Brussels Pride is an annual event celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community in Brussels. It takes place each year around 17 May, coinciding with the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). The event brings together associations, institutions, and thousands of participants to promote the values of openness, diversity, and inclusion.[1]
The celebration consists of several main components. The Pride March is a festive parade through the streets of Brussels featuring floats, music, and participants dressed in colourful costumes and accessories. The Pride Village gathers public and private organisations that provide information and raise awareness about LGBTQIA+ rights and issues, while the Pride Stage, located on the Mont des Arts, hosts performances by Belgian and Brussels-based artists, many from the LGBTQIA+ community. The Rainbow Village, situated in the historic St James Quarter, unites local associations and LGBTQIA+ venues that organise numerous events in the days leading up to and during the Pride.[1]
In addition to the main parade, Pride Week offers ten days of activities across Brussels, including workshops, debates, concerts, performances, and community gatherings. These are organised by artists, activists, and collectives, with projects selected by a cultural council. Over the years, Brussels Pride has become a major cultural and activist event in Belgium, open to both members of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies celebrating equality and diversity.[1]
History
The origins of Brussels Pride are closely linked to the international LGBTQIA+ rights movement that began with the Stonewall riots in New York City on the night of 27–28 June 1969. When police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, the ensuing resistance from lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender patrons marked a turning point in the global struggle for equal rights. The riots inspired LGBTQIA+ activism worldwide, including in Belgium, though the original news of Stonewall barely reached the country at the time.[1]
Belgium's first Gay Day took place on 18 March 1978 at the Floraliënpaleis in Ghent, organised by De Rooie Vlinder, a left-wingfeminist collective with a more activist approach than the moderate Federatie Werkgroepen Homofilie[nl] (FWH).[2] A second Gay Day followed in Antwerp on 5 May 1979, featuring the evening event Janettennacht (lit.'Sissies Night'), meant to celebrate gay pride and including the country's first-ever march through city streets. The third edition was held on 28 June 1980 in Brussels, co-organised by the FWH and the Brussels CCL,. It was the first to make an explicit connection to the Stonewall riots[3] and also aimed to include women as part of a “Day for Gays and Lesbians.” However, it only drew around 1,000 participants, the majority of whom were Flemish.[1]
In 1981, the demonstration returned to Antwerp,[1][3] but after De Rooie Vlinder disbanded and divisions arose within the FWH, regular Pink Saturdays[nl] ceased during the 1980s.[4] Lesbian groups, feeling underrepresented, began organising their own Lesbian Day events in 1983, later renamed L-day[nl] and held annually in Ghent from 1986 onwards.[5]
Inspired by the Dutch Roze Zaterdag, the FWH and Roze Aktiefront[nl] (RAF) joined forces to form a new committee, leading to a revived Pink Saturday in Antwerp on 5 May 1990. Biennial editions followed in Ghent (1992), Antwerp (1994), and finally Brussels in 1996.[1][6] Around 4,500 participants attended the 1996 event, which was officially named the Belgian Lesbian and Gay Pride (BLGP),[1] a title chosen to unite Belgium's three linguistic communities under a single English name. Despite this, the term Roze Zaterdag remained in common use.[6]
In 1996, the non-profit organisation Belgian Lesbian and Gay Pride, Roze Zaterdag, Samedi Rose was founded to coordinate the Pride events in Brussels.[7] That year's edition brought together participants from Brussels, Wallonia, and abroad, and its success led to the decision to host the Pride annually in the capital from then on. The early marches were highly activist, with ten major demands displayed in 1997, including anti-discrimination laws and legal recognition for same-sex couples. Legislative progress soon followed: Belgium adopted legal cohabitation (1998), an anti-discrimination law (2002), same-sex marriage (2003), and adoption rights for all couples (2006).[1]
In 2009, the slogan “Pride for Everyone” reflected the growing inclusivity of the event.[1] It was renamed The Belgian Pride,[8] and in 2012 it became a formal collaboration with visit.brussels, the city's tourism office. Attendance tripled within five years, reaching 100,000 participants in 2015, a year focused on transgender rights. Despite the terrorist attacks in March 2016, the Pride went ahead with a modified route, the main stage was moved from the Bourse to Mont des Arts, which became the event's permanent home as the Bourse had turned into a memorial site.[1][9]
For the 2017 Pride, several rainbow initiatives were launched in Brussels, including rainbow crosswalks, LGBTQ-themed traffic lights, a rainbow-coloured bus, and buildings illuminated in rainbow hues. Attendance ranged from 55,000 to 90,000 according to police and organisers.[10] The 2018 edition reached a historic peak, featuring over 70 events between 4 and 20 May, attracting more than 140,000 visitors for Pride Week[11] and around 100,000 spectators for the parade.[12] The theme #YourLocalPower encouraged local engagement for LGBTQIA+ inclusion and wellbeing.[11]
In March 2020, organisers announced that companies and political parties wishing to participate would be screened on their gender inclusion policies and adherence to the Pride's five key principles.[13] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 parade was postponed[14] and later cancelled entirely.[15] The 2021 edition also could not take place in its traditional form; instead, online events were held alongside Q.Artz, a new multidisciplinaryarts festival in Brussels celebrating LGBTQIA+ artists and cultural initiatives.[16]
When the event finally returned in 2022, it drew around 120,000 participants.[1] That same year, following internal disputes and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisation of the Pride festivities shifted from the non-profit The Belgian Pride to RainbowHouse Brussels[nl]. The event was relaunched under the name Rainbow Festival, while visit.brussels continued to handle the logistical aspects.[7]
In 2023, the event officially adopted its current name, Brussels Pride, highlighting its international visibility and strong connection to the city. However, tensions and financial difficulties led to the official bankruptcy of the non-profit The Belgian Pride in October 2024. The Brussels commercial court declared the association bankrupt on 8 October, citing outstanding debts.[7]
In 2023, the event officially adopted its current name, Brussels Pride, highlighting its international visibility and strong connection to the city.[7] On 13 September 2024,[1] the Brussels-Capital Region added Brussels Pride to its Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This recognition made Brussels Pride only the second Pride in the world to benefit from such institutional acknowledgment. Looking ahead, a transnational application led by Amsterdam is planned to be submitted to UNESCO in the coming years, aiming for official recognition of Pride worldwide and reinforcing the protection of LGBTQIA+ rights globally at a time of renewed challenges.[17]
A few weeks later, on 8 October 2024, the Brussels commercial court declared the non-profit The Belgian Pride bankrupt, citing outstanding debts. Internal conflicts, the loss of subsidies, and the transfer of activities to RainbowHouse Brussels had left the organisation without resources.[7]
1 2 3 4 Hanan Scheers, Thierry (2017). "Internationale invloeden op de Belgische LGBT-beweging" [International influences on the Belgian LGBT movement.]. ZIZO (in Flemish).
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