Spartanburg SC Pride Announces Shutdown

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

After nearly 20 years, South Carolina's Upstate Pride celebration in Spartanburg has announced the event will no longer take place. The organization cited a lack of public interest, volunteers, and financial support from sponsors and vendors as the primary factors behind the decision to discontinue the Spartanburg Pride festival and instead focus all efforts on the larger Colors of Pride festival held annually in Greenville.

Why it matters

The Spartanburg Pride festival had been a longstanding tradition in the Upstate region, but declining attendance and resources made it unsustainable. This shift represents a consolidation of LGBTQIA+ community events in the region around the larger and growing Colors of Pride festival in Greenville.

The details

Upstate Pride confirmed the decision was not an easy one, but listed several key challenges that led to the discontinuation of the Spartanburg event, including dwindling attendance numbers, lack of volunteer support, and feedback from sponsors and vendors that the event was no longer financially viable for their participation. The organization noted that the Colors of Pride festival in Greenville, which attracts over 20,000 attendees annually, has become the premier LGBTQIA+ event in the Upstate region.

• Upstate Pride has held the Spartanburg Pride festival for nearly 20 years.
• The organization announced the discontinuation of the Spartanburg event on January 29, 2026.

What’s next

Upstate Pride stated they would love to see a community-driven Pride celebration continue in Spartanburg each fall, even though the organization will no longer be producing an event there.