Held under the theme "We are ONE", the annual event will feature a colourful parade of more than 20 floats, live concerts, a beauty pageant, art exhibitions and community activities aimed at celebrating the LGBTQIAN+ community while promoting Phuket as an inclusive tourism destination.
The main parade will begin at 5pm from Queen Park (Dragon Plaza) before making its way through Old Town to the Chartered Bank intersection on Phang Nga Rd.
Organisers have asked everyone wishing to join the "People’s Parade" to register in advance for safety reasons. Government agencies, private organisations and sponsors will register participants through their respective organisations.
Registration will take place from 3pm-4pm, followed by parade assembly until 5pm before the procession moves through the historic town centre.
A formal opening ceremony will be held from 7pm-8pm, after which the festivities will continue with live entertainment on the main stage in front of the Government Savings Bank Phuket Branch on Phang Nga Rd.
Headline performers include Thai singer Hai Aphaphorn Nakhonsawan with her full band and Ton Thanasit, along with other guest artists. The evening programme will also feature the Miss Phuket City Pride 2026 competition.
Beyond the entertainment, organisers have decorated Phuket Old Town with Pride flags and rainbow-themed displays, including a giant rainbow flag that will once again be unfurled in the heart of the old quarter as a symbol of equality and diversity.
Visitors will also be able to take photographs with the event’s colourful installations, including the PRIDE Bunny at the Chartered Bank intersection and the new mascot "SMIFI", an acronym for ‘SMILE FIRST’, installed at the Suriyadej Roundabout.
The celebrations extend beyond parade day through the "PRIDE Paint" art exhibition at Limelight Phuket, where works from artists across Thailand are on display until June 30. The exhibition showcases entries from a nationwide competition exploring the theme "WE ARE ONE", promoting equality, diversity and inclusion through art.
Food vendors from well-known Phuket restaurants will operate throughout the evening near the main stage, while organisers have designated several parking areas capable of accommodating more than 500 vehicles.
Preparations for the event have been underway for weeks. Phuket City Municipality Mayor Suppachoke Laongphet chaired a planning meeting in May with municipal officials and stakeholders to coordinate the parade route, traffic management, public safety and event logistics.
According to Phuket City Municipality, Phuket City Pride 2026 aims to provide a welcoming space for members of the LGBTQIAN+ community to express pride in their identities while encouraging greater understanding and acceptance of diversity.
The municipality also hopes the event will boost tourism and generate economic activity for businesses in Phuket Old Town.
Festivities will run from 5pm until around midnight on Saturday, with the parade expected to be the centrepiece of one of Phuket’s largest annual celebrations of diversity.