NYC Pride Parade 2025: Full route, schedule, theme, and how to watch live

Time of India

5 hours ago

Source: Getty Image
As Pride Month comes to a close, cities across the U.S. are gearing up for one last weekend of celebration, reflection, and visibility. And at the heart of it all is New York City—widely considered the birthplace of the modern Pride movement.
NYC's annual Pride March commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a pivotal moment that sparked a nationwide push for LGBTQ+ rights. Over the years, the event has grown into one of the most significant Pride gatherings in the world, blending protest, celebration, and powerful calls for justice.
What's the theme for NYC Pride 2025?
This year's theme is 'Rise Up: Pride in Protest.' According to organizers at Heritage of Pride, the message reflects both urgency and legacy.
Source: Getty Image
'As the LGBTQIA+ community faces increasing hostility and legislative attacks, this year's theme is a reflection of the Pride movement's origins in protest—and is a powerful call to action for our communities and allies to rally and march in defiant celebration, advocacy and solidarity,' they said in a public statement.
History of the parade
While many refer to the event as a parade, Heritage of Pride—the nonprofit that organizes NYC's Pride events—intentionally calls it a march.
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The distinction matters.
The roots of the event are deeply activist. The march honors the Stonewall Uprising of June 28, 1969, when a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village ignited spontaneous protests that lasted for days. At the time, same-sex public displays of affection were criminalized, and queer spaces were often subject to harassment and surveillance. Bars like the Stonewall Inn, many of them run by organized crime, offered rare safe havens where LGBTQ+ individuals could simply exist and express themselves freely.
But that early morning raid — and the resistance it sparked — became the catalyst for what is now recognized as the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
A year later, in 1970, the first Pride march made its way from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park. It wasn't about celebration—it was about visibility and defiance. Over time, the event evolved into a blend of both. In 1999, President Bill Clinton officially declared June as Pride Month.
And in 2016, President Barack Obama designated the Stonewall Inn a national monument, cementing its place in American history.
Source: Getty Image
When is the NYC Pride march?
The 2025 NYC Pride March will take place on Sunday, June 29, beginning at 11 a.m. ET. With thousands expected to attend, the march promises to be one of the most powerful moments of the month.
What is the NYC Pride Parade route?
This year's route will begin on 5th Avenue between 25th Street and 8th Street, according to the New York City Department of Transportation.
Marchers will head south along 5th Avenue before turning west on 8th Street. The procession will then move through Christopher Street, passing the Stonewall National Monument, before heading north on 7th Avenue. The march concludes in Chelsea, dispersing at 16th Street and 7th Avenue, near the New York City AIDS Memorial.
How to watch the NYC Pride Parade
If you're planning to attend in person, for the best spot get there early. Prime spots along 5th Avenue, Christopher Street, and near Stonewall tend to fill up fast with longtime Pride-goers, families, and allies alike.