Antwerp Gay Pride is a major cultural event intended to showcase the tremendous diversity and tolerance of the city. Antwerp hosted Belgium’s first GLBT Pride Parade in 1979, but had no such event before the celebration was rebuilt several years ago.
Antwerp Gay Pride takes place on the weekend of August 13 and 14, 2016, but there are a number of events during the days leading up, especially on Thursdays and Fridays. Check out the official Antwerp Gay Pride event calendar for more details.
Organizers of the Antwerp Pride have made no secret of a desire to present a celebration that is less commercial than some currently held in Europe, although this action-packed event also has the support of the local retail and hospitality industries, which definitely have a presence in the event. . But the organizers also see the Antwerp Pride as a way to raise awareness of gay rights around the world and increase the visibility of Antwerp’s highly visible (and enthusiastically accepted) GLBT community, which is quite considerable here.
Since Belgium legalized gay marriage in 2003, hundreds of same-sex couples have married.
Highlights of the week-long Antwerp Pride festival include a pride opening party on Thursday, queer city tours, various gatherings related to various festivals (jockstraps, chaps, nudes, boots, etc.), a chant ‘ Tranny-Oke ‘and countless parties and mixers in clubs and venues throughout the city.
The activities really pick up speed on Saturday, August 13, a Pride Parade at 2pm, followed by the Wave Festival, held on the Steenplein in Antwerp. That night, it’s time for Extravaganza, the Official Pride Party, held starting at 11 pm (at the Club Cafe d’Anvers), which lasts until the early hours of Sunday morning.
Sunday August 14 is the last day of Antwerp Pride, and includes the huge Closing Pride Festival. It takes place on the Grote Markt, starting at 2pm throughout the afternoon and features a number of bands and artists.
Gay resources of Antwerp
Many of the city’s gay-popular bars, restaurants, hotels and shops have special events and parties during Pride Week. Check local gay newspapers, which are distributed in popular gay bars. And take a look at Patroc.com’s Antwerp Gay Travel Guide, which is very helpful and has extensive information on the local gay scene. You can also learn a lot about the city from the official local tourism organization, Visit Antwerp. Excellent additional resources for travel planning are the travel site produced by Tourism Flanders and the Gay Travel site operated by the Belgian Tourist Office.
