Tampa Pride Cancels 2026 Festival, Terminates President’s Contract

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Pride is taking a one-year hiatus, canceling its 2026 festival, Diversity Parade and other LGBTQ+ pride events, and has terminated the contract of its president, Carrie West.

The organization announced the cancellation of the event in a Facebook post on Friday.

The board shared a letter dated Aug. 1 that it sent to West informing him of his termination as of Aug. 31 and the event’s hiatus, citing “the current political and economic climate” as the reason for the change.

This “includes challenges with corporate sponsorships, reductions in county, state and federal grant funding, and the discontinuation of DEI programs under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has made it increasingly difficult for our organization to sustain ongoing operations for 2026,” the board wrote.

While acknowledging the annual event’s “vital role” to the LGBTQ+ community, “this pause is necessary for the organization to regroup, reassess our long-term strategy, and identify additional avenues of funding to secure the future stability of Tampa Pride events,” the board added.

The board also commended West for his “remarkable dedication and unwavering service” as Tampa Pride’s president for the past 12 years. He is a co-founder of the organization.

In May 2023, Tampa Pride also made headlines for canceling its short-lived Pride on the River event, which was set to take place that September, after DeSantis signed a slate of anti-LGBTQ+ bills into law, including one that prohibited children from attending drag shows.

At the time, West said the group canceled the event because members "didn't feel comfortable having a public celebration on the waterfront given the current climate,” Patch previously reported.