Celebrate a summer of LGBTQ+ love on the island of Ireland

Ireland is an LGBTQ+ friendly place and in June, July and August, cities across the island will stage colourful and joyous Pride parades and festivals to celebrate and show solidarity with the community.

In Dublin, the Pride Festival will celebrate its 50th anniversary with the theme of SHINE and it is expected to be the biggest ever in the city. The parade on 29 June will be the culmination of a 10-day festival, which kicks off with a special 50th anniversary concert featuring the RTÉ Orchestra at the National Concert Hall on 20 June.

The Pride Village in Merrion Square on 29 June will feature food stalls, a Community City and a Neuropride space, as well as a mainstage hosted by Phil T Gorgeous and Paul Ryder. Performances from drag queens, DJs, the Dublin Gay Men’s Chorus, Glória, Sparkle and Trad is Amach will keep the crowds entertained after the parade. 

Other key events include the annual Mother Pride Block Party at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks also on 29 June with headliners Swedish rapper, singer and producer COBRAH! and electronic music sensation Princess Superstar together with a line-up of top drag queens.
 

In July it’s the turn of Belfast to celebrate its LGBTQ+ community. The theme for Belfast Pride 2024 is Love Your Mind, in recognition of the mental health struggles that many people in the LGBTQ+ community experience.

Belfast Pride Festival is one of the biggest festivals in Belfast and runs over 150 events across 10 days from 19–28 July with Pride Day and the centrepiece Pride Parade on Saturday 27 July. The parade is expecting to attract even more people than the 75,000 who attended last year’s.

Festival events include music, arts, exhibitions, walking tours, talks, picnics and parties across the city as well as the prestigious Pride awards, which recognise the contributions of individuals, employers, organisations and charities that support and campaign for LGBTQ+ people.

Although Dublin and Belfast are the biggest Pride events on the island, all the major cities roll out the rainbow for Pride.

In Cork, the LGBTQ+ Pride Festival will take place in the first week of August and promises many new events this year in the run-up to the amazing Cork Pride Parade and Party at the Port. 

In the west of the island, Limerick will stage its LGBTQ+ Pride Parade on 13 July, while Galway’s festival will run 10–18 August. 

And in the north, the annual Foyle Pride Festival returns to Derry~Londonderry on 23 August 2024.

www.ireland.com