2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, 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.
Tag: Queer
‘Freedom’ by Erwin Olaf enters final days at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
On 2 April, I went to Amsterdam in the Netherlands with the EuroCity Direct to interview Ype Driessen of Fotostrips.nl on his first textual novel ‘Vanilla‘. I decided to combine it with a cultural activity.
ESTONIA | How to spend a day in Tallinn
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected by rail? Yes, but not in the most straightforward or userfriendly way possible. The Rail Baltica project should remedy this. Unsurprisingly though, this megaproject faces political and budgetary hurdles. It…
TALLINN | LGBT tour at Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected by rail? Yes, but not in the most straightforward or userfriendly way possible. The Rail Baltica project should remedy this. Unsurprisingly though, this megaproject faces political and budgetary hurdles. It…
JAPAN | Solo in Tokyo
Autumn 2025. We – Sam and Danny, Michel and Wille, and Timothy – are travelling to Japan for a quite classic tour of the Land of the Rising Sun. We are flying separately as we used miles. On the planning: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Osaka, and Expo 2025, Hiroshima, Himeji, Miyajima, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Hakone, and…
BRUSSELS PRIDE 2026 | “When times get darker, we shine brighter”
Brussels Pride will return to Belgium‘s capital on Saturday 16 May 2026, celebrating its 30th anniversary with a strong political message about visibility, solidarity and resistance. Organisers expect around 200,000 people to gather in the city centre for the annual march and celebrations.
SPARTACUS GAY TRAVEL INDEX 2026 | Belgium among safest destinations
Belgium has been ranked among the most LGBTQIA+-friendly destinations in the world in the Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2026, the annual global ranking published by Spartacus International Gay Guide. The country shares fourth place globally with Canada, Germany, and Portugal, confirming its status as one of the safest and most welcoming places for queer travellers.
Thailand happy with Belgian visitor numbers and welcomes Tomorrowland
Belgium continues to strengthen its position as a key European source market for Thailand, TravMagazine reports. In 2025, no fewer than 122,347 Belgian travellers visited Thailand, representing a year-on-year increase of 13.24%.
BELGIUM | Safer in theory, harsher in reality: polarisation and violence mark 2025 for LGBTQIA+ people
Belgium remains one of Europe’s front-runners when it comes to legal protection for LGBTQIA+ people. Yet 2025 exposed a widening gap between progressive legislation and everyday reality, one can read in ILGA-Europe‘s Annual Review. Civil society organisations report a continued rise in homophobic and transphobic violence, declining acceptance among young people, and growing polarisation in…
Queer March Ghent returns in March 2026 with month-long programme
Ghent in East Flanders will once again host a month of queer-focused activities in March 2026 as Queer March Ghent rolls out a city-wide programme of talks, workshops, exhibitions, performances and community gatherings. The grassroots initiative, run by a collective of queer-identifying volunteers, positions itself as an independent platform without political or institutional affiliations, aiming…