The 17th edition of Antwerp Pride takes place from Wednesday 7 to Sunday 11 August 2024. This year’s theme is ‘Many Voices. One Pride‘. The organising committee advocates a more militant pride, with a “we’re not going back in the closet” attitude in reaction to rising conservatism and conformism. But let’s face it: pride is also celebration. In the run up to August, let’s look at activities and events. Also don’t forget Antwerp Queer Arts Festival from 3 to 31 August.

The seventeenth edition of Antwerp Pride will kick off in a week. In the coming weeks, Antwerp will be dressed in rainbow colours everywhere. For example, the rainbow flag will be visible on various buildings, in streets and on the Velo shared bicycles. This year, the city is going one step further and several locations will be illuminated in rainbow colours.

The seventeenth edition of Antwerp Pride will take place from 7 to 11 August. Every year around this period, the rainbow flag can be seen everywhere in the city, such as on the district houses and the Scheldt Quays. 

Pride flags are already visible on the Meir and the shopping streets around the Nationalestraat, Lange Lozanastraat, Kloosterstraat and Wilde Zee. The columns on the Antwerp Opera House will be coloured in rainbow hues. In addition, 700 Velo shared bicycles will be driving around with rainbow flag stickers.

Rainbow lighting

New this year is that various locations in the city will be bathed in rainbow lighting in the coming weeks. The existing lighting of buildings, squares and parks will be lit in rainbow colours from today and tomorrow. In recent years, this was already visible at the Draakplaats, for example.

The Opera House, Antwerp-Central Railway Station, Het Steen, DIVA, the Scheldt Quays, the Plantin-Moretus Museum, the Harmoniepark, the Zuidpark, the Sint-Paulusplaats, the Wintergang in the Groen Kwartier, the Kattendijkdok and the square in front of the Museum Aan de Stroom will be lit in rainbow colours in the coming weeks, among others.

The Havenhuis and the Bourlaschouwburg will also be fitted with rainbow lighting.

Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA): “Although we had wanted to illuminate the Opera in rainbow colours earlier, this was unfortunately not technically feasible at the last minute. That is why we have decided to bathe not only the Opera, but half the city in rainbow colours on the occasion of Antwerp Pride. With this colourful expression, we want to emphasise that everyone can be themselves here. Antwerp Pride is a celebration of our solidarity and a powerful statement against discrimination. Together we are building a city that everyone can be proud of, with a strong urban community where everyone has respect for each other.”

All Antwerp residents

This extra effort for Antwerp Pride is in line with the campaign ‘All Antwerpians‘, with which the city wants to make a difference together with its residents and build a city where everyone can be themselves, regardless of gender, age, religion, sexual preference, ethnic-cultural background or disability. The aim is for every resident to feel 100% Antwerp residents.

The theme of Antwerp Pride this year is ‘Many Voices. One Pride’. With this, the organisation wants to unite everyone behind the rainbow flag to support the LGTBQIA+ community in the challenges and obstacles in today’s society.

Alderman for Equal Opportunities Karim Bachar (Vooruit): “In a city like Antwerp, full of diversity, everyone should be able to be themselves. We see this every year during Antwerp Pride, where everyone is welcome. That is why we, as Antwerp residents, are committed to equal opportunities and fight against any form of discrimination. We are all different, but we are all Antwerp residents.”

Antwerp Pride will kick off on Wednesday 7 August with an opening party in OLT Rivierenhof. 

All rainbow locations. The rainbow lights stay until 18 and 19 August, depending on the building.

Antwerp Pride 2024 & Antwerp Queer Arts Festival 2024

• Antwerp Pride 2024 programme highlights.
• ANTWERP PRIDE 2024 | Parade route & map for Saturday 10 August.
• ANTWERP PRIDE 2024 | Opening Night, Wednesday 7 August, Openluchttheater OLT Rivierenhof, Deurne.
• ANTWERP PRIDE 2024 | MAS Darling queer programme at Museum Aan de Stroom.
• ANTWERP PRIDE 2024 | Pride in Town, Friday 9 August, Sint-Andriesplaats.
• ANTWERP PRIDE 2024 | post-parade Love United Festival, Saturday 10 August, Cockerillkaai.
• Antwerp Pride 2024 partner events: Friends of Dorothy, Queer Tour at KMSKA, Midsummer 2024, Celebrate Life at Jeffrey’s / Loud & Queer, Send In The Clowns, Oh Honey.
• Antwerp Queer Arts Festival from 3 to 31 August 2024: programme.
• Antwerp Pride 2024 theme: ‘Many Voices. One Pride’.
• Antwerp Pride 2024 to be more militant against growing opposition to LGBTQIA+: “We’re not going back in the closet”.

Darklands 2024-2025

• Darklands 2025 from Tuesday 25 February until Monday 3 March.
• Darklands 2025 theme: ‘Darklands Glows’, stays at Waagnatie until 2030.
• Darklands 2024 from 27 February to 4 March.
• ANTWERP | Darklands 2024 going into ‘The Void’ under new, stricter city rules.
• DARKLANDS 2024 | Programme & schedule.

The latest on prides in Belgium

• Antwerp Pride 2024 programme highlights.
• Antwerp Queer Arts Festival from 3 to 31 August 2024: programme.
• Liège Pride 2024 programme and introduction.
• Darklands 2025 from Tuesday 25 February until Monday 3 March.
• Limburg Pride 2025 to be hosted by Hasselt on Sunday 13 July.
• Brussels Pride 2024 programme starts on Wednesday 8 May with Pride Opening at Molenbeek and a Pride Week.
• Darklands 2025 theme: ‘Darklands Glows’, stays at Waagnatie until 2030.
• Queer March Ghent 2024 on Saturday 30 March at Viernulvier.
• PROGRAMME | Queer Arts Festival Leuven 2023 from 3 to 25 November.