Upcoming Events
Celebrate Pride All Year Long in Durham, NC
June 1, 2025 by
June is National Pride Month, but the celebrations don’t stop there! As a diverse and inclusive place in the South, the city of Durham embraces and uplifts the LGBTQ+ community year-round, through events and programming for all.
The Carolina Theatre and other venues across Durham such as Club Era, Arcana, The Fruit, and The Pinkhook, offer queer-affirming live events such as drag shows, movie screenings, and more, several nights a week. Without a doubt, the community of Durham, NC has a variety of events to look forward to and celebrate Pride all year long!
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar & Hairspray
Start off Pride Month right on June 5 at the Carolina Theatre, with a drag-filled double feature as part of our Retro Film Series. Enjoy the landmark queer comedy “Too Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything” and the 2007 adaptation of the campy LGBTQ+ cult classic “Hairspray.”
The Monti: Pride and Prejudice
On June 6, the storytelling event The Monti hosts Pride and Prejudice at the Carolina Theatre. From quiet acts of defiance to loud declarations of self, from the sting of judgment to the warmth of radical acceptance, five LGBTQ+ participants will share stories that challenge and celebrate what it means to belong, to love, and to be fully, unapologetically yourself.
Victor Victoria
“Victor/Victoria,” the celebrated musical comedy, plays at the Carolina Theatre on June 14 as part of the Retro Rocks! Film Series. The film follows a struggling female soprano in 1930s Paris who poses as a male female impersonator with the help of a gay cabaret performer, sparking a hilarious and progressive exploration of gender, sexuality, and performance.
Pioneer Winter Collective: Apollo
The Carolina Theatre presents the dance-theater work “Apollo” by the Pioneer Winter Collective as part of the American Dance Festival on June 25. Through dance, “Apollo” explores intergenerational queer dynamics, memory, HIV/AIDS, and legacy.
Polyester
Retro: The Criterion Collection Film Series brings Polyester to the big screen at the Carolina Theatre on June 27 & 28. The film, a comedic homage to Douglas Sirk’s classic Hollywood melodramas, stars beloved drag queen Divine and is directed by queer icon John Waters.
Female Trouble
The Carolina Theatre screens another John Waters cult classic as part of our Retro Film Series on September 28. “Female Trouble” follows Divine as delinquent high school student Dawn Davenport, after she runs away from home, gets pregnant while hitchhiking, and embarks upon a life of crime.
Paris Is Burning
The Carolina Theatre will screen the landmark documentary “Paris Is Burning” on June 27 & 28 as part of the Retro: The Criterion Collection Film Series. The film provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City’s African American and Latinx drag ball scene.
Brokeback Mountain
“Brokeback Mountain” will be screened during the Carolina Theatre’s inaugural Page to Picture: Book & Film Adaptation Festival on September 19. Based on the short story by Annie Proulx, “Brokeback Mountain” follows the decades-long secret affair between two young ranch hands in Wyoming.
An Evening With John Waters
Celebrated filmmaker and author John Waters, revered as a pioneer of campy queer cinema, comes to The Carolina Theatre of Durham on September 20 for an evening of “filth and fun!” This performance is the closing night event of the theater’s inaugural Page to Picture: Book & Film Adaptation Festival.”
OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival
The OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival is an annual film festival held at the Carolina Theatre, celebrating a worldwide glimpse of today’s LGBTQ+ life through feature-length and short films of all genres. As the second largest LGBTQ+ film festival in the Southeast, OUTSOUTH attracts thousands of patrons to downtown Durham every year. This year, the festival celebrates 30 years running, and will take place August 13-16.
Pride: Durham, NC
Pride: Durham, NC is Durham’s official Pride celebration, organized by the LGBTQ Center of Durham. The event takes place on the last Saturday in September. This year, it will take place September 28-October 3. The celebration features a parade, a festival with vendors, food trucks, and information booths, and a concert in Central Park. Be sure to visit the Carolina Theatre’s booth at the event!
Atsuko Okatsuka: The Big Bowl Tour
Award-winning comedian and actress, Atsuko Okatsuka, comes to the Carolina Theatre on October 16 on the Big Bowl Tour. Okatsuka speaks candidly about being bisexual on tour and in stand-up specials, including her most recent special, “Father,” released on Hulu and Disney + in 2025.
Robby Hoffman: Live on Tour
Emmy-winning writer, actress, and stand-up comedian Robby Hoffman comes to the Carolina Theatre on October 23. The New York Times has praised her podcast “Too Far” as an addictive listen, comparing her to Larry David and noting “her hilarious rage makes her sound like a modern lesbian Andrew ‘Dice’ Clay.”
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball
Every October, The Carolina Theatre’s Retro Film Series hosts screenings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” a film beloved by many in the queer community. This year, the 8th annual Halloween Ball takes place on October 30 & 31. The screenings feature a shadow cast, callbacks, a light show, and other FX. Costumes are welcome!
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