WorldPride starts with unveiling of permanent Walk of Pride monument through Amsterdam

Pride Month officially kicked off on Wednesday evening at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam with the unveiling of the Walk of Pride. It is a walking route from Dam Square to the Homomonument on the Westermarkt, marked by 53 bronze tiles.

Each tile is dedicated to a person who has made an exceptional contribution to LGBTQIA+ emancipation. Among them are transgender pioneer Dirkje Kuik, politician Annemarie Grewel, Black writer Edgar Cairo, and merchant Jillis Bruggeman, the last person in the Netherlands to be executed for 'sodomy,' sex with someone of the same sex. That was in 1803.

The unveiling came at the end of the opening ceremony at De Nieuwe Kerk. Hosted by Cornald Maas, the event featured performances, speeches, and conversations. Spoken word artist Zaire Kriger read her Rainbow Poem, and Jeangu Macrooy and Paul de Leeuw’s son, Toby, sang the song Mr Blue. The exhibition ‘Queer Amsterdam, the Pink City’ was also opened. It showcases four centuries of the capital’s queer history.

In a video message, Mayor Femke Halsema praised this exhibition, which will be open to the public from Thursday. “Queer life has brought Amsterdam an incredible amount. And all the stories deserve to be preserved, shared, and passed on. This is especially important right now. Because time teaches us that the freedoms fought for by previous generations are never to be taken for granted,” said Halsema.

Former Canadian top swimmer Mark Tewksbury gave the Pride Talk. He described the long road to his coming out at a time when being gay was not yet accepted in sports. Like Halsema, he warned that while much has been achieved for and by the rainbow community, resting on one’s laurels is not yet an option.

“We must not become complacent; we must listen to the warning signals. Yes, recent polls show that the vast majority of Dutch people support the LGBTI community. But a small minority that does not is more powerful, aggressive, and hateful than ever,” Tewksbury said. “Standing up against that is necessary in 2026.”

Later this month, on July 25, WorldPride begins, an international edition lasting two weeks that will be opened in Vondelpark by Queen Maxima. The Canal Parade takes place halfway through. It is the first time that Amsterdam is hosting WorldPride. The occasion is the 25th anniversary of the world’s first same-sex marriage happening in the Netherlands.