Tampa Pride Announces One-Year Hiatus Amid Political Funding and Sponsorship Challenges

Due to the current political and economic climate, Tampa Pride is taking a one-year hiatus, the organization announced in a Facebook post on September 19. Along with the 2026 festival being canceled, the Diversity Parade and other LGBTQ+ pride events have been canceled as well, according to a report from Patch.

The Tampa Bay Times says the festival’s Facebook post appeared to be a copied letter from the board dated August 1 in which the board says then-President Carrie West’s contract would not be renewed after its August 31 expiration.

“The current political and economic climate, including challenges with corporate sponsorship; reductions in county, state; and federal grant funding, and the discontinuation of DEI programs under Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has made it increasingly difficult for our organization to sustain ongoing operations for 2026,” says the letter.

The festival’s future in 2027 is also in question, as explained in an interview with WFLA-TV, West says, “there is no guarantee” that Tampa Pride events will resume in 2027.

But for 2026, the festival will use the hiatus to “regroup, reassess our long-term strategy, and identify additional avenues of funding to secure the future stability of Tampa Pride events.”

Tampa Pride’s announcement that the 2026 cancellation of the festival has drawn backlash, with many criticizing the decision in comments on the group’s post, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

“So what if sponsorships are canceled, it doesn’t cost much to gather and show your pride,” one person commented on Facebook.

“Cancelling any Pride festival makes the community feel like the haters are winning the battle to make our community fear and disappear,” says another commenter.

The cancellation of the 2026 Tampa Pride is not the first time political forces have altered plans, as in May 2023, Tampa Pride canceled its Pride on the River event, after Governor Ron DeSantis signed a slate of anti-LBGTQ+ bills into law, including one that prohibited children from attending drag shows.