Prague Pride program: Suggestions how to spend an amazing queer weekend
- Prague Pride
Prague is a pleasant city with romantic architecture and a tolerant society, even though we are still fighting for the right to raise the rainbow flag on the city hall. This year we need a big international participation to support us in our pursuit of equal rights for the LGBT people in the Czech Republic – the bill ensuring the right to marry for gay and lesbian couples has just been presented to the Parliament and its members could start debating it in September.
Prague Pride is taking place on 6-12 August with a new festival director and some new features too. Here are some tips how to enjoy a wonderful queer weekend with us:
Queer Weekend
Prague Pride offers fun and activities with a focus on human rights. Visitors coming for a long weekend will manage in one go the tourist experiences, dancing, partying and the biggest Pride parade in Eastern Europe. How could your weekend program look like?
On Friday before noon we recommend a Prague LGBT tour. In the afternoon you can visit the international Vogue dance competition Pride Ball Apocalypse, and in the evening the big music show Dance Divas with Heather Small from M People, this year’s Czech representative at Eurovision Mikolas Josef, and 30 more artists. Saturday is a big day because of the Pride Parade and the 3-stage music afternoon at the Pride Park. Then it’s the official Prague Pride after party Dirty Dirty Dancing on an old cargo ship anchored on the Vltava river. Sunday before your return home you could chill out in the Pride Village at the leisurely Pride Picnic with music, great drinks and snacks.
Special Program for Lesbians
This year’s program includes a significantly greater number of activities for the lesbians, from quick ladies‘ dating to discussions, debates and lesbian parties. For the first time the Prague Pride team is organizing our very own queer femme party Beaver (Bobr), featuring performances by the Swedish pop star Beatrice Eli, the Berlin performer Tami T., and the Czech promoter of female DJ-ing Mary C.
LGBT situation in Prague
Prague Pride isn’t a commercial pride as you are used to seeing in Western Europe. It is a way to stand up for LGBT rights in Czechia.
Being a gateway to the East, Prague is a steady mixture of the West's open-mindedness with an atmosphere of a former post-communist state.
It is a safe and welcoming place for LGBT tourists and they can fully enjoy the LGBT festival without any harassment nor police presence.
Currently, an equal marriage campaign is running in Czechia. LGBT citizens do not have the right to love and marry as they choose. Registered partnership was introduced in the country in 2006.
International Guests - meet them in person
This year’s Prague Pride main host is the Dutch transgender model Loiza Lamers. She is the winner of the popular contest Holland's Next Top Model and she shot a photo campaign with the trans model Benjamin Melzer for Diesel and for the animal rights organization PETA. Loiza is taking part in the parade as Grand Marshal and will participate in the talk show Pride Voices, focused on inspiring world LGBT personalities. Other speakers will be the organizer of the famous Vienna Life Ball Gery Keszler, the religious HIV activist from Britain Philip Baldwin, the Swiss historian studying the lives of lesbian seniors Corinne Rufli and the Slovak dancer Jaro Vinarsky. His performance Only 4 This Moment is taking place on Friday evening at the Pride Village.
Prague Pride Parade
Last year 35,000 people took part in the rainbow parade. We believe that the crowd will be even bigger this time. On Saturday 11 August we are meeting at Vaclavske Namesti (Venceslas Square) at St. Václav’s statue. Because of construction work in Prague’s main square the route of the parade is different this year. But it stills goes to the park at Letna, where we will have three music DJ and live stages, refreshments and a Queer Market.
This year the VIP zone at Letna will be for the first time open to the public. A limited amount of 100 tickets are available for sale. Admission to parties, parade floats and festival attire are part of the VIP packages which are already on sale.
Participant information
A complete Prague Pride 2018 program can be found on this website HERE.
You can download a festival mobile app CONVENE Prague Pride - contains the festival program and Google maps with all festival venues.
You can already download a Prague Pride 2018 map with the Parade route, program tips and practical recommendations for visitors from abroad. The print version of the map will be available at Pride Village, Pride House or at the official Prague Pride Tourist Info Center, located at Legerova 48.
Read about the festival in Prague Pride Mag. A free copy will be available at festival venues and at the official Prague Pride Tourist Info Center.
Maps and Prague Pride Mag will be included in VIP packs that you can order HERE.
