Belgian Lesbian & Gay Pride is an annual event in Brussels since 1996 (actually evolved from the Pink Saturday gay pride observations that were first made in honor of the Stonewall riots in New York in Antwerp beginning in 1979 ). Belgian Pride runs in early May and culminates on the weekend of May 20-21, 2017. It’s a great opportunity to visit this beautiful city with a vibrant LGBT community and a host of notable attractions.
Brussels Pride includes various events over the weekend, all in the center of this urban, gay-friendly and relatively underrated city, which is just 300 kilometers northeast of Paris and 200 kilometers south of Amsterdam. Also note that the week before Pride is “Rainbow Week” throughout Belgium, and this includes a number of events in other communities.
The festivities start about two weeks before the big weekend with a variety of parties and events in town – here’s a full calendar of events. On Belgian Pride Day (Saturday 20 May), which attracts some 80,000 spectators and participants, there is a religious opening ceremony in the morning, a festival in the «Pride Village» which is set up in front of the Stock Exchange (Place de la Bourse / Beursplein) in the heart of the city, a Pride Parade (usually at 2pm) starting in the Pride Village, entertainment and live music on the main stage of the Pride Village, and then Pride Parties throughout the night.
Brussels gay resources
Many of the city’s gay-popular restaurants, hotels, and shops have special events and parties during Pride Week. Check local gay newspapers, which are distributed in popular gay bars like L’Homo Erectus and Tels Quels Cafe. And take a look at Patroc.com’s Gay Brussels Travel Guide, which is very helpful and has extensive information on the local gay scene. Excellent additional resources for travel planning are the handy travel site produced by Tourism Flanders and the Gay Travel site operated by the Belgian Tourist Office.
