Blockorama Returns for Pride Toronto Festival

By Neil Armstrong

As the Pride Toronto Festival Weekend, June 25-28, approaches, several events celebrating African, Black, and Caribbean 2SLGBTQIA+ communities are a part of Pride Toronto’s annual month of programming in June.

BQC, curated by Black Queen Collective, takes place on June 27, 8:00-10:00 p.m. featuring artists such as King.https, NeneGlamorous, Zochi, and more at the Mill St. Wellesley Stage in the parking lot across from Wellesley subway station.

BQC at Pride Toronto is described as “a high-energy, unapologetic space centring local Black, Afro-Latino, and queer people of colour.”

“It is a vibrant platform where community, creativity, and culture collide powerfully. From emerging voices to established performers, the lineup reflects diversity, resilience, and innovation shaping our queer expression today. More than a stage, this is visibility, freedom, and pride. Our stories lead, our bodies take up space, and our brilliance remains loud and undeniable. Built by us, for us, always inclusive, electric, and unforgettable,” notes a synopsis.

“Blocko After Dark” will be held on Saturday, June 28, 10:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.  at the same stage as BQC, but will feature House of Monroe, Pleasure, Blackcat, among others in the lineup, hosted by Slimthick.

The annual Blockorama happens on Sunday, June 28, 2:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m., under the theme “Blocko to the Max,” also at the Mill St. Wellesley Stage.

Presented by the collective, Blackness Yes!, Blockorama is Pride Toronto’s longest running showcase which is a co-created, safe and affirming space for Black and African diaspora community members and their loved ones to celebrate their lives and loves together.

The headliner is MOLIY, a Ghanaian-American singer and songwriter. 

Her viral 2024 hit “Shake It To The Max (FLY)” became a worldwide sensation, and its remix featuring Skillibeng and Shenseea cemented her as a global breakout star — surpassing 1 billion streams and topping charts worldwide, notes information about her online.

Newcomers Pride will take place at Earlscourt Park at Caledonia Road and St. Clair Avenue West on Sunday, June 21, 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

“We live in a modern world filled with freedom, opportunity, and progress. Yet even today, there are still questions about who is allowed to live openly, love freely, and belong fully. For many newcomers, Pride is not just a celebration, it is an act of courage,” notes the advertisement for the event.

“At Newcomers Pride, we recognize that starting over in a new country often means navigating systems that were never built with us in mind. It means carrying our cultures, our stories, and sometimes our fears, while still choosing to show up as our true selves. We Won’t Stop.

“We won’t stop living authentically, even in spaces that challenge us. We won’t stop building a community where it didn’t exist before. We won’t stop creating safety, visibility, and belonging for one another. Newcomers Pride is about resilience, solidarity, and joy. It is about honouring the strength it takes to begin again, and the power of standing together. No matter where we come from, we deserve to live openly, love freely, and thrive,” said the information in the Pride Toronto program guide.

In his message, Kojo Modeste, executive director, said for “45 strong years Pride Toronto has risen, resisted, and celebrated the triumph of liberation. The theme is “We Won’t Stop.”

The Pride Toronto Human Rights Roundtable will be held at the Chelsea Hotel on June 20, 3:00-9:00 p.m.

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