Organizers of Gay Days Orlando, an annual summer festival that draws tens of thousands of LGBTQ tourists to central Florida, have announced that the event will be temporarily “on hiatus” in 2026.
“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the GayDays Orlando event scheduled for June 2026,” GayDays organizers wrote on Facebook. post. “Changes to host hotel agreements, the loss of key sponsorship support, and the broader challenges currently impacting LGBTQIA+ events across the country have made it impossible to provide the experience our community deserves.”
The organizers emphasized, “This is a pause, not an end. For over 30 years, GayDays has been built by and for our community. We are now focused on reimagining the future and returning as an even stronger, more sustainable event. We look forward to sharing updates in the coming months as we shape our next chapter together. Thank you for your support, patience, and being part of the GayDays family.”
The paper said organizers had previously promised that the June 2026 celebration of Gay Days’ 35th anniversary would be “bigger, bolder and brighter than ever before.” orlando sentinel. But Gay Days co-owner Josh Duke told the paper in an email that the event relies heavily on dwindling corporate support and individual participation.
“If any of these things become less predictable, the financial environment becomes more difficult,” he said.
by email to metro weeklyDuke said organizers intentionally chose the word “pause” to indicate they intended to restart the festival in the future.
“Rather than moving forward under uncertain circumstances, our priority is to ensure that GayDays events are supported by the right venues, partners and resources to deliver the experience our community expects,” he said. “We are actively working behind the scenes to evaluate options and determine a stable and sustainable path forward.”
Duke denied reports from other media outlets calling the celebrations “canceled” and acknowledged there was confusion about the status of the event.
in a statement to metro weeklyDuke said the “pause” was necessary because many organizations are taking a “more conservative approach to corporate marketing” and sponsorships and “discretionary spending on travel and events” are impacting community events across the country.
He did not name the companies that withdrew support.
“Out of respect for our partners and ongoing relationships, we are not disclosing specific organizations,” he said.
Duke said he expects the team to have “more clarity” about its future plans soon.
“While the official Gay Days Orlando event will be suspended in 2026, the community itself will always be bigger than any organization,” Duke said. metro weekly“And we support those who celebrate in ways that are meaningful to them.”
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
