Antwerp Pride 2025: The Largest Parade Ever Hits Antwerp

Antwerp Pride is set to break records this weekend as 90 delegations prepare to join Saturday’s parade, making it the biggest edition since the event began 18 years ago. This is a notable increase from last year’s 85 delegations, underscoring the event’s growing significance in the city and beyond. The Pride Parade, the heart of the celebrations, will wind through central Antwerp and along the Scheldt quays, ensuring rainbow visibility across the city.

This year’s Pride kicked off on Wednesday night at the OLT Rivierenhof in Deurne, launching five days of festivities. Until Sunday, Antwerp—renowned as the diamond capital—will be animated by the LGBTQIA+ community and supporters. Saturday’s parade will feature a diverse line-up, including high-profile delegations like the Walt Disney Company, the Federation of Funeral Directors, sex worker advocacy group Eros Elite, and Balkan Pride.

New Broadcast Milestone

A major innovation this year is the live broadcast of the parade by Proximus, accessible throughout French-speaking Belgium. Last year, the Flemish feed attracted over 495,000 viewers, and organizers expect this figure to grow as streaming expands nationwide. You can tune in and follow the parade via Proximus Pickx+ and the official Antwerp Pride website, plus a broad range of platforms:

Parade Details

The parade starts at 2:00PM at Brouwersvliet. Gathering for participants begins at 11:00AM at Hessenplein, set to the music of Qmusic and a performance by Red Sebastian. The route follows Antwerp’s iconic waterfront, then heads via Kloosterstraat and Scheldestraat to the Love United Festival at Cockerillkaai, where the celebration will continue with concerts and parties. Water stations and new “waste islands” will be set up along the route in a bid to keep Pride sustainable and accessible for all.

Largest, Most Inclusive Yet

What makes Antwerp Pride unique is its blend of celebration, activism, and commitment to inclusion. The 2025 theme—“Do Not Just March. Listen. Understand. Commit.”—underlines a call to both visible protest and genuine social engagement. Beyond a colourful spectacle, Antwerp Pride remains a rallying point for diversity, solidarity, and freedom.

Nicknamed “the diamond city,” Antwerp is shining brighter than ever this August, welcoming participants and onlookers from around the world. With an expanding roster of sponsors, including global brands and local businesses, and a new broadcast reaching wider audiences, this record-breaking Antwerp Pride is set to be historic.

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