Brussels Pride 2025 will go ahead as planned, continuing to celebrate and advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, despite recent turbulence within the organising community. The event’s mission has remained steady even as The Belgian Pride, the non-profit organisation behind Belgium’s first pride march, recently filed for bankruptcy. 

This development coincides with Brussels Pride’s recent recognition as part of the Brussels-Capital Region‘s intangible cultural heritage, underscoring its significance within Belgium’s cultural landscape.

Earlier in October, the Brussels Commercial Court officially declared the non-profit The Belgian Pride bankrupt, ending a key chapter for the group that initially launched the pride movement in 1996. 

Origins

Founded as the Belgian Lesbian and Gay Pride Roze Zaterdag Samedi Rose, the organisation later rebranded as The Belgian Pride in 2010. 

Over the past three decades, it grew the Brussels Pride from a modest gathering of 2,000 – 4,500 participants to a major event that drew between 60,000 and 200,000 attendees at the most recent march in May 2024.

Internal tensions

Despite this success, internal challenges were growing behind the scenes. Financial pressures and disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic intensified tensions within the organisation. 

Reports of financial mismanagement surfaced, leading to the exclusion of some members and raising questions about the organisation’s leadership. 

A source close to The Belgian Pride noted, “There were internal conflicts, and questions were raised about financial oversight. Board members in a non-profit organisation can be held personally liable for serious errors”. 

These issues created a divide within the LGBTQIA+ community and ultimately led to a shift in management responsibility for the annual Pride event.

In 2021, RainbowHouse Brussels, an LGBTQIA+ umbrella organisation, took over responsibility for organising the Belgian Pride (the march and festivities) now officially called Brussels Pride – In the Capital of Europe. 

This transition also resulted in a reallocation of key subsidies; for example, the City of Brussels redirected its €5,000 subsidy from The Belgian Pride to RainbowHouse Brussels, and the event itself was rebranded as Rainbow Festival in 2022. 

Regional tourism agency visit.brussels, which had previously partnered with The Belgian Pride, also shifted its involvement, managing logistics for the Pride event independently for the past two years. 

Jeroen Roppe, a spokesperson for visit.brussels, commented that “nothing has changed” for them, noting that the event was already being organised without the formal involvement of Flanders and Wallonia.

Money, money, money

The Belgian Pride’s financial troubles worsened as subsidies dried up, leaving the organisation without the means to cover outstanding debts. 

The last publicly available financial report from 2020 recorded over €59,000 in short-term debt. Without the continued financial support previously provided, The Belgian Pride faced insurmountable challenges that ultimately led to its bankruptcy filing. 

Laurent Wallet, who was appointed as liquidator by the Brussels Commercial Court, has declined to comment on further details for legal reasons.

Brussels Pride’s ongoing success and future remain important to the community, according to former Brussels minister and long-time Pride advocate Pascal Smet (Vooruit.brussels). 

He expressed little concern over the dissolution of The Belgian Pride, emphasising instead that the annual Pride event remains safeguarded. 

“What matters is that the annual Pride is protected”, Smet told BRUZZ. He underlined the need to balance pride’s celebratory aspects with its activist roots, stating, 

“If Pride is made into a festival for everyone, its activist message will reach an even larger audience.”

Trop commercial?

Corporate sponsorship has been a point of debate within the LGBTQIA+ community, with some voicing concerns about pinkwashing, where companies are seen as exploiting pride for commercial benefit. 

However, Smet argues that private sector involvement can be beneficial, saying, “pride should remain open to private sector support, despite the ongoing debate”.

While The Belgian Pride’s bankruptcy signals the end of an era, Brussels Pride’s core mission of advocacy and celebration remains intact, upheld by committed organisations and individuals who continue to champion its values. 

The recognition of Brussels Pride as part of the region’s intangible cultural heritage further underscores its importance, and as the pride movement in Brussels evolves, its essence endures, supported by organisations like RainbowHouse and partners such as visit.brussels.

The latest on prides in Belgium

• Brussels Pride officially recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
• Limburg Pride 2025 to focus on mental wellbeing.
• Leuven Pride 2024 parade route from railway station to Ferdinand Smoldersplein.
• Liège Pride 2025 on Friday 22, Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 August.
• Antwerp Pride 2025 from Wednesday 6 to Sunday 10 August.
• CHARLEROI PRIDE | Three days of inclusivity and festivities.
• Antwerp Queer Arts Festival from 3 to 31 August 2024: programme.
• Darklands 2025 from Tuesday 25 February until Monday 3 March.
• Darklands 2025 theme: ‘Darklands Glows’, stays at Waagnatie until 2030.
• Queer March Ghent 2024 on Saturday 30 March at Viernulvier.