LGBTQ+ Pride Month is here again! These are the cities to go to in Europe and the Americas for 2023’s biggest, best Gay Pride festivals
June is a wonderful month for a vacation. The days are long, the weather’s warm, and there are ample opportunities around the world to celebrate diversity while championing the rights of sexual minorities. Gay Pride is a phenomenon bigger, louder, and more colorful and sparkly today than ever before — the experience is well worth anyone’s time, queer or not, as long as they’re allied with the cause. (Better yet, in the spirit of solidarity and kindness, the majority of the events don’t cost a penny!) To get you inspired, we’ve lined up 10 Gay Pride festivals in Europe and the Americas that promise to be the best in 2023.
The best Gay Pride festivals in Europe
Vienna Pride
June 1 — June 18
In the heart of Europe, Vienna is once again hosting its mighty take on Pride. The festival will run for two and a half weeks and will be jam-packed with workshops, talks and other events, all in the name of promoting equality. The five-kilometer Pride Run is taking place again on June 3, and the parade itself will be at the festival’s climax on June 17.
London Pride
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July 1
Perhaps unsurprisingly, London Pride is the biggest festival of its kind in the UK, and one of the biggest in Europe. Pride protests have been a fixture in London for half a century now, and organizers and attendees alike will be making as sure as ever that their voices don’t go unheard at this year’s parade. In addition, the London Trans+ Pride march will take place a week later on July 8, and UK Black Pride — a festival promoting the awareness of the experiences of queer people of color — is planned for August 20. Being one of the most diverse cities in the world, you really wouldn’t expect anything less from the British capital.
Disneyland Paris Pride
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June 17
If you thought that the very notion of a Pride festival couldn’t get any louder, more colorful, or more enchantingly happy, then think again. Commercial kitsch might not be everyone’s style of Pride, but if you’re a queer Disney fan, it might interest you to know that you can celebrate diversity into the early hours right in the heart of Disneyland Paris. Specifically, the event will be held at Walt Disney Studios Park, and it’ll feature a parade, performances, and a disco in addition to all the usual attractions.
Reykjavík Pride
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August 8 — August 13
Reykjavík Pride, or Hinsegin Dagar (literally, “Queer Days”) is attended by nearly one third of Iceland’s population every year. One niche thing about the festivities here is the party boat — a queer cruise that’ll take you around the city’s coastline and the surrounding islands. August is a great time to visit Iceland in general, so be sure to find out about all the other cool things you can see and do.
EuroPride in Valletta
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September 7 — September 17
EuroPride is a pan-continental festival that takes place in a different European city each year, though not always in June. It welcomes speakers, performers, activists and attendees from across Europe and from all over the world. Malta will host this year’s EuroPride — a fitting honor for the country that consistently tops ILGA Europe’s ranking of countries by safety for LGBTQ+ people — which means Valetta, its tiny capital, is excitedly bracing itself for thousands of euphoric visitors.
Madrid Pride
June 23 — July 2
Lastly, when it comes to Pride in Europe, we couldn’t not mention the festivities that Madrid puts on. MADO (Madrid Orgullo), is the most attended Gay Pride festival in Europe, and one of the largest and most vibrant in the world. There’ll be a lot going on everywhere, but be sure to head to Chueca — Madrid’s LGBTQ+ neighborhood — which becomes the natural epicenter of the celebrations and protests.
The best Gay Pride festivals in the Americas
San Francisco Pride
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June 24 — June 25
San Francisco, California’s capital of quirk and vehemently considered the gay mecca of the US, holds one of the oldest and biggest Pride parades in the world. The main celebrations, including the parade, will take place over the last weekend in June, but a whole host of other exciting things organized by the city’s LGBTQ+ community will be happening throughout the month.
New York City Pride
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Throughout June
The nonprofit organization Heritage of Pride is behind the vibrant shebang that is Pride Month in New York City. At the most Instagrammed Pride in the world, every year, there’s a particular commemorative focus on the Stonewall Riots of 1969 — a local furor that is considered to be the watershed of the modern gay rights movement. Renowned for holding one the biggest Pride festivals on the planet, New York City is expected to welcome some three million queer people this June, peaking in numbers around the 25th when the march will take place.
Montreal Pride
August 3 — August 13
Just up over the border, Montreal Pride (or Festival Fierté Montréal) welcomes over 3.4 million people year on year, making it the largest festival of its kind in the Francophone world. Aside from the parade on August 13, this year’s program includes live music, panel discussions, drag shows, and “community days” — huge fairs where queer organizations can gather in good spirit to spread awareness and strengthen allyship. Oh, and if you like a challenge, be sure to sign yourself up for the “High Heels Obstacle Race” on August 7.
São Paulo Pride
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June 7 — June 11
With the number of attendees averaging four million every year, São Paulo Pride is widely considered to be the biggest celebration of its kind in the world. It’s also been over a decade since Grindr users voted São Paulo the best Pride destination, and the city has only excelled itself since. Traditionally, the spectacular parade takes place on the Sunday after the Feast of Corpus Christi, which is June 11 this year.
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