Jönköping pride 2025
- 18 August 2025 - 24 August 2025
- Jönköping
Jönköping Pride, which locals often call Qom Ut, is scheduled to return to this friendly Swedish city in late summer 2025. Organisers have confirmed that the festival will run from Monday 18 August through Sunday 24 August 2025. Those dates put the celebration toward the end of the country’s busy pride season and make it a sort of grand finale for residents of Jönköping. The festival has only been running since 2013, but it has already become a beloved tradition in a region that doesn’t always make international headlines. Qom Ut grew out of a desire to create a safe space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in Jönköping County, and each year volunteers from Jönköping Municipality, Region Jönköping län and local businesses team up with community members to host a week-long celebration of diversity and love.
What sets Jönköping Pride apart is the way organisers try to weave the festival into the fabric of the city. It isn’t just a parade one day; it’s a full week of talks, concerts, exhibitions and meet‑ups spread across the city centre. According to PinkUk, Qom Ut’s pride week opens on the Monday at Kulturhuset Spira and culminates with a rainbow mass in the Swedish church on the Sunday. During the week there will be art exhibitions, film screenings, drag shows and musical performances hosted in theatres, galleries and bars. Local schools and youth groups often hold workshops and panel discussions about inclusion and human rights. Families can take part in children’s programming that mixes play with education. In previous years the festival has hosted everything from queer book readings at the public library to sports tournaments at local parks. As the dates draw nearer organisers will release a detailed programme on the official Qom Ut site.
The heart of Jönköping Pride is the Pride Park set up in City Hall Park. Throughout the week the park becomes a gathering point where people can catch live performances or just relax under the trees. Vendors offer snacks and rainbow merchandise, while community groups run information booths and collect petitions. There’s usually a small stage where local artists play, and you might stumble across poets, DJs or dance troupes performing there. Food trucks circle the park, offering everything from falafel and Swedish meatballs to vegan burgers and ice cream. The organisers encourage small businesses from across the county to set up stalls, so the park feels more like a local fair than a corporate expo. Qom Ut prides itself on being inclusive, so there’s often an alcohol‑free area for families and younger visitors.
The parade itself takes place on the Saturday of the festival, 23 August 2025, and it’s the highlight for many participants. PinkUk notes that the parade always falls on Saturday and starts at 14:00. The route typically winds through central Jönköping, passing the picturesque waterfront along Lake Vättern before finishing at Pride Park. Marchers include everyone from rainbow‑costumed drag queens and school choirs to trade unions, faith groups and corporate lgbtq+Q+ networks. Spectators line the streets waving flags and cheering as the procession passes by. The mood is upbeat and celebratory, with drummers, brass bands and floats blasting pop music. After the parade, participants flood Pride Park for an open‑air concert featuring local and national artists. In past years Swedish pop stars and emerging queer musicians have shared the stage, and the line‑up for 2025 will likely be released closer to the summer.
While Qom Ut is deeply rooted in local culture, its organisers have always made an effort to connect with broader lgbtq+Q+ movements. There is usually at least one seminar focused on international lgbtq+Q+ issues—past topics have included transgender rights in Eastern Europe, queer refugee experiences and the rise of anti‑lgbtq+Q legislation in various countries. Because Jönköping is a university town, the festival draws a younger crowd eager to engage with activism. Student groups often host film nights and debates, and the local chapter of RFSL (the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Rights) runs a drop-in space for newcomers seeking information or support. or support.
If you’re thinking of attending Jönköping Pride 2025, it’s worth planning ahead. Hotels and guesthouses near the city centre tend to fill up quickly during the festival week, so booking early is wise. Travellers coming from Stockholm or Gothenburg can reach Jönköping by train in about three hours, and there are buses connecting the city with smaller towns. The festival is free to attend, although certain workshops or evening shows might require tickets; these can usually be purchased through the Qom Ut website. For many residents the week is about more than partying—it’s a time to reflect on the progress Sweden has made in lgbtq+Q+ rights and to recommit to building a society where everyone can live openly. By ending the week with a rainbow mass in the church, organisers invite people of all backgrounds to celebrate love and acceptance.
The organisers have not yet announced a specific theme for 2025, but recent years have centred on ideas like “Everyone’s right to love,” “Visibility” and “Solidarity.” Whatever the chosen slogan, the goal remains the same: to create a space where queer people, their families and allies can gather without fear. When the parade winds through Jönköping’s streets on the afternoon of 23 August and Pride Park fills with Qom Ut march over a decade ago. Check the official Qom Ut website closer to the festival for programme updates and volunteer opportunities.
Official Website
What sets Jönköping Pride apart is the way organisers try to weave the festival into the fabric of the city. It isn’t just a parade one day; it’s a full week of talks, concerts, exhibitions and meet‑ups spread across the city centre. According to PinkUk, Qom Ut’s pride week opens on the Monday at Kulturhuset Spira and culminates with a rainbow mass in the Swedish church on the Sunday. During the week there will be art exhibitions, film screenings, drag shows and musical performances hosted in theatres, galleries and bars. Local schools and youth groups often hold workshops and panel discussions about inclusion and human rights. Families can take part in children’s programming that mixes play with education. In previous years the festival has hosted everything from queer book readings at the public library to sports tournaments at local parks. As the dates draw nearer organisers will release a detailed programme on the official Qom Ut site.
The heart of Jönköping Pride is the Pride Park set up in City Hall Park. Throughout the week the park becomes a gathering point where people can catch live performances or just relax under the trees. Vendors offer snacks and rainbow merchandise, while community groups run information booths and collect petitions. There’s usually a small stage where local artists play, and you might stumble across poets, DJs or dance troupes performing there. Food trucks circle the park, offering everything from falafel and Swedish meatballs to vegan burgers and ice cream. The organisers encourage small businesses from across the county to set up stalls, so the park feels more like a local fair than a corporate expo. Qom Ut prides itself on being inclusive, so there’s often an alcohol‑free area for families and younger visitors.
The parade itself takes place on the Saturday of the festival, 23 August 2025, and it’s the highlight for many participants. PinkUk notes that the parade always falls on Saturday and starts at 14:00. The route typically winds through central Jönköping, passing the picturesque waterfront along Lake Vättern before finishing at Pride Park. Marchers include everyone from rainbow‑costumed drag queens and school choirs to trade unions, faith groups and corporate lgbtq+Q+ networks. Spectators line the streets waving flags and cheering as the procession passes by. The mood is upbeat and celebratory, with drummers, brass bands and floats blasting pop music. After the parade, participants flood Pride Park for an open‑air concert featuring local and national artists. In past years Swedish pop stars and emerging queer musicians have shared the stage, and the line‑up for 2025 will likely be released closer to the summer.
While Qom Ut is deeply rooted in local culture, its organisers have always made an effort to connect with broader lgbtq+Q+ movements. There is usually at least one seminar focused on international lgbtq+Q+ issues—past topics have included transgender rights in Eastern Europe, queer refugee experiences and the rise of anti‑lgbtq+Q legislation in various countries. Because Jönköping is a university town, the festival draws a younger crowd eager to engage with activism. Student groups often host film nights and debates, and the local chapter of RFSL (the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Rights) runs a drop-in space for newcomers seeking information or support. or support.
If you’re thinking of attending Jönköping Pride 2025, it’s worth planning ahead. Hotels and guesthouses near the city centre tend to fill up quickly during the festival week, so booking early is wise. Travellers coming from Stockholm or Gothenburg can reach Jönköping by train in about three hours, and there are buses connecting the city with smaller towns. The festival is free to attend, although certain workshops or evening shows might require tickets; these can usually be purchased through the Qom Ut website. For many residents the week is about more than partying—it’s a time to reflect on the progress Sweden has made in lgbtq+Q+ rights and to recommit to building a society where everyone can live openly. By ending the week with a rainbow mass in the church, organisers invite people of all backgrounds to celebrate love and acceptance.
The organisers have not yet announced a specific theme for 2025, but recent years have centred on ideas like “Everyone’s right to love,” “Visibility” and “Solidarity.” Whatever the chosen slogan, the goal remains the same: to create a space where queer people, their families and allies can gather without fear. When the parade winds through Jönköping’s streets on the afternoon of 23 August and Pride Park fills with Qom Ut march over a decade ago. Check the official Qom Ut website closer to the festival for programme updates and volunteer opportunities.
Official Website
