Best Pride Celebrations in Europe

It’s summer and the party season is upon us. Pride celebrations are kicking off all around the world, and Europe is no exception. If you’re on the continent this summer and are hoping to catch some rainbow flag-filled festivities while you’re away, you’ll be spoilt for choice. New York travel company AllTheRooms has compiled a list of the best Pride celebrations in Europe, so you can enjoy being liberated in your new home-from-home.

London

Pride Parade takes place Saturday 7th July 2018

The theme for this year’s London Pride festival is ‘Pride Matters. After conducting a survey, researchers have found ‘Pride’ means so many things to so many different people — so what better way to encourage diversity than to dedicate an entire festival theme to it? 500 LGBT+ parade groups will march through central London, starting at Portland Place and walking along the famous Oxford and Regent Streets, as well as passing through Trafalgar Square. England’s capital concentrates on Pride festivities as a way to provide a platform for groups to be heard and raise awareness about equal rights. Naturally, at the same time, London pride hosts an impressive colourful parade, fun for everyone from all walks of life to join.

Stockholm

Friday 27th July – Sunday 5th August 2018

Stockholm Pride was established twenty years ago, way back in 1998, and has since gone from strength to strength. In the last few years, it has been said that over 55,000 people participated in the festivities and followed the parade. It’s been running every year since its establishment and is now the largest LGBTIQ event in Scandinavia, and the most significant annual event in Stockholm. You’ll find lectures and exhibitions around the city from the beginning of the celebrations at Pride House — the cultural hub for the festival. Pride Park will then open for tens of thousands of people to watch entertainment, eat, drink, and shop.

Berlin

Saturday 28th July 2018

Also known as Christopher Street Day, Pride in Berlin has been around since 1979 and is one of the biggest European Pride parades. An exciting experience taking part in the Berlin Pride parade, performers march along the well-known shopping street of Kurfürstendamm towards the Brandenburg Gate. Once the parade is over, parties pop up all around the city, where visitors can continue the celebrations well into the night and the early hours of the morning. If you prefer something more low-key, there are also a large number of exhibitions, shows and other events taking place in the city.

Amsterdam

Saturday 28th July – Sunday 5th August 2018

Amsterdam is another of the European cities that put on a truly spectacular Pride festival. The celebrations begin with the PrideWalk from the Westermarkt to Vondelpark Open Air Theater — the location of the opening ceremony for the entire festival. From this moment on, the city is full of hundreds of thousands of visitors, all looking to party and celebrate with their friends and loved ones. Whether attending the Pride at the Beach Parade, one of the many street parties, or the truly spectacular Canal Parade, Amsterdam puts on quite a show. For most people, the highlight of the festival is the Canal Parade, where processions of boats, brightly coloured and beautifully decorated, proceed to make their way along the winding canals, playing music, with those on and off deck singing, dancing and partying in the sunshine. We all can say that Amsterdam has one of the best pride celebrations in Europe.

Prague

Monday 6 August – Sunday 12th August 2018 The beautiful Czech capital plays host to Pride this August. 2018 only marks the eighth Pride to be held in the city, but that doesn’t make it any less spectacular. This week-long festival is jam-packed full of exhibitions, concerts, stimulating debates and fabulous parties. For those of you wanting to join the parade through the historical centre, be sure to keep Saturday free. After the first day, you’ll also be able to attend the outdoor party held in Letna Park.

Writer:

Sage Fitzpatrick is a travel blogger currently living in London. She can be found sipping tea, reading and travelling the world. When she’s not travelling, she spends her time blogging about her travels over at A Virtual Postcard.