ANTWERP PRIDE 2022 | A quiet spot with ‘Pride in Town’ at Sint-Andriesplein

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.

Since a few years, the organising committee of Antwerp Pride gets the question if a more quiet spot can be arranged. Because, let’s face it, the parade and the Love United Festival are very crowded and very loud and they can be too much to handle.

Enter ‘Pride in Town‘.

“On the cosy Sint-Andriesplaats we set up a smaller festival far from the beats and the spots for everyone who needs a quieter Pride experience. Here you can go for a spoken word program, curated by Johanna Pas and Hind Eljadid.”

Add a bit of cabaret by artist Bert van Puymbroeck or spoken word by Inke Gieghase. “It is a space to enjoy one of the literary and spoken word performances with Sarah Bekambo, Inke Gieghase and Maria Darah musically accompanied by Calya J. curated by Hind Eljadid and Johanna Pas.”

There will be no activities held between 1 PM and 4 PM due to the Pride Parade.

“The starting DJs of the Queer DJ project provide a pleasant sound. The Pride Dates also take place here: just like last year, you can make new friends during the Pride Dates that you might not get to know in your regular social life. We organize Pride in Town together with the cultural meeting center coStA.”

Sint-Andriesplein

The Sint-Andriesplein or St. Andrew’s Square is situated in the heart of Sint-Andries, St. Andrew’s, neighbourhood of Antwerp.

Sint-Andries is or was a popular neighbourhood Antwerp. Popular in the vulgar, folksy, low-brow sense of the word. It is or was an area for people with low income. Hence it’s also known as a ‘red’, leftist neighbourhood.

Is it still the case? As elsewhere in Antwerp, gentrification is very active.

Visit Antwerp even rejects the poor past of St. Andrew’s. “Sint-Andries was once called ‘the Parish of Misery’, but that time is long gone. The ModeMuseum is the face of the district and in the neighborhood of Nationalestraat and Kammenstraat, vintage and haute couture go hand in hand. This neighborhood is constantly changing. Don’t miss the Kloosterstraat, with shops full of treasures of antiques and brocante.”

St. Andrew’s Square

“The Sint-Andriesplaats will also get a rainbow makeover”, Antwerp Pride announced. “De Sint-Andriesplaats krijgt eveneens een regenbooginvulling“, the Dutch version says. Which is not exactly the same. So it remains to be seen what will happen there.

The St. Andrew’s Square is small, so I don’t see any festival or party happening. Perhaps something more tame and age appropriate?