[Event Report] "Tokyo Pride 2026" Pride Parade & Festival Held with Theme "Future Opened by Diversity and Equality" Attracts Approximately 270,000 Participants

The specified nonprofit organization Tokyo Rainbow Pride (Co-Representative Directors: Natsumi Yamada, Yuko Sato, hereinafter TRP) held the "Pride Festival" and "Pride Parade" as part of "Tokyo Pride 2026," one of the largest LGBTQ+ related events in Asia, at Yoyogi Park on Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7, 2026.

*1 The Pride Parade was held only on Sunday, June 7.

Pride Parade participants: 15,000 people / 60 contingents
Pride Festival total attendance: approximately 270,000 people (including parade participants)
Number of sponsoring organizations: 256

## Message from Co-Representative Directors Natsumi Yamada and Yuko Sato

This year, we were able to further evolve the event format and hold the Pride Parade and Pride Festival together with many of you. The theme of this year's Tokyo Pride 2026 is "Future Opened by Diversity and Equality." In 2026, we are experiencing an extremely important year for our society, including the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. On the other hand, the challenges surrounding the LGBTQ+ community are diverse, ranging not only from legal systems but also from everyday prejudice and isolation to creating an environment where people can live safely. The path to "true equality where everyone's human rights are protected" is still underway. However, we believe that each person's voice and existence have the power to gradually change society toward a world where everyone is respected and can live authentically. That is why we want the Pride Parade & Festival to be more than just a "festival"; we want to create an opportunity for people to meet, dialogue, and learn about each other's differences, so that society as a whole can think about "equality." Although the Pride Parade & Festival has ended, Tokyo Pride 2026 is not over yet. Through this Pride Month, including Youth Pride, Queer Art Exhibition, Human Rights Conference, and more, we will continue to promote community visibility and understanding of human rights issues. Aiming for a society where all diverse people, not just LGBTQ+, can live "authentically, joyfully, and proudly," we will continue to take steady steps forward. We appreciate your continued support. Happy Pride!

## Day 1: Saturday, June 6
Inside the venue, a variety of booths from companies, organizations, and communities lined up, and many visitors interacted with each other. For first-time participants and those who came from all over the country, it became an opportunity to find new connections and a place to belong. At the main organizer TRP's booth, we offered the "Tokyo Pride Lounge," a space where visitors could freely stop by, rest, interact, and spend time safely. Amid the lively atmosphere, it served as a "place to belong" where first-time participants and those who came alone could easily spend time, and many visitors used it. Inside the booth, an exhibition sharing visitors' experiences and thoughts was held, and people could be seen interacting while touching each other's voices. Also, at the "YouthProject booth" by the youth team, activities were introduced, and the planning exhibition "Seriously! But I Can't Say It Exhibition" was held. By sharing the real voices of the youth generation, many visitors sympathized, thinking "There were others who felt the same frustration as me," creating a place for dialogue and new connections. Furthermore, at the "JAPAN PRIDE NETWORK" booth, pride groups from all over Japan gathered again this year. While introducing their respective activities, it became a place for exchange connecting visitors with communities nationwide. This year's Pride Stage featured a record-breaking total of 17 acts with over 150 performers over the two days. MCs Thelma Aoyama and Dorian Lolo Brigida appeared and opened the stage, discussing this year's theme "Future Opened by Diversity and Equality" and energizing the opening. The opening act was the "DRAG QUEENS SHOW" by 11 young drag queens called "iGFiNity." Along with a glamorous performance, the first day's stage began. Next, three talented artists selected through open call appeared: "YENO," a trio building a unique worldview; the theater company "Barazoku," which sublimates dense human dramas onto the stage; and "Chun," each delivering distinctive performances. Then, Macoto (RHT.) from the world-class dance performance group "RHT." appeared, captivating the audience with a stunning dance performance combining flexibility and power. Next, R&B singer SIRUP appeared, raising the venue's excitement with a sophisticated sound blending rap and song freely, fused with hip-hop. The next performer to elevate the venue's energy was singer AI. She performed four songs including "Happiness," delivering powerful performances filled with passion, enveloping the entire venue in a sense of unity. Visitors could be seen singing along and waving their hands, creating a time of exhilaration unique to the Pride Festival. The finale of the first day, "DRAG QUEENS SHOW TIME #2," featured four drag queens: Rachel D'Amour, Nikuyo Nikunokouji, Bibi Gerodele, and Bouillabaisse. Each brought vibrant performances to the venue, delivering the glamour and presence unique to drag culture. The first day's Pride Stage gathered drag queens of different generations and styles, making it a day filled with even more passion than previous years. Special shows that could only be seen here on this day were performed, drawing loud cheers from the audience.

## Day 2: Sunday, June 7
The second day of the Pride Festival saw even more energy with visitors exceeding the previous day. In the afternoon, the Pride Parade marching through Shibuya and Harajuku started. With 15,000 participants and 60 contingents, under the event theme "Future Opened by Diversity and Equality," they marched carrying diverse issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, such as legalization of same-sex marriage, transgender rights, voices of the youth generation, and visibility of pride activities nationwide. At the front, the organizer Tokyo Rainbow Pride walked, carrying the theme "Future Opened by Diversity and Equality" as the organizer's contingent connecting various human rights issues and messages, advocating for the realization of an equal society. Following floats included Marriage For All Japan calling for marriage equality (legalization of same-sex marriage), Trans Rights promoting transgender rights and dignity, Youth Pride working under the theme "Connections among the same generation," and the National Pride Network linking pride organizations across Japan, each advocating for LGBTQ+ community issues from their perspectives.