The 16th edition of Antwerp Pride began on August 9 and will continue until August 13. The occasion will be celebrated with several events and activities.
During the Antwerp Pride, people can take part in almost 80 performances, expos, parties and other events, such as the opening night at OLT Rivierenhof, the Antwerp Pride Cruise and the Quee Tour at Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen.
But the highlight is the Pride Parade on August 12 from 2 to 5 pm through the city centre. The parade ends at Ledeganckkaai for the Love United Festival, where the party can get going.
Also, on Sunday, August 13, Belgium’s Eurovision representative, Gustaph, will be performing to mark the end of the festival. The closing festival will take over the large festival site at the Scheldt Quays. From 2 pm onwards, visitors can sing and dance along with amazing artists till 11 pm. Among the artists are Carolina Dijkhuizen, the queens of the Antwerp Show Ball led by Sederginne, Les Copines, DJ Kat and Dimitri D’Anvers. The admission is free for everyone and people are encouraged to come in huge numbers.
The theme of this year’s festival is ‘Braveolution which signifies that people must help make Antwerp a ‘brave space’ where the entire LGBTQIA+ community can be themselves every day of the year and everyone outside the LGBTQIA+ community dares to stand up for an inclusive society.
In recent decades, the LGBTQIA+ community has shown great bravery by advocating for equal rights and promoting inclusivity in society, especially during Antwerp Pride.
Notably, since August 1, only residents with parking permits, certain permit holders and people with disabilities are allowed to park in the historic centre. So people are asked to park their car in a public pay car park or in one of the nine park-and-rides on the city’s outskirts.
