Amsterdam is an absolute blast during Pride week, which usually runs up to and including the first Saturday of August, and includes hundreds of ace LGBTQ+ events across the city. This epic festival of love, diversity and inclusion draws in over half a million visitors, all eager to get involved in the huge club nights, street parties and cultural events that have become its calling cards. Then there’s the parade. Not just any old Pride parade, this one takes place along the Dam’s famous canals and lasts for much of the afternoon, kicking off an all-day party that continues well into the wee small hours. Hop aboard for our guide to all the best things to do in Amsterdam during Pride Week…
Pride March
Amsterdam’s Pride’s opening event is an absolute corker. Get dressed in your brightest, most flamboyant colors for the annual Pride March, a love-soaked meander through central Amsterdam that (while the route varies year by year) will generally take you along picturesque canals and down cobbled streets, passing major attractions like the splendid Rijksmuseum along the way. Inspiring opening speeches are followed by much singing, dancing and general merriment as the festival gets into its stride at the opening party after the march, with live performers, food stalls and bars galore.
Find out more about this year’s Pride Walk here.
Pride Park
Slap bang in the middle of Amsterdam’s lush Vondelpark, Pride Park runs in tandem with the opening march, with all manner of festive fun and games for the whole family. There’s an open-air theater, plus live music, sporting activities and more. There’s even a special area especially for kids. The Junior Pride x Pride Park event comes complete with bouncy castles, popcorn and cotton candy, and there are plenty more things to do in and around the park if the kids get bored (or they need to run off some of that sugar-based energy).
Check out our guide to Vondelpark and Amsterpark here.
LoveSwim
“We don’t even swim straight.” So goes the tagline of this fun annual event, which sees hundreds of willing participants plunge into the Amstel River in support of LGBTQ+ causes. You’ll need to register well in advance if you want to take part, with distances starting at just 250 meters meaning swimmers of (almost) all abilities can dive in from the famous platform and take part. Of course, you could show your support by simply spectating instead: it’s drier, for a start. There’s also a bar and several food stalls, and everyone knows there’s nothing worse than a soggy falafel wrap. Live DJs keep the party atmosphere going throughout.
Find out more and register to take part here.
Cultural Events at Amsterdam Pride
Culture vultures rejoice! Amsterdam Pride has dozens of events just for you. We’re talking the likes of open-air cinema, queer walking tours, gay improv comedy, even fetish-friendly classical music concerts. It’s also worth checking out some of Amsterdam’s museums. Many, including the famous Rijksmuseum, put on special tours during Pride, highlighting the work of LGBTQ+ artists and exploring themes around sexuality and gender in art.
Find out more about queer cultural events across Amsterdam here.
Milkshake Festival
An open-minded and inclusive electronic music and dance festival, Milkshake generally runs across Pride’s opening weekend, bringing high-energy techno, house, pop, disco and r’n’b to the masses. Rustle up your best outfit and get ready for a three-day love-fest that includes international DJs, drag acts and musicians – performers in previous years include Ana Matronic, The Blessed Madonna and Ultra Nate. Expect multiple dance floors, a huge inflatable pink church and many more epic entertainments. There are usually also all-night after parties at the legendary Paradiso venue on the Saturday and Sunday nights of the festival. You’ll need to book well in advance for both events – these are hugely popular and tend to sell out fast.
Get more info on Milkshake here.
Canal Parade
The absolute centerpiece of Amsterdam Pride is the quite extraordinary and frankly eye-popping flotilla that is the annual Canal Parade. This marks the grand finale to a week of Pride events and takes place on the first Saturday of August. We won’t sugar-coat this: the route gets *extremely* busy both on and off the water during the parade. On the plus side, it’s seven kilometers long, so do your research to find the less crowded areas, or go all in and wake up early to bag your spot on one of the (unsurprisingly) popular canal bridges. For this is where you’re guaranteed the very best views, photo opportunities and, well, bragging rights. The parade starts in the east of the city at around noon, reaching popular Prinsengracht about an hour later, and continuing on through the canals towards the Westerdok. But that ain’t the end of the party. Far from it, in fact…
Parties!
Pride Amsterdam’s official closing party takes place in front of the opulent Royal Palace on on Dam Square, featuring a huge stage and performers from around the world. But there are plenty more options available, not least the huge number of street parties that will be taking place across the city, including a big one at Amstelveld just off the Canal Parade route. Afterwards, hit up some of Amsterdam’s best clubs, where the post-Pride party goes into overdrive. Try FunHouse, Taboo, the Paradiso and Club NYX for some of the best Pride events in town.
Best of the Rest: Amsterdam’s Top Attractions
So you’re mainly in Amsterdam for Pride. But don’t let that stop you checking out some of this Venice of the North’s many fine attractions. You could save up to 50% on a variety of tours, activities and attractions with a Go Amsterdam pass, including bucket-listers like…
- Sampling one of Amsterdam’s greatest exports at the Heineken Experience.
- Saying ‘hey’ to Lady Gaga, Harry Styles and the Incredible Hulk at Madame Tussauds.
- Having a poke around Rembrandt’s old house.
- Ogling masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age at the incredible Rijksmuseum.
- Taking a cruise along the Amsterdam canals (though not during the parade, obvs).
- Letting loose at an 80s-themed roller disco, complete with glitter balls and neon lights.
- … and many more!
Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.
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