Amsterdam turns rainbow colors for Queer & Pride 2024
From tomorrow, Amsterdam will be dressed in rainbow colors for Queer & Pride Amsterdam 2024. The event kicks off with the Pride March and closes with a party on Dam Square, with all kinds of events in between, including the famous Canal Parade.
This year, the Queer & Pride event is all about combating polarization with “together” as the theme. “Especially at a time when rainbow identities are increasingly under pressure internationally, and people are losing their freedoms, it is important that everyone finds each other again,” the organizers wrote on their website.
The festivities kick off with the Pride March, in which participants demonstrate for equal rights for the LGBTQIA+ community worldwide. This year, the march is organized by the Pride Amsterdam foundation. It starts at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at the Amstelveld - a place with historical value. The first Dutch Pride March was organized here in 1977 by the International Lesbian Alliance.
Junior Pride is also happening on Saturday in the Vondelpark. There will be bouncy castles for the kids, performances, and lectures for parents and children.
Next week Saturday, August 3, is the Canal Parade, in which 80 boats decorated by LGBTQIA+ organizations and networks, political parties, companies, and interest groups will sail the Amsterdam canals. The parade starts at the Oosterdok at noon and ends at the Westerdok at 6:00 p.m.
Next weekend will also see street parties at various locations in the city. Several LGBTQIA+ bars and clubs will be hosting parties on their terraces or in front of their doors. The closing party on Sunday will happen on Dam Square from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Every year, the police warn Pride attendees to be alert to pickpockets. Crowded streets of partying people are an ideal target for this type of criminal. Turn on find your phone, and don’t carry your devices in your back pocket.
Also remember that public urination is an offense and carries a fine of 140 euros. Extra toilets will be placed throughout the city during Queer & Pride. A map of where they’re located can be found here.
