The sixteenth edition of Antwerp Pride will themed 'Braveolution'.
The announcement came on January 29th during the organisation's reception. During the festival, which will be held from 9 to 13 August 2023, the whole of Antwerp will be turned into a 'brave space', where the LGBTQIA+ community can be themselves.
The Antwerp Pride organisers stated that much has already been achieved in our society in terms of equal rights and tolerance, for which we should be happy, but states that “in reality, a lot of courage is still needed to take certain very simple step. If Antwerp were a brave space, everyone could develop into who they are within a respectful society and with the support of fellow citizens, colleagues, family, government…,” said Antwerp Pride spokesperson Wilfried Eetezonne.“ Then it would be normal to walk hand in hand with someone of the same gender identity or to dress in a way that goes against the imposed heteronormative rules ”.
There will be many cultural events as well as parties during the Pride Weekend and the programme will be released in the next few weeks.
The recent floods that have plagued New Zealand's North Island have cause the postponement of the country's biggest LGBT+ Pride event. The Big Gay Out event was set to be held at Coyle Park, Auckland on Sunday, 12 February - it's now been pushed back a month to Sunday, 12 March.
The organisers said the decision came after the council told Auckland Pride it was unsafe to hold the event. The new date "allows time for the council to repair any park damage and ensure it is safe to hold the event".
Around 15,000 people are expected to attend the event, which will feature a number of artists and public figures set to take the stage.
Running since 2000, the event comes back in 2023 after having been cancelled last year due to COVID.
The 2023 Prague Pride will be held from August 7th to 13th. Throughout the week, it will host a range of cultural, sporting, and entertainment events.
On Saturday, August 12th, a colourful march, which last year attracted a record-breaking 60,000 participants will take place. Participants will gather on Wenceslas Square and march for over 3 kilometres through the major streets of the city to Letna Park starting at 12:30pm
The Pride Village will be located on Strelecky Island and will be featuring live music and shows throughout the week from 6pm until 10pm. The after parade party on Saturday 13th August will also be held there.
This year the famous Sydney Mardi Gras Parade returns to to its traditional Oxford Street route after two years in which it has been held at the SCG Stadium due to COVID prevention measures.
The route will be the same – however symbolically, it will have extra significance, because the New South Wales government has added the Oxford Street parade route to the state’s heritage register, in commemoration of its 45th anniversary and just before what will be the city’s biggest Mardi Gras with Sydney also hosting the WorldPride festival.
The listing includes parts of Oxford Street, Flinders Street, Anzac Parade and Darlinghurst Road, as well as the Darlinghurst Police Station, where LGBTQ+ protesters were hauled to and detained in 1978, sparking the annual protest and pride parade that is now known as Mardi Gras.
The only building included in the listing is the former Darlinghurst Police Station, which the City of Sydney plans to turn into an LGBTQ museum.
Australian authorities have recommended visitors to the forthcoming Sydney Mardi Gras/World Pride event to get vaccinated against Monkeypox ahead of travelling to the event.
According to ABC News, infection cases have dropped in many countries since the peak of last year. In Australia there were no official cases reported in 2023 so far, however with many of the 500,000 visitors coming from countries where cases of Monkeypox are still being recorded, local health authorities have recommend festival attendees to protect themselves by getting vaccinated.
Vincent Cornelisse, a sexual health physician and senior lecturer at the Kirby Institute told the ABC that "It's quite likely we'll see visitors from both of these places come to WorldPride, and there's a real possibility a few of these people might have undiagnosed Monkeypox infections."
Dr Cornelisse said it was unlikely Australia would see a large outbreak of the disease, but that it made sense for people to take precautions because of "how uncomfortable" an infection could be, as well as the potential for more serious complications.