Yes, the OG Pride parade was held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, but the festivities and parades march onward through July and August, and to ensure you get the most out of these months of love, we’ve rounded up where to stay during Pride from Amsterdam to Reykjavik.
Alongside the best LGBT+-friendly hotels in Berlin, Barcelona and beyond, we’ve plotted out the parade routes and will point you to the liveliest spots for celebrating unity, equality, and queer joy. Let’s party…
LONDON
London’s no stranger to glitter-strewn revels, with a wealth of LGBT+ bars and clubs and a very welcoming attitude. But come June, they kick things into a high gear, with drag brunches, cabaret shows, go-hard raves, DJ nights, Pride’s Got Talent showcases, sign-making meet-ups and everything coming up rainbows (there are some especially colourful food collabs). In fact, it’s a miracle that the around 1.5 million attendees actually make it to the parade on the 1 July rather than sleep off nights sprinkled with confetti shot from a cannon.
The plan
Arrive early, the streets will be heaving with bodies (easy now). The parade begins at Hyde Park Corner, where observers can get a first glimpse, and then sashays through central London to Piccadilly Circus, down Haymarket where there’s an official grandstand, through Trafalgar Square (a popular viewing point), before ending at Whitehall.
The after party
The parade will take around six hours to run its course, but several stages are set up en route too. At Trafalgar Square there’ll be LGBT+ icons and allies Idina Menzel, Adam Lambert and Todrick Hall performing, and talks by activists such as Asifa Lahore and Jake and Hannah Graf. At Leicester Square there’ll be poetry and drag performances, DJs will man the decks in Soho Square, and winners of Pride’s Got Talent will be revealed on Dean Street.
Where to sleep (or not)
Rather than inch your way towards a Tube station at the end of the night, bag a bedroom close to the parade route. We recommend the old-school LGBT+ haunt of Soho, not just because there are many places to drink and dance the rest of the night away (the Admiral Duncan, G-A-Y, Village, Little Ku, the Yard…), but because boutique hotels such as Dean Street Townhouse, Kettner’s and Hazlitt’s are all stylish bunk-up spots – the latter’s exceedingly grand beds (and the toilet that’s an actual throne in one suite) add a welcome touch of camp.
BARCELONA
The Spanish capital is as effusively gay as Pedro Almodóvar’s filmography – it even has its own LGBT+ district called Gaixample (at the heart of the Eixample neighbourhood), home to vivacious bars and clubs (such as Pervert and Arena Madre), and the world’s first hotel to have to dub itself ‘hetero-friendly’.
Pride BCN (which runs from 14 to 15 July, with the parade on the last day) is just one in a run of celebrations, with a roster of events preceding, and the Circuit Festival following in August, when thousands of gym-honed bods are unsheathed for waterpark and pool parties, and till late DJ nights. But, Pride is a biggie, drawing hundreds of thousands, and this year the spotlight is turned to intergenerational dialogue, doffing a rainbow-hued hat to LGBT+ pioneers.
The plan
The lavish floats of the parade follow the rainbow from Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies (at 5pm), along Avinguda del Paral·lel, before finishing at Plaza España. There are parties before and after – and, well, during too.
The after party
Taking to the stage will be Mexican singer Paulina Rubio, two-time Eurovision Song Contest winner Loreen, and rapper Ptazeta, among others. Head along Poble Sec, and you’ll hit kinkier nightspot Berlin Dark and colourful art-themed drinkery La Federica. Or amble up the Gran Via to Eixample for a whole troupe of late-night venues.
Where to sleep (or not)
There are plentiful stylish stays in Eixample – for poolside posing, try Sir Victor or Ohla, both of which have spectacular sundowner views. Or feel right at home in Destination BCN’s magazine-spread-worthy apartments.
BERLIN
Bi, gay, lesbian, queer, trans, genderfluid: when it comes to alt scenes, there’s very little Berlin doesn’t do – it’s very much a come one, come all kinda place, an attitude that dates back to the early-19th-century Weimar era.
The city’s foremost ‘gayborhood’ is Schöneberg, especially its ‘rainbow district’ Nollendorfplatz; and LGBT+ culture is given a megaphone here, with themed walking tours, the Schwules Museum, queer film screenings, and nightlife that ranges from flirty to hardcore (including the darker rooms of famed Berghain). And the events leading up to Pride show the diversity of Berlin’s scene, ranging from toddler playgroups for rainbow families to shibari demos and BDSM parties.
The plan
The parade (AKA, the Christopher Street Day parade or CSD) is on 22 July, from 11.30am and kicks off at Leipziger Straße in Mitte, moving on to Potsdamer Platz, through Nollendorfplatz and the Tiergarten, and finishing at the Brandenburg Gate.
The after party
Take your pick – three separate parties kick off the evening of the parade between 6pm and 9pm: Girls night for queer women, Bi-licious and the official Pride Party. But really, across the city you’ll find a revel to suit your tastes; say, the lower-key Zum Schmutzigen Hobby, noted cruising spot Ficken 3000, bear bar Woof, or lesbian bar Himmelreich Cafe.
Where to sleep (or not)
Assume a position close to Schöneberg, either at Wilmina hotel, a former prison turned symbol of forward-thinking and hope, which seems resonant with Pride. Or Sir Savigny may suit you, with its dapper dress and wallet-friendly prices.
AMSTERDAM
‘You are included’ is the theme of Amsterdam’s Pride this year, and all are very welcome. It’s a celebration that’s at once cultured, with poetry readings, photography and art expos, anthropological symposiums and open-air cinema screenings; and has its dancing shoes and harness on, with no less than 20 parties from 4 to 6 August, running till midnight – so, pace yourself.
The parade itself is distinctly Amsterdammer in style, carried out on canal boats; and you’ll need to buy a Pride vignette to attend. And afterwards, this not-quite-as-sinful-as-it-was city can still provide some late-night naughtiness.
The plan
The preened-up boats take a semicircular route through the city’s waterways, through five different zones, on 5 August. Nieuwe Herengracht’s National Maritime Museum is the kick-off point, then the floats pass the Amstel River into Prisengracht before stopping at the Westerdok.
The after party
You’re spoilt for choice. Perhaps head to Dam Square to join the throng round the main stage, catch a drag act at the Queen’s Head in the Red-Light District, cosy up in the pink cocoon that is Prik bar, knock back a few at Café Reality, or dive into Crash’s fetish party – there’s different strokes for all kinds of folks here.
Where to sleep (or not)
The closest hotel to LGBT+ quarter Reguliersdwarsstraat is Soho House Amsterdam who – alongside being one of the coolest stay in a city whose cool bar is set high – also know how to throw a party for the ages (after all, their members are the city’s movers and shakers). Last year they teamed up with festival organisers Milkshake and invited local performers and this year is sure to be one to remember (or not).
STOCKHOLM
Progressive and liberal, with exemplary taste, are descriptors often thrown at Sweden, so it’s unsurprising that they have a stonker of a Pride event, and are widely considered to be the gay capital of the Nordics.
Consider the country’s culture (burly Vikings, the high camp of Abba, swung-all-ways actress Greta Garbo, dance queen Robyn…) and you’ll see it was born that way; however, there’s no delineated LGBT+ neighbourhood – just head to the hipper parts or Gamla Stan and Södermalm. But, you’ll find people of all persuasions flocking to the three main venues from 31 July to 5 August: Pride House, Pride Park and the Pride parade.
The plan
Come join the ‘manifestation of love for equal human rights’ at Norr Mälarstrand (near the city hall) at 1pm, then follow it along Kungsgatan and Sturegatan to the finish line at Östermalms IP where Pride Park is set. If you’re arriving in a large group you’ll need to register by 21 July.
The after party
For your pre-game, pop into Pride House (open 11am to 5pm) to attend talks and workshops and see LGBT+ artworks. Then, at Pride Park, see who’s playing on the main stage or get loose at Pride Kinky; or leather up at SLM, find femme-on-femme action at Moxy, or dance the night away at Club Backdoor.
Where to sleep (or not)
Find a boutique hotel with the best possible taste at Ett Hem (meaning ‘a home’ in Swedish) a very desirable residence tailored to a tee by designer Ilse Crawford, which also sits close to the parade route. And another style hub you can simply stumble to is Miss Clara – all parquet flooring and bentwood chairs in a shell by starchitect Gert Wingårdh.
REYKJAVIK
Last time we were in Reykjavik, we popped into cool-as-ice shop Kiosk on main drag Laugavegur, and found ourselves a bedazzled jacket with Angela Lansbury on the back. If that – alongside the chance to nip out to magical mossy vistas on a whim and a very louche hook-up culture (hey, it is cold here) – isn’t a sign that Pride will be amazing here, then we don’t know what is.
Celebrations take place from 8 to 13 August, with the parade on the twelfth, so you might not get the midnight sun, but at least around 11pm sun – not that it matters, on weekends some bars are open until 5am (alcohol’s only sold at state liquor stores called Vínbúð, so unless you stock up at the airport to pre-game, then you’ll be going out out).
The plan
Icelandic place names have a more-is-more approach to vowels and accents, but luckily the parade route is pretty clear-cut. You’ll start off by the striking Hallgrímskirkja church, then march along rainbow-painted Skólavörðustígur, down Lækjargata (pausing to browse the small but ‘oi’-ful Punk Museum), Fríkirkjuvegur (where you can take a break in the National Gallery), and Sóleyjargata, before stopping at Hljómskála Park, usually a peaceful picnicking spot, but likely to be a site of much revelry.
The after party
The programme is under wraps for now, but Reykjavik will keep you up late. Kiki Queer Bar lives up to its name, Dillon Whisky Bar has an intriguing drinks list (including a home-distilled sipper), Bravo has a good DJ roster, and Bastard Bar is fun to say (with some solid American comfort food and cheeky attitude).
Where to sleep (or not)
Sandhotel is placed in between a bakery and a tailors, so impeccable snacking awaits – and it’s set along the city’s main drag, so it’s a handy catnapping spot too. Or bunk up at design-led Ion Hotel, which has a renowned Moroccan restaurant, starkly stylish interiors and some rooms with views of Hallgrímskirkja.
If it’s all been a bit much, can we point you to the Retreat at Blue Lagoon for some restorative soaking?
And, let your Pride flow over, by investigating Denver’s queer art scene, supporting LGBT+ hoteliers, or finding out how we can make travel safe and fun for all.