Festival Performers
Are you ready to take the stage at one of the biggest celebrations of love, identity, and community in Atlantic Canada? Halifax Pride is looking for incredible talent to light up our festival! Whether you're a drag performer, musician, DJ, dancer, or speaker, this is your chance to be part of an unforgettable lineup.
How to Apply
Before applying, review the PERFORMER APPLICATION INFORMATION PACKAGE.
Performer applications are now submitted by genre.
Within a single application, you may:
Indicate which events/dates you would like to be considered for
Submit multiple performance concepts under the same genre
You do not need to submit a separate application for each event unless noted below.
Each application will ask for:
Applicant or group contact information
Performance details, including genre, group size, and performance description
Promotional materials, including a bio, and social media links
Deadline to apply is February 28th, 2026 at 11:50PM AST
Separate Applications Required
The following events require their own application and are reviewed outside of the general Halifax Pride programming process:
melaNATION: A QTBIPOC Showcase
Youth Prom
These applications are reviewed and programmed by external producers or committees. Halifax Pride does not make programming decisions for these events.
GENRE BASED APPLICATIONS
DRAG / BURLESQUE / DANCE
We are inviting applications from drag, burlesque, and dance performers at all stages of their careers.
These performers are programmed across the festival, including large-scale main stage events and smaller community-focused shows throughout the week. We’re looking for a range of styles, formats, and energy levels, and we value strong concepts just as much as polished production.
DJ
We are inviting applications from DJs of all experience levels, from established performers to emerging talent building their live performance experience.
DJs are programmed across the festival, including high-energy main stage events and smaller community gatherings throughout the week. We’re specifically looking for dance-floor-ready sets that keep people moving, whether that’s pop, electronic, hip hop, or genre-blending.
MUSICIANS
We are inviting applications from musicians of all experience levels, from established artists to emerging performers.
Musicians are programmed across the festival, including large main stage concerts and smaller community-based events throughout the week. We’re looking for strong live performances that connect with an audience, whether that’s high-energy pop, intimate, experimental, or somewhere in between.
EVENT SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS
The following events require their own application and are reviewed outside of the general Halifax Pride programming process:
MELANATION: A QTBIPOC SHOWCASE
melaNATION is a 2SQTBIPOC-focused showcase celebrating the talent, creativity, and joy of queer and trans Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour performers.
We are inviting applications from 2SQTBIPOC performers across a range of genres and experience levels. This showcase centres QTBIPOC artists and audiences and is programmed as a dedicated space within the festival.
Applications for melaNATION are reviewed by the event’s external programmer, and final programming decisions are not made by Halifax Pride.
YOUTH PROM
Youth Prom is a youth-focused event created for queer and trans youth to celebrate, perform, and be in community.
We are inviting applications from youth performers aged 14 to 19 including drag and related performance genres. Performers may be new or experienced, and we prioritize performances that are appropriate for an all-ages audience.
Youth Prom is programmed and reviewed by the Youth Project team, who host the event. Programming decisions are not made by Halifax Pride.
Selected performers will require parent or guardian consent, and a parent or guardian may be asked to accompany performers on site.
EDUCATIONAL PANEL APPLICATIONS
We’re inviting community members, organizers, artists, advocates, and leaders to submit panel concepts for our Lunch & Learn series taking place July 16–26, 2026.
This daytime learning series brings people together for thoughtful conversation, skill sharing, and community dialogue over lunch. We’re looking for strong, engaging panel ideas that speak to 2SLGBTQIA+ experiences, issues, leadership, and identity in ways that resonate with a broad community audience.
To submit, tell us:
Your panel topic and description
Who you suggest as panelists and moderator
Why the topic matters to our 2SLGBTQIA+ community
DYKES VS DIVAS PARTICIPANT APPLICATION
Dykes vs Divas is a kickball game that pits a team of drag queens against a team of dykes in a playful, high-energy showdown.
The event blends sport, drag, and pure chaos. It’s competitive enough to keep things interesting, but the real focus is on fun, community, and not taking any of it too seriously.
We’re looking for participants in the following roles:
Players for both teams
Umpire to keep the game moving (and make questionable calls)
Cheerleaders to hype the crowd and the teams
Hosts to emcee the event and keep the energy up
Expect big personalities, friendly rivalry, and lots of cheering from the sidelines.
Performer Questions?
For any questions please reach out to Cat MacKeigan, Production Manager at cat@halifaxpride.com.
