Prague Pride returns this year with an emphasis on traditions and inclusion

The 13th annual Prague Pride festival will be back in full force from Aug. 7 to 13, with over 150 events throughout the city including the popular Rainbow Parade. While the main focus is the LGBTQ+ community, everyone is welcome to participate. The theme for this year's festival is "traditions," their significance in society, and their relevance to the queer community.

"Traditions are often seen as natural because they have been passed down through generations. However, it's important to critically evaluate whether these traditions still serve their original purpose or if they have become outdated relics. We wanted to shed light on the fact that queer people have always been part of our society, challenging the notion that they are incompatible with tradition," festival director Kamila Fröhlichová said.

The festival’s diverse range of events will span various locations across Prague. Thanks to the generous support from crowdfunding, the community program in Pride Village on Střelecký ostrov has been preserved. In addition, Pride House will return to SK Start Praha on the opposite side of the island, offering an educational and discussion program. To extend the festivities into the night, the underground spaces of KKafé will transform into the Pride Club.

The intergenerational program, centered around themes of tradition, will be hosted at Pride Life, the headquarters of the organization Život 90. Another addition is the Pride Gallery, housed at Langhans Cafe, showcasing exhibitions of queer art throughout the festival week. For foreign participants, the newly introduced Pride Café at Dorado Coffee on Betlémské náměstí will serve as a focal point. Most events during Prague Pride are free of charge.

As always, the festival highlight is the Rainbow Parade, taking place on Saturday, Aug. 12. It will start on Wenceslas Square and culminate in Pride Park at the plain in Letná, with music and events into the evening. The full program of performers has yet to be announced.

In an effort to promote environmental responsibility, this year's parade will again exclude cars with internal combustion engines and dance cars powered by generators. It went car-free last year as well.

Prague Pride with a parade was held for the first time in 2011. Back then it sparked protests. In the following years, the number of protesters diminished and the size of the parade grew. In 2020 and 2021, the parade was canceled because of the pandemic, but last year up to 60,000 people attended.

The complete program for Prague Pride 2023 will be available in July on the festival's official website. Festival patrons include Interior Minister Vít Rakušan, Foreign Affairs Minister Jan Lipavský, Regional Development Minister Ivan Bartoš, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová, Prague 1 Mayor Terezie Radoměřská, and Prague 7 Deputy Mayor Hana Třeštíková.