pride isn't just for the LGBTQ community but for everyone – a signature of Chiang Mai Pride every year and one that gets more relevant each time it's said. This year they’ll be covering topics like homelessness, pollution and tensions along Thailand's southern borders. 

After the speeches, a lineup of cabaret shows, art performances, open air film screenings and artists take the stage to round out the night in a hullabaloo of colour and pride. 

If you would like to join the parade in a more formal capacity, you can sign up with businesses and organisations that are taking part. Each one as their own sign up form, here is the Amnesty International one. To volunteer in the event you can join the LINE group chat here. 

May 24. Free. Starting at Putthasathan Chiang Mai. The march starts around 6pm

Chiang Mai Pride doesn't officially host after parties but actively supports venues that do. This year three are confirmed – Adam's Apple, one of the city’s top gay clubs; 6ixcret, a drag bar found near the Night Bazaar; and Sapphic Riot, Chiang Mai's only dedicated lesbian and queer space. Three very different vibes, all welcoming the same crowd. Follow the parade and pick your spot or plan ahead and book yourself some front-row seats.

May 24. Free. Sapphic Riot, Adam’s Apple and 6ixcret. Parties starting after the event