São Paulo Gay Pride Parade

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São Paulo LGBTQ Pride Parade is an annual event on Avenida Paulista in São Paulo, Brazil. It started in 1997 and is South America’s largest Pride parade. Guinness World Records named it the biggest Pride parade in the world from 2006, with around 2.5 million participants, rising to about 4–5 million in later years. By 2017 it was about 5 million attendees. In 2019, the parade drew roughly 3–5 million people each year.

The event brings many visitors and big spending to the city. In 2010 the city spent 1 million reais on the parade. Major sponsors include Caixa Econômica Federal and Petrobrás. The parade attracts about 400,000 tourists and generates around 180–190 million reais in spending. It enjoys strong government support and politicians often join on floats. Security is a major focus.

There have been concerns about federal support after the 2018 election due to anti-LGBTQ remarks by President Jair Bolsonaro. In 2020, the parade went online because of COVID-19; the planned in-person event for November was canceled. Attendance numbers have been debated, as counting crowds at such a large, floating gathering is difficult and estimates vary.