Dear Pride Family,
For as long as our movement has existed, LGBTQIA+ artists have been its heart—shaping culture, pushing boundaries, and giving language to the experiences we struggle to express. Through music, poetry, photography, dance, and visual art, queer artists have told our stories long before broader society felt ready to hear them. They’ve reflected our joy, our grief, our resilience and our hope. They’ve challenged systems that seek to silence us, uplifted the most marginalized voices in our community, and offered visions of a future where all LGBTQIA+ people can live freely and authentically.
Art has always been activism.
Whether through a protest chant, a love song, a drag performance, or a mural painted on the side of our building (thank you Art of Pride), artists move us—not only emotionally, but collectively. They help us imagine what liberation could look like. They remind us of our shared humanity. They inspire us to keep pushing forward, even when the world feels heavy.
Music, in particular, has held a powerful role in building unity and belonging. It has been the soundtrack of our movement and the connective tissue of our community. Queer musicians have long illuminated the lived realities of LGBTQIA+ people, often at great personal risk.
At San Diego Pride, we believe that supporting LGBTQIA+ artists is not simply an artistic endeavor—it is an act of community building, cultural preservation, and movement strengthening. That belief led to the creation of our Artist Development Program, an initiative designed to uplift, nurture, and amplify LGBTQIA+ musicians across genres and experience levels.
Our Artist Development Program provides emerging LGBTQIA+ artists with opportunities to grow their craft, access professional guidance, perform on Pride stages, and build long-term careers in the arts. Through mentoring, performance opportunities, networking, and visibility, the program helps artists expand their reach while grounding their work in the values of equity, community, and justice.
What truly makes this program powerful is the intentional cultivation of community. When queer artists gather—they create more than music. They cultivate belonging. They create space for healing. They share stories that help us feel seen and understood.
The artists in our community remind us that the movement is not only fueled by policy and activism but also by the cultural expressions that help us dream bigger and feel deeply. Their voices help new generations understand who they are.
This work is especially important now, as LGBTQIA+ artists—particularly trans and nonbinary artists, artists of color, and disabled artists—continue to face blatant attacks and significant barriers to visibility, resources, and opportunity.
When we invest in LGBTQIA+ artists, we invest in the storytellers who bring our movement to life. We invest in culture-bearers who hold our history and shape our future. We invest in people who remind us that even in challenging times, our joy is revolutionary.
Calling All LGBTQIA+ Artists
The San Diego Pride 2026 Artist application is NOW OPEN! Shoot your shot and apply today. Be on the look out for information for upcoming Artist Development events.
San Diego Pride raises funds primarily through festival ticket and beverage sales, and through sponsorships, and exhibitor fees. These funds support San Diego Pride’s community philanthropy which has distributed more than $2.5 million in advancement of its mission to foster pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally.
