Gay Pride

New York, USA

Pride celebrations: June 2022 (entire month)

Pride Parade: 26 June 2022

Arguably the birthplace of Pride, LGBTQIA+ protest and celebration in New York date back to the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and the dawn of the modern gay rights movement. The first march was held in 1970 and has continued in earnest ever since, with copious amounts of glitter, music and unadulterated fabulousness. This year’s official theme is “Unapologetically Us”, a sentiment we can all get behind, with performers including Lil’ Kim, Kim Petras, Oliver Sims of The xx, 2018 Eurovision winner Netta, Shenseea, Raye and RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon. 

Pride celebrations take place through the entirety of June, with a plethora of events scheduled for all proclivities. These include the legendary Pride Parade, a benefit ball, brunch, family movie night, Broadway Sings - which this year honours LGBTQIA+ icon and ally Taylor Swift - Hester Street Fair, and plenty of after dark activities including club, fetish and ballroom events. 2022 Grand Marshals include social media influencer Ts Madison, comedian Punkie Johnson, athlete Schuyler Bailar, activist Dominique Morgan and advocate Chase Strangio. This is an unforgettable occasion you won’t want to miss. 

Amsterdam, Netherlands 

Pride celebrations: 30 July to 7 August 2022

Pride canal parade: 6 August 2022

Long renowned as a bastion of liberalism and hedonism, it’s no surprise that the Dutch pull out all the stops for their annual Pride celebrations. Over 300 events are scheduled for this year’s Pride in Amsterdam, including the legendary Canal Parade through the historic UNESCO-listed waterways, a Pride walk, Pride in the Park, theatre, art, Gay Games, cabaret and plenty of club nights and bars to dance and drink in until the sun comes up. This year’s theme is “My Gender, My Pride”, which encourages the exploration and celebration of the vast spectrum of identities, regardless of the sex assigned at birth. Pride Ambassadors include activists, dancers, musicians, drag queens and Mr Leather Netherlands 2019. With most events taking place in the city centre, you’re able to pack in as much fun at one of Europe’s biggest Pride celebrations as possible. Veel plezier!

São Paulo, Brazil

Pride parade: 19 June 2022

The grand dame of Pride celebrations, São Paulo’s Pride festivities boast the accolade of being the planet’s biggest, with over 3.5 million revellers attending in 2009. This year, it’s celebrating its 26th anniversary and, alongside its carnival vibes, the theme is a welcome reminder of the political nature of Pride and that much progress still needs to be made. Taking place in an election year, 2022’s theme is “Vote for Pride for Politics That Represent Us”. Brazil’s current President, Jair Bolsonaro, has been accused of inciting hatred towards LGBTQIA+ people and called the country’s Supreme Court decision to criminalise homophobia as “completely wrong”. Despite this, millions of people from around the world will be in attendance to party, celebrate their right to be and love whom they want, and have fun. The official parade will take place on Avenida Paulista on 19 June and it’s not too late to book your flight. Don’t forget your feather boa.

Berlin, Germany

Pride celebrations: 15 - 24 July 2022

Pride parade: 23 July 2022

Berlin Pride parade is known as CSD (Christopher Street Day), in honour of the 1970 Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day march that took place in New York on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. As one of Europe’s biggest Pride celebrations, CSD incorporates a giant street parade attracting over a million people, followed by a huge Pride party. Throughout the nine days, attendees can expect a host of queer activities, from film screenings, panels, club nights and cabaret. This year’s motto is “United in Love! Against Hatred, War and Discrimination”, a reference to the “current world situation” and the fight against hate. As one of Europe’s oldest Pride celebrations, expect gaiety and good times galore.

Johannesburg, South Africa

Pride celebrations: 29 October 2022

This community event is one of the biggest Pride events on the continent. In 2019, Johannesburg Pride created Pride of Africa, incorporating different strands of the LGBTQIA+ community, such as a youth shelter and a lifestyle conference. While specifics are still thin on the ground for this year’s event, the Pride village is expected to be established on Rivonia Road where a parade will weave its way through the Sandton CBD. Expect plenty of pre-and-post parties to celebrate this important occasion in the Rainbow Nation’s calendar. Why not extend your stay with a Huben Travel-curated trip taking in safari, wine regions and Cape Town? Sounds like the perfect excuse to get away… 

San Francisco, USA

Pride celebrations: 25 and 26 June 2022

Pride parade: 26 June 2022

As one of the most historic and established gay destinations on the planet, it’s little wonder that the City by the Bay is home to one of the oldest and biggest Pride parades in the world. In addition to the parade, which is led by the legendary Dykes on Bikes contingent, San Francisco Pride offers a slew of wonderful activities happening in the city leading up to and around the weekend’s celebrations. These include queer movie nights, cabaret, a bicycle Pride ride, a Bi-BQ Bi+ Pride event, comedy, Pride run, queer hiking and enough bars and parties to shake a glittery stick at. This year’s theme is “Love Will Keep Us Together” and artists performing include music legend and two-time Grammy Award nominee Martha Wash, while celebrity Grand Marshals include comic and actor Sherry Cola and Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider.

Madrid

Pride celebrations: 1 - 10 July 2022

Pride parade: 9 July 2022

Spain has long been a beloved destination for LGBTQIA+ travellers, so it's only natural that its capital would strive for supremacy when it comes to hosting the country’s biggest Pride celebrations (there’s stiff competition from Barcelona and Sitges). While the majority of events take place in the Chueca neighbourhood, Madrid Pride activities can be found all over the city during this 10-day period. Cultural events, open-air concerts and plenty of parties are all scheduled for 2022 Pride, with more than two million people expected to attend. Other events included the Madrid Summit annual conference on human rights, Mr Gay Pride España and a hilarious and extremely popular high-heels race. See you at the front!

Taipei, Taiwan

Pride celebrations: 27 - 30 October 2022

Pride parade: 29 October 2022

Taiwan’s Pride celebrations might not be the biggest on the global stage, but they’re incredibly significant for other reasons. This diminutive country at the junction of the East and South China Seas is home to the largest Pride celebration in Asia, a continent that continues to lag behind when it comes to equal rights for LGBTQIA+ people. Taiwan formally recognised same-sex marriage in 2019, making it the only country on the continent where it’s legal for people of the same gender to marry. This year, more than 200,000 people from across the world are expected to attend the four-day event. In addition to the parade, there are plenty of parties and events planned for the annual occasion, with many activities taking place around the gay bars and clubs in and around the Ximen Red House in the Ximending district, the city’s unofficial gay area. Time to book your flight?

Stockholm, Sweden

Pride celebrations: 1 - 7 August 2022

Pride parade: 6 August 2022

Sweden has long been regarded as a country with some of the most progressive laws relating to LGBTQIA+ people in the world. Established in 1998 and home to the biggest Pride celebrations in Scandinavia, Stockholm’s 2022 Pride celebrations are centred around three main arenas: Pride Park, Pride House and the Pride Parade. In addition to Stockholm Pride’s usual music and performance, activities also include drag and burlesque shows, cultural and political activities, and even an opera sing-a-long.  For a country internationally recognised for its chic aesthetic, it makes sense that this year’s theme is “Time to Confess Colour”, so shelve your neutrals and pack for an explosion in a Crayola factory.  

Brighton, UK

Pride celebrations: 6 - 8 August 2022

Pride parade: 6 August 2022

“Widely acknowledged as the country’s most popular Pride event,” according to The Guardian, it seemed remiss not to mention at least one of the events happening closer to home. Brighton Pride has a history of attracting some of the biggest names in the Pride calendar, such as Kylie, Britney, Dua Lipa, Pet Shop Boys, Sister Sledge and Fatboy Slim. This year, they’ve struck gold again, with Christina Aguilera, Paloma Faith, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Jake Shears and Ana Matronic from the Scissor Sisters and Lyra are just a handful of the acts scheduled to perform. In addition to the We Are Fabuloso event, the community parade will wind its way through the city, which is also hosting a glut of associated events, such as a dog show, drag performances, comedy, poetry and plenty more besides. This year’s theme is “Love, Protest and Unity” with 2022 marking the 30th anniversary of Pride celebrations in this southcoast city.