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Exclusive: Canada Pride Announces Line-Up

by EDGE

EDGE Media Network Contributor

Tuesday May 16, 2017

Gregory Charles and Marie-Mai, two show business darlings of Montrealers, will headline the opening show of Canada Pride Montr�al 2017, Friday, August 11, 2017 on the TD stage in Parc des Faubourgs, Montr�al Pride's new main outdoor venue.

M.C. and Artistic Director of the inaugural presentation Gregory Charles will be welcoming on stage Marie-Mai, Karim Ouellet (spinning as of 7:00 p.m.), Martha Wainwright, the Barab� twins, Elisapie Isaac, Matt Holubowski, Dan Bigras, Lynda Thalie, Patrice Michaud, Mara Tremblay, Damien Robitaille, Claude B�gin, and Pascale Picard, along with country superstar, Guylaine Tanguay.

Montr�al is Proud, presented by SiriusXM, will be the first of 10 large-scale shows in as many nights happening in the Parc des Faubourgs, located near the entrance to the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. Programming from the Casino de Montr�al stage to Place �milie-Gamelin, will run from August 16 to 20.

For �ric Pineault, president and founder of Montr�al Pride, 2017 is a pivotal year for the festival, now in its 11th year. "As the only LGBTQ event in the official programming of Montr�al's 375th anniversary celebrations, we were compelled to offer a wide range of shows aimed at celebrating sexual diversity and gender plurality here and beyond. With Gregory Charles in charge of the Montr�al est fi�re show, and well-known artists such as Marie-Mai, we are expecting record crowds at the Parc des Faubourgs for Canada Pride Montr�al 2017, a special national edition of Montr�al Pride."

Along with Montr�al is Proud and the Nelly Furtado performance, announced in April, festivalgoers can look forward to:

  • the celebration of Mado Lamotte's 30-year career

  • three T-Dances on Sundays August 13 and 20, including a retro version with the Boogie Wonder Band and of course, the Mega T-Dance

  • an evening dedicated to emerging First-Nation, bisexual, queer and trans artists of color: Excellence

  • a Tribute to Acadians hosted by �dith Butler to mark the National Day of Acadians

  • Supernovas, an intense evening with the singers Jonas, David Usher, Lulu Hughes, Yann Perreau and Kim Richardson

  • Ria Mae opening for Nelly Furtado

  • Performances by Canada's best drag queens during Illusion show

  • a humor-filled evening hosted by Elvira Kurt

  • a Cuban Fiesta put on by the Cuban Martinez Show

  • Ethnie-Cit�, a multicultural tour around the world with Moe Hamandi and Em

  • spectacular numbers by former contestants of the popular Reality TV program "RuPaul's Drag Race" and the winner of Mx Pride Canada 2017

    Details about dates and venues for the shows are already online on the Pride Montr�al's website. Overall, more than 150 festive, advocacy and community oriented activities will be offered this summer to the public between August 10 to 20, including the traditional parade along Ren�-L�vesque Boulevard, the Community Day, a sports tournament and two conferences on the rights of sexual diversity and gender plurality. Both the community and cultural components of the program will be unveiled shortly.