Antwerp Pride
About This Event
Antwerp Pride started in 2008 as an initiative of the City of Antwerp and a few gay bar and club owners, and the nonprofit Antwerp Pride vzw was set up in April 2010 to run it. It is now a five-day program in early August, built around a Saturday parade. In 2026 police counted about 170,000 people, a record according to VRT. Counts here swing a lot depending on who does them, so treat any single number as rough.
The 2026 edition shows how the week works. It opened on Wednesday 5 August with Pride Opening Night at the open-air theater in Rivierenhof park in Deurne. Thursday brought Muziek aan 't Water, a partner concert on the Scheldt quays with Laura Tesoro and Clouseau. Friday had a family day for queer families and Pride in Town, an evening of music, poetry and ballroom at Sint-Andriesplaats. The parade on Saturday 8 August left Brouwersvliet at 2pm and ran along the Scheldekaaien, with 82 delegations and 33 floats, and crowds packed Kloosterstraat as well. Love United, a dance event along the river, followed the parade, and a closing festival ran on Sunday. Belgian TV broadcast the parade live.
The 2026 theme was "Fearless". The parade came two weeks after a deadly attack near Berlin's pride, police added security measures, and VRT reported the day passed calmly.
Practical: the week usually falls in the first half of August, with the parade on the Saturday. Hotels in the center and around Het Zuid go early, and the quays have little shade, so on a hot day pick a spot near the end of the route or arrive late in the afternoon. The last edition ran 5 to 9 August 2026. The organizers' site said only "see you next year" when we checked, and the 2027 dates hadn't been announced.
Parade Route
Where to stay during Antwerp Pride
via Stay22Schedule & Sub-Events
+ Add EventDetailed schedule coming soon.
Check the official website for the latest programme.
Practical Tips
Arrive at Hessenplein by noon
The 11:00 gathering fills up fast and by 13:30 the police cordons make it hard to slip in; get there early, grab a beer at a Falconplein terrace, and you will actually see the floats line up.
Stick around for Love United
Once the parade dumps out on Cockerillkaai the free festival on the Scheldt quays goes till late — easily the best free party of the weekend.
Videos
Experience the Energy of Antwerp Pride 2026 (4K) #AntwerpPride #Antwerpen #BelgiumTravel #Pride2026
