Experience

Antwerp Pride Parade 2026 to feature record 82 delegations as RTBF joins live broadcast

Posted by Timothy on

Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over by rainbow vibes. Prides are a mix of celebration – parties – and activism and advocacy. For the 2026 edition, the organising committee focuses on fearing less and being fearless.

A record 82 delegations, including 33 motorised vehicles, will take part in the Antwerp Pride Parade on Saturday 8 August, the highlight of the 19th edition of Antwerp Pride. The parade will once again be broadcast live on multiple platforms, with French-speaking broadcaster RTBF airing the event for the first time alongside RTL Play.

The parade sets off at 14:00 from the corner of Tavernierkaai and Brouwersvliet, where Antwerp Alderwoman for Equal Opportunities Lien Van de Kelder (Vooruit) and Antwerp Pride chair Geert Van Praet will officially start the procession. Participants will begin gathering from 11:00 at Hessenplein before making their way along Brouwersvliet. 

The current Mayor, Els van Doesburg (N-VA), is not scheduled to attend. Her predecessor, current Prime Minister of Belgium, and nominally the Mayor of Antwerp, Bart De Wever (N-VA), also never attended, citing vacation plans. 

New participants join the parade

Among the first-time participants this year are Ziekenhuis aan de Stroom (ZAS), the National Bank of Belgium and Liège Pride. The parade features LGBTQIA+ organisations, community groups, charities, companies, trade unions, public authorities and political parties from Belgium and neighbouring countries.

The full parade consists of 82 delegations:

  • Opening act;
  • Antwerp Pride flag;
  • Aut & Out;
  • Antwerp Queer Theatre;
  • RainbowAmbassadors;
  • WelJong;
  • Youthwork@Pride;
  • Proud Parents (Trotse Ouders);
  • TransParent parent group;
  • Proximus;
  • Active Company Antwerp;
  • Pink Devils;
  • Mechelen Canal Pride;
  • Antwerp Roller Derby;
  • Straffe Ketten;
  • Sensoa;
  • Polyamory Belgium;
  • Boysproject;
  • PADAM;
  • Rainbow Friends;
  • Regenbooghuis aan Zee;
  • Balkan Pride;
  • Brussels Rainbow Village;
  • Maison Arc-en-Ciel Luxembourg;
  • Queer & Sober Brussels;
  • Limburg Pride;
  • Karnamor;
  • BelGeo Fusion;
  • Queer on Wheels;
  • Qmusic / DPG Media;
  • National Bank of Belgium;
  • Open@Work;
  • Carrefour;
  • Queer Herent;
  • Miss Travestie Belgium;
  • Mister Gay Belgium;
  • CD&V;
  • CM Vlaanderen;
  • ACV;
  • Anders;
  • JTI;
  • Amgen;
  • InTeam Producties;
  • Crèmerie Germaine;
  • Antwerp Police;
  • BELDEFRAC;
  • N-VA;
  • Port of Antwerp-Bruges;
  • Cargill;
  • AUHA;
  • Solidaris;
  • ABVV Antwerp Region;
  • Vooruit;
  • Familiehulp;
  • De Lijn;
  • Mask’ara;
  • MSC Belgium;
  • Belgium Bear Pride;
  • Bear Community West Flanders;
  • Boots;
  • Puppy and Handler Belgium;
  • Antwerpfurs;
  • Skins & Punks United We Stand;
  • SnKx Belgium;
  • Sauna ‘t Herenhuis;
  • Marc Van Vlaanderen;
  • PVDA Antwerp;
  • >A< 2060 invites Liège Pride;
  • Peperfabriek;
  • Groen;
  • Den Draak;
  • BURO_ASAP;
  • Rainbow Festival;
  • Bonaparte;
  • LOCALSTORE;
  • Club Random;
  • De Cronos Groep;
  • ZAS;
  • Spanish Tourist Office;
  • Anovo Clinic;
  • Antwerp Pride.

Art and community take centre stage

One of the parade’s standout floats will be number 29, featuring an installation by contemporary artist Clara Lissens. The project is part of a broader collaboration between contemporary artists and galleries, including Carla Arocha, Luc Tuymans, Stéphane Schraenen, Vanessa Van Obberghen, Jesse Siegel, Tom Sanders, Lieven Segers, and Philip Huyghe, who have organised exhibitions throughout Pride Week while also creating a dedicated parade float.

Lissens has designed an inflatable sound-producing sculpture she describes as an “abstract self-portrait” that combines sculpture, music and performance while exploring themes of identity and abstraction.

Another notable entry is the float from neighbourhood association >A< 2060 invites Liège Pride. Participants will wear cardboard costumes inspired by the protest signs traditionally associated with Pride marches. Both the float and costumes were decorated by local children.

The Antwerp Pride float will bring up the rear of the parade, which is expected to finish around 17:00.

Route and live broadcast

After leaving Brouwersvliet, the parade will head towards the River Scheldt before turning at Sint-Jansvliet into Kloosterstraat and continuing via Scheldestraat to the Love United Festival site at Cockerillkaai. Water stations and waste collection points will be available along the route, while organisers are asking spectators to spread out across the entire parade route to avoid overcrowding.

For the third consecutive year, Proximus and ATV will produce a live broadcast of the parade. It will be available on Proximus Pickx+, ATV, TV Oost, OutTV, MENT, GoPlay, VTM GO and the websites of De Morgen, Gazet van Antwerpen, Het Laatste Nieuws, Het Nieuwsblad, and Het Belang van Limburg. RTBF and RTL Play will also broadcast the event for French-speaking audiences.

Love United Festival line-up

Following the parade, celebrations continue at the free Love United Festival at Cockerillkaai.

Love Stage

  • 16:00 – DINO;
  • 17:00 – Dimitri Wouters (Qmusic);
  • 18:00 – Karakals (Qmusic);
  • 19:00 – Voltage (Qmusic);
  • 20:00 – Crazy Sir G;
  • 21:30 – 5NAPBACK;
  • 23:00 – Lennert Wolfs.

United Stage

  • 16:00 – TSA;
  • 17:00 – Ulrike D’Hauwer;
  • 18:30 – Digna;
  • 20:00 – Leroy;
  • 21:30 – Sahra;
  • 23:00 – Laurens Luyten & Dr. T

Closing Festival

The festivities conclude on Sunday 9 August with the Closing Festival at Cockerillkaai.

The line-up features:

  • 14:00 – DJ set by Sederginne;
  • 15:00 – Showball;
  • 17:00 – Sydney Ayven;
  • 17:30 – The Julliets;
  • 19:00 – Rose Cohen (Rihanna tribute);
  • 19:30 – 2 Fabiola;
  • 20:00 – DJ Pat Krimson;
  • 20:30 – Katerine & The DJ;
  • 21:30 – DJ KAT.

Antwerp Pride 2026-2027

Antwerp Queer Arts Festival 2026

Reclaim Our Pride 2026

Beyond Darklands 2027

The latest on LGBTQIA+ events such as prides in Belgium

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