PHOTO BY JESSICA CHRISTIAN VIA UNSPLASH.COM
Gay Days Orlando (Website) will not take place in 2026, with organizers announcing a one-year “pause” for what would have been the event’s 35th anniversary celebration, previously scheduled for June 4–7.
In a statement shared February 8, organizers said the decision was driven by changes to the host hotel agreement, loss of key sponsorship support, and “broader challenges currently impacting LGBTQIA+ events nationwide,” saying those factors made it impossible to deliver the experience they wanted to provide. They emphasized the pause is “not an ending” and said they intend to reimagine the event with a stronger, more sustainable plan.
They did not mention which major sponsors had pulled their funding.
Even with Gay Days on hold, other major LGBTQ+ events that typically take place the same weekend are still moving forward. One Magical Weekend (Website) remains scheduled for June 4–8, and organizers confirmed it will return after Gay Days’ announcement, sharing that tickets had almost sold out as of February 8.
Watermark Out News also reported that Girls in Wonderland (June 4–8) and The Pride Cup (June 5–7) are still scheduled for that period in Orlando.
