Pride SWFL Heads Downtown for 2026 Comeback After Money Troubles

After scrapping its 2025 plans due to financial strain, Pride SWFL aims to return in 2026 at Fort Myers' Sidney Berne Davis Art Center. The switch to downtown came in a Sept. 24, 2025, announcement.

Visuality president Adam Larivee shot down claims about political pressure causing the break. "Absolutely not," Larivee said, per Gulf Coast News. The money just wasn't there.

Past celebrations lit up the Alliance for the Arts each November. Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson cleared the air about the city's stance. "If anything was canceled this year… it certainly was not on the part of the city," he stated.

The shift downtown sparked varied reactions. The Standard's owner, Chris Blauvelt, backed the move with open arms. "I think that is great news. We support the LGBTQ community here at The Standard," he said.

Not everyone shared his view. Pine Island local Linda Good pushed back hard. "I really don't think we should have a pride festival, I don't care where it is. I don't think we should have it."

Fort Myers resident Jovan Millet pointed to the cash crunch. "I know that a lot of it has to do with sponsorship money and everything else, which is unfortunate," Millet said.

Sarah McIntyre runs Visuality's Youth Empowerment program, working with teens who feel unsure about Pride events. "I'm going to encourage and empower people to be who they are, accept them for who they are," she stressed.

The exact date remains up in the air for 2026. Talks continue between Visuality and city staff about the new spot and plans.