Celebrate Gay Pride In Amsterdam This July And August

Pride parades and parties are an internationally recognised opportunity to celebrate individuals and their sexualities in the most fun and inclusive way possible. As a forward-thinking and positive city, Amsterdam hosts one of the best pride events in the world, including concerts, street parties and the famous Canal Pride Parade that take place over the months of July and August. There is so much to get involved in, such as dance festivals and gay clubs, or you can simply enjoy as a spectator at the Pride Drag Queen Olympics or Canal Parade.

Whatever events take your fancy across the summer, you can join in at the drop of a hat with flights to Amsterdam leaving UK airports regularly, and convenient Amsterdam airport transport making it simple and easy to get straight to your accommodation to get your glitter on.

The Colourful Canal Parade

The feature of Amsterdam Pride is the glorious Canal Parade, which consists of a series of floats moving down the Amstel River over the course of a day. Although this is an immensely – and understandably – popular event, the route is six kilometres long, so there are plenty of spots for you to observe the spectacle. The best photo opportunities are along the bridges but you will need to arrive several hours before the event to obtain prime position. Hint: the best views can be found at the Magere Brug, the Eenhoornsluis or on the Prinsengracht!

Plenty of Parties

The Canal Parade itself goes out with a bang with a host of after parties, but it doesn’t stop there. Pride weekend (the first weekend of August) brings to you a selection of delightful street parties, the most notable including Zeedijk, the Spuistraat Prik party and Dam and Amstelveld. If you find yourself dizzy with the assortment of parties to choose from, head straight to the popular Reguliersdwarsstraat, an intimate street party where you can mingle with locals and tourists alike.

Other Events to Float your Boat

There are plenty of other exciting events to tickle your fancy at Amsterdam Pride, including the unmissable Drag Queen Olympics at the Westermarkt on the Friday – go along to cheer on your favourite Dutch drag queen! If you’re keen to really get stuck in to the progressive and inclusive (albeit a bit crazy) atmosphere, then try out the Milkshake Festival, taking place on the final weekend of July. Embrace your wild side and dress how you’ve always wanted but never thought you dared – you’ll fit right in with this open-minded, friendly crowd. Alternatively, if you’d really like to let your hair down in the evenings, head to one of the many clubs, each offering different music genres, and dance the night away with friends or meet someone new.

How to Get There

You will be itching to get stuck into the marvellous celebrations in this wonderful city, and you can be there in under an hour as flights leave London several times a day to deliver passengers to Amsterdam airport. Transport to the city centre can be hairy, being a busy route with complicated changes on the metro, so save yourself the stress and take Amsterdam airport transport to your accommodation so you can get the party started right away.

Get your rainbow face-paint and sequinned hot pants packed because this summer in Amsterdam will be the highlight of the pride calendar.

Author Plate

Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct, the number one provider of shared and private airport transfers in various countries across the globe. If you’re looking for affordable Amsterdam airport transport, Lukas and his colleagues can make sure that you and your luggage get to and from the airport swiftly and safely.