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GayDays Orlando "the world's most popular gay and lesbian celebration" paused for 2026

  • Writer: Alastair Mac
    Alastair Mac
  • 4 minutes ago
  • 2 min read
June is Pride Month, and Orlando is traditionally a top destination for LGBTQ+ travelers, with GayDays alone attracting over 150,000 gay and lesbian travelers to Orlando each year.

GayDays Orlando "the world's most popular gay and lesbian celebration" paused for 2026

GayDays, the world's most popular gay and lesbian celebration, attracts over 150,000 gay and lesbian travelers to Orlando each June, with revelers celebrating Pride Month in the city beautiful.


GayDays began with a daytime trip to Walt Disney World in 1911, and has morphed into a massive multi-day hotel takeover event featuring Pool Parties, Drag Bingo, the Mr. GayDays Leather Competition, the Miss GayDays Pageant, and the legendary Puppy Mosh.


2026 marks the events 35th Anniversary, but instead of celebrating, organizers have cancelled this years event, leaving thousands of people disappointed.



Breaking the news to everyone on the GayDays website, organisers announced, "After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to pause the GayDays Orlando event scheduled for June 2026."


Citing changes to the host hotel agreement, the loss of key sponsorship support, and broader challenges currently impacting LGBTQIA+ events nationwide, organizers say it was impossible to deliver this year's event.


"This is a pause — not an ending. For more than 30 years, GayDays has been built by and for our community. Our focus now is on reimagining the future and returning with a stronger, more sustainable event."


Organizers say they will share updates in the coming months on the future of GayDays. For more info: https://www.gaydays.com


GayDays Orlando "the world's most popular gay and lesbian celebration" paused for 2026

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Emma Walton News Producer

Emma Walton

News Producer

Shane Walton News Producer

Shane Walton

News Producer

Aly Mac News Editor

Alastair Mac

News Editor

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