Your 2024 Oakland Pride Party Guide

The Bay Area is lucky — we start our summer with San Francisco Pride and close it with Oakland Pride. This Sunday, Sept. 8, the Town hosts its official LGBTQ+ celebration with a parade and downtown block party headlined by Da Brat. With additional performances by Mexican singer Wendy Guevara and East Bay hip-hop originals the Conscious Daughters, this is one not to miss.

Oakland’s many queer bars and clubs will be lighting up with dance parties and drag shows of their own all throughout the weekend. We’ve rounded up a selection of parties for people of different musical tastes and interests, but if these don’t strike your fancy, check out your favorite venue’s Instagram for their full lineup of events.

Gorgeous Oakland Pride

Sept. 6, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
The New Parish
$20–$30

When Tygapaw is in the mix, hours evaporate because every cell of your body is dancing its hardest. The Brooklyn-based, Jamaica-born techno DJ headlines Gorgeous, a massive party taking over two rooms at the New Parish. They’ll be joined by Jasmine Infiniti, mother of the trans DJ collective New World Dysorder, and a crew of the Bay’s finest underground selectors: Adonai, Black, Brown Angel, KKingboo, De Alma, Tastemaker, Blossom, Discnogirl and Yuca Frita.

We Run This

15th & Franklin St.
Sept. 7, 5–10 p.m.
Sliding scale, no one turned away for lack of funds

Oaklash takes chances on experimental artists and puts disability and racial justice at the forefront, which is how it’s grown to be one of the Bay’s most forward-thinking platforms for drag. Along with local businesses, Oaklash is hosting a community block party outside of queer bar Nectar Social Club, with a drag show hosted by Militia Scunt and a live set by TECA, a duo that raps and plays live percussion over global bass, reggaeton and jersey club beats. Lady Ryan, La Femme Papi, Subeaux, FloridaWTR and Oaklash co-founder Mama Celeste will be in the mix as well.

Take the Town Bar Crawl

Town Bar and Lounge
Sept. 7, 4:45–9:30 p.m.
Free with RSVP

If you’re looking to meet cuties or get to know Oakland’s queer bar scene, Take the Town Bar Crawl is a good place to start. It kicks off at swanky cocktail lounge Town Bar & Lounge, which has a packed schedule of DJs spinning pop, disco and hip-hop all throughout Pride weekend. The crawl will make its way downtown to Latinx bar Que Rico, big nightclub Fluid510 and Old Oakland destination Summer Bar & Lounge. Patrons are encouraged to stick around for the afterparty.

Gay Areaaa! Oakland Pride

Zanzi
Sept. 7, 9 p.m.–2 a.m.
$33

Three fire parties — the Sweet Spot, El Afters and Vamp — have teamed up for an Oakland Pride mega celebration at Zanzi. Expect live sets from rappers Alicia Goku and Bobby Sanchez, plus a special performance from vocalist and ballroom star Sir Joq. Go-go dancers of different gender expressions will shake it while DJs Dreams, De Alma, Lady Ryan and Align spin their favorite booty-popping jams.

Que Rico’s Pride After Dark

15th & Franklin St.
Sept. 8, 6–10 p.m.
$10+

Que Rico curated Oakland Pride’s Latin stage, and the bar has a packed weekend of celebrations. Its Pride After Dark party takes over the entire block for a Selena tribute drag show, Sexy Papi go-go dancers and DJs.

Pride: A Special Day Party

Fluid510
Sept. 8, 3 p.m. on
Free

The drag troupe Filipinx takes over Fluid510 for a free day party. Hosted by Nia Politan and Phoebe Cakes, it features lip syncs from Sassi Fran, Tsunomi Punoni, Tila Pia and Nutasha, plus go-go dancers.

Soulovely

7th West
Sept. 9, 3:30 p.m. on
$40

Oakland to All throws balls where Oakland’s most fierce dancers come to vogue. They’re taking over the Oakland Pride edition of Soulovely, a dance party that puts queer and trans people of color at the center. This month’s theme? Queer Inferno: Afro-Futurism Meets Ballroom, featuring DJ sets from Charles Hawthorne, KKingboo and Lady Ryan.