It’s that time of the year again: Antwerp Pride and Antwerp Queer Arts Festival. Pride focuses on the second weekend of August: from Wednesday 10 to Sunday 14. AQAF runs from 5 to 28 August. In 2022, Antwerp Pride turns 15 and looks 15 years into the future under the banner of ‘Queertopia‘. AQAF hasn’t communicated a specific theme.

After two years without a parade, Antwerp Pride is again having one. The parade route roughly follows the same itinerary as in 2019. The 2019 parcours was a break from previous years.

Up to 2018, the Antwerp Pride Parade started at Waalsekaai and Vlaamsekaai, passed the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp, to continue via Scheldestraat to the Scheldt Quays and the Steenplein and Het Steen. 

In 2019, Antwerp Pride introduced a warm-up party at Sint-Jansplein, in an attempt to show pride is for more than Antwerp‘s white populated historic centre. The parade started properly at Paardenmarkt, to go to Hessenhuis, Red & Blue, onto the Scheldt Quays and so to Gedempte Zuiderdokken. 

2022

So that’s what is planned for 2022. 

“Just like two years ago – yes, it was that long – we ask all participants to come together at the Sint-Jansplein in Antwerp North“, the website says. 

From 12 PM noon we will release positive love vibes on the square.Then we march as a group to the Paardenmarkt where the trucks will be ready and the parade will be set up. The Parade starts at 2 PM and immediately dives into the Hessenbrug to wave to the Hessenhuis Café. A little further the parade turns left on Oude Leeuwenrui and Brouwersvliet in the direction of the river Scheldt. The route then goes along the river on the Van Meterenkaai and goes on to the site of the Love United Festival where the party can explode.”

A simple itinerary. Testing the route, I found it takes just under an hour at normal walking pace) and the length is some 4.3 km. 

But I’m not sure the route is viable. After the Scheldestraat intersection, road works stand in the way. How can trucks drive there? And I don’t see the road works being finished by Saturday 13 August.

But let’s hope I’m wrong. 

UPDATE | Amended route

On 3 August, Antwerp Pride communicated an amended route for the parade. The parade will leave the Scheldt Quays at the St. Anne’s Pedestrian Tunnel at Sint-Jansvliet, to follow the Oever, the Kloosterstraat and the Riemstraat and the Scheldestraat back to the river.

Here is a map:

Antwerp Pride 2022 & Antwerp Queer Arts Festival 2022

• Antwerp Pride 2022 theme, programme and schedule.
• Antwerp Queer Arts Festival 2022 programme and schedule.
• ANTWERP PRIDE 2022 | ‘Trail of Stories’ from 1 to 31 August.
• ANTWERP PRIDE 2022 | Opening concert night at OLT Rivierenhof.
• ANTWERP PRIDE 2022 | Antwerp Pride Parade on Saturday 13 August 2022.
• ANTWERP PRIDE 2022 | Love United Festival after the parade, at Cockerillkaai.
• ANTWERP PRIDE 2022 | Eurovision Song Contest royalty Johnny Logan at Antwerp Pride Closing Festival.
• ANTWERP PRIDE 2022 | Pride Village at Cockerillkaai.
• ANTWERP PRIDE 2022 | The 11 locations of the Trail of Stories.
• Antwerp Queer Arts Festival 2022 from 5 to 28 August.
• Full edition ft. parade and festival days for Antwerp Pride 2022.
• Antwerp Pride 2022 from 10 to 14 August for a 15th edition.
• AREAS OF ANTWERP | De Gerlachekaai at the Scheldt.
• AREAS OF ANTWERP | Sint-Andriesplein.
• Antwerp Pride 2021: “Long time, no see”.

Queer Antwerp

• Rainbow zebra crossings of Antwerp.
• Rainbow zebra crossing in Borgerhout.
• Antwerp’s LGBTQIA+ bookshop Kartonnen Dozen needs new location by September 2022.
• City chronicle ‘De kleur van de stad maakt mijn ziel amoureus’ recounts Queer Antwerp history.
• ‘Masculinities: Liberation through Photography’ exhibition at FOMU, Antwerp’s photography museum.
• ANTWERP | LGBTQIA+ bookshop Kartonnen Dozen looking for new manager or takeover.
• Antwerp’s LGBTQI bookshop Kartonnen Dozen looking for a new home.
• Antwerp’s LGBTQI+ bookshop Kartonnen Dozen wins Çavaria Media Award.
• PHOTOS | Rainbows lit Antwerp.
• Flemish LGBTQI+ press support rainbow community in Ukraine.
• ALLEMAAL ANTWERPENAAR | Antwerp launches campaign to motivate citizens to stand up against discrimination and intimidation.

Darklands 2022-2023

• MONKEYPOX IN BELGIUM | Darklands warns visitors, as gay men are more at risk.
• Darklands 2023 to and from Deep Space.
• Darklands 2022 programme, schedule, gym and concert – 4 to 9 May in Antwerp.
• ANTWERP | Darklands 2022 set to go ahead as scheduled on 4 to 9 May.
• Darklands 2022 hints at postponement.
• Darklands 2022 introduces Puppy Walk through streets of Antwerp.
• Darklands 2022: 4 to 9 May at Waagnatie, Antwerp.
• Darklands 2020 was the last dance before COVID-19.