Pride Month takes place annually to celebrate the impact the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community, as well as those of other sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+), has had on history. While the festivities today are certainly less political than the previous marches they have had since 1970, their significance and the continued fight for LGBTQ+ rights live on. With that in mind, here are 10 places around the world where you can wave your rainbow flag high for Pride Month.
São Paulo, Brazil
Hosting one of the world’s largest Pride parades, the São Paulo Gay Pride Parade – which is in the Guinness Book of World Records – attracts millions of attendees annually. Though it is typically a five-day event, festivities begin as early as three weeks prior with concerts, street markets, cultural fairs, and more. Its Pride parade transforms the city’s main street Avenida Paulista into a huge party with incredible floats, music, dance, and colourful costumes.
Bangkok, Thailand
The Bangkok Pride Festival has quickly emerged as one of the most prominent Pride celebrations in Asia and its five-day festival features an exciting grand parade, exhibitions by drag artists, conferences, and seminars on gender diversity. Despite always being LGBTQ+ forward, Bangkok is endeavoring to become appointed as host for the World Pride event in 2030. It has also recently become the first nation in ASEAN to recognize same-sex marriages.
New York City, USA
Celebrating Pride cannot get better than in New York, the birthplace of the modern Pride movement. The city’s Pride March is usually a spectacular event brimming with rainbow-clad activists and merrymakers, and Pride Island is a weekend-long celebration featuring dance, music, and community. Additionally, don’t miss PrideFest, a fun street fair comprising loads of exhibitors, food, and activities in the interest of equality.
Copenhagen, Denmark
The city of Copenhagen has not just one but two Pride events annually, named Copenhagen Pride and Winter Pride. Bringing equality and diversity to the streets for over 25 years, Copenhagen Pride sees the entire town enveloped in glitter and rainbow flags, with the City Hall Square being renamed to Pride Square in observance of the celebrations. Winter Pride, on the other hand, similarly has entertainment, debates, and plenty of social events in store.
Berlin, Germany
Berlin’s Christopher Street Day (CSD) parade is a dynamic celebration of equality, given the city’s liberal attitude and rich LGBTQ+ history. Featuring an exhilarating parade and rally, Pride celebrations involve stage performances, dazzling marches, street fairs, music, and dance. Prior to the main Pride event, a Lesbian and Gay City Festival also takes place, aside from queer picnics which are meant to be an inclusive space for all.
Madrid, Spain
Madrid’s Pride event is known as Orgullo and is one of Europe’s biggest, with celebrations extending over a week and culminating in a grand parade through the city centre. The festivities usually encompass art exhibitions, cultural events, film screenings, a high-heel race, a pet-friendly mini parade all in the name of ending animal cruelty, and Mr. Gay Pride Spain, where the overall winner represents Spain in international gay Pride competitions.
Sydney, Australia
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is the most prominent Pride event in the entire Oceania, with its massive parade featuring a dizzying array of glittery and colorful costumes, self-expression, and love. Despite being held in the Australian summertime, the event still enthralls travellers from around the globe with its expansive program of over 100 community events, dance parties, theatre, and music, leading up to its final parade.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amongst all the Pride events out there, Amsterdam’s is probably the most unique as it features one of the world’s only parades on water. Over 100 elaborately decorated boats float through the city’s picturesque canals, complemented by many street and circuit parties focused on gay bars, exhibitions, and cultural and sports events. Fun fact: In 2001, the Netherlands became the first nation in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.
Toronto, Canada
One of North America’s largest Pride celebrations, Pride Toronto likely prevails as the most diverse due to the inclusion of a Dyke March and Trans March on top of its Pride Parade. Its roster of events, aside from the parades, commonly sees the LGBTQ+ activities and allies celebrate solidarity by way of parties at various locations and a street fair spotlighting queer artists, performances, art, pool parties, and more.
Taipei, Taiwan
Taiwan’s Taipei Gay Pride event is the biggest in Asia thanks to the country’s progressive stance on LGBTQ+ rights whilst being the first nation in the region to legalize same-sex marriage. Its Pride parade, the main event, often comprises a variety of happenings such as concerts, parties, film screenings, and cultural performances, with each year’s celebrations emphasizing on a theme that highlights pressing issues within the community, like anti-discrimination.
