Canal Parade kicks off two-week Queer & Pride; hundreds of thousands visitors expected

Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected again on Saturday for the Canal Parade in Amsterdam. The boat parade with 80 boats is part of the first two-week Queer & Pride. This year, two different parties have each organized their own week. The Canal Parade is at the end of the second week, which ends on Sunday with a closing party on Dam Square.

The participating boats take up the theme #YouAreIncluded in their own way. This year, many different parties are also participating in the Canal Parade, which is taking place for the 26th time. These include the PrEPnu Foundation, the Queer & Sober Foundation, Parea Netherlands, ARTIS Zoo, and the broadcaster AVROTROS.

Furthermore, the LGBTQ+ organization COC Netherlands calls on politicians to "stop the stagnation of LGBTQ+ emancipation." More and more people from the LGBTQ+ community feel insecure and fewer people have a positive attitude toward this group, COC Netherlands says. The organization hopes for action from politicians and therefore is not only sending letters to political parties but also hanging banners with this message along the parade route.

The Canal Parade starts at noon at the Oosterdok and goes via the Nieuwe Herengracht, the Amstel, and the Prinsengracht to the Westerdok, where the last boat arrives around 5 p.m. This year, Splinter Chabot will host the AVROTROS live broadcast around the Canal Parade on NPO 1, assisted by Charisa Chotoe and Shay Kreuger. The Canal Parade can also be followed on AT5, Salto, and OUTtv.

Queer Amsterdam was responsible for the first week of Queer & Pride, and the foundations Pride Amsterdam and Andreas Cultuurfonds are responsible for the second week. Hospitality entrepreneurs first organized Amsterdam Gay Pride in 1996 as a "gift" to the city to celebrate freedom and diversity. They decided to hold a parade over the water and created the Canal Parade.