Travel with Pride to Celebrate LGBTQIA+ People and Communities Around the World

WorldPride New York 2019, New York City, USA

In 2019, New York City will play host to WorldPride and commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, which many consider as a pivotal watershed moment in the LGTBQ+ community’s fight for equality. The event, touted to be the biggest event of its kind in the world this year, will be marked with various rallies, art exhibitions, film screenings and lively parties sandwiched in between the celebrations that kick off on May 12 and culminate in the NYC Pride March on 30 June.

São Paulo Gay Pride Parade - São Paulo, Brazil

Originally touted as the world’s “largest pride parade” since securing a Guinness World Record for its 2006 event, this five-day event takes place on the Sunday after Corpus Christi each year – this year taking place 18 June to 23 June, 2019. In Sao Paulo the party starts weeks before though with everything from debates, plays, music concerts, dance performances, cultural fairs and street markets taking over the city for three weeks prior. The highlight for the event is the parade, which takes place on Sunday 23 June, and sees around 25 floats take to the streets. The starting point of the parade is in front of the Museum of Art of São Paulo, right in the heart of the city.

MADO Madrid Orgullo, Madrid, Spain

Starting on 28 June and continuing until 7 July, the MADO Madrid Orgullo pride event takes place in the Chueca district, one of the city’s most popular gay neighborhoods. The event includes open air concerts, street celebrations and political discussions, concluding with the Madrid Pride parade which will welcome over two million attendees to march their way to the Plaza de Colón.

London Pride, UK

The London Pride will take place between the 8th of June and the 6th of July. This year they are celebrating 50 years since the birth of the modern LGBT+ rights movement. The parade starts at Portland Place, and ends in Whitehall; it will include hundreds of groups and floats. One can also choose to participate in multiple events that are planned throughout the month including live music performances to meet and greet for singles.

Christopher Street Day (CSD) - Berlin Pride, Germany

The Berlin Pride is also known as Christopher Street Day (CSD), to commemorate the Stonewall Riots in Christopher Street, New York. The first Berlin CSD was held on the 30th of June 1979 and it has grown immensely since then. More than half a million people come together to celebrate and demonstrate during a colourful parade filled with music and floats. This year’s Christopher Street Day takes place on July 27th, but you might want to come a week earlier for the ‘Stadtfest’ on the 20th and 21st of July - an annual Lesbian and Gay Festival held at the Nollendorfplatz that is becoming increasingly popular.

Amsterdam Pride, the Netherlands

The Amsterdam Pride starts on the 2nd of August and lasts until the 4th of August. The Dutch LGBTQIA+ community celebrates their pride with numerous events like street parties, concerts and the drag queen Olympics. Popular locations are the Reguliersdwarsstraat, the Rembrandtplein and the Zeedijk. The highlight of the Amsterdam Pride is the parade, which does not take place in the streets, but in the world famous canals. During the Canal Parade 80 fabulously decorated boats will sail through the canals in the heart of Amsterdam. You can cheer them on along the sides, but make sure you arrive early to secure your spot!  

Montréal Pride, Canada

Usually the annual Montréal Pride - also known as Fierté Montréal - only lasts seven days. Montreal's Gay Pride Parade takes place on August 18, 2019. It's is fun, flamboyant, and everyone is invited. Gay Pride week runs from Aug 8 – Aug 18, 2019, offers sporting events, conferences, free outdoor concerts, LGBT-welcoming. This year will be the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots which will add to the importance of the week in Canada.

Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Sydney

While the 2019 event has already taken place, travelers can start planning now for next year’s Sydney spectacular, which will be celebrated on 29 February 2020! The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is one of the oldest continuously operating LGBTQIA++ organizations in Australia and, taking place at the end of Australian Summer, the festival and parade are attended by hundreds of thousands of people from the country and overseas each year. The event culminates with a legendary parade down Sydney’s Oxford Street and a glittering afterparty with pop star performances.