Pride Amsterdam is the city's LGBTQIA+ festival, held every year in late July and early August by the Pride Amsterdam foundation. Its highlight is the Canal Parade, a boat parade through the canals that the public watches for free from the quays. The 2027 edition runs from Saturday 31 July to Sunday 8 August 2027, with the Canal Parade on Saturday 7 August from 12pm to 6pm. In 2026 Amsterdam hosted WorldPride from 25 July to 8 August, and the Canal Parade took place on Saturday 1 August 2026. WorldPride 2026 marked 25 years since the Netherlands became the first country to open civil marriage to same-sex couples. Information checked in October 2026 on the official Pride Amsterdam website.
Highlights
The Canal Parade
The parade leaves the Oosterdok at 12pm and follows the route Oosterdok, Nieuwe Herengracht, Amstel, Prinsengracht and then Westerdok, until around 6pm. In 2026 about 80 boats took part: LGBTQIA+ organisations, student groups, companies, the fire brigade and the Ministry of Defence. You can watch for free from the quays, and a section of quay is reserved for visitors with disabilities, with one companion at most.
The start at the Oosterdok
The boats set off from the Oosterdok basin, near the maritime museum and Central Station. The quays around the basin are a good place to watch the fleet line up before it enters the canals.
The Pride Walk
On Saturday 31 July 2027, from 11am to 3pm, this march crosses the city centre and ends at Pride Park in the Vondelpark. The starting point will be announced later by the organisers.
Pride Park
On the same Saturday, 31 July 2027, from 12pm to 10pm, the Vondelpark hosts ten hours of music, art and performances on two stages around its open-air theatre, with a Rainbow Market, Sport Pride and an area for young people.
The Open Air Film Festival
For two evenings, an open-air cinema with about 400 seats is set up on Mercatorplein, in the west of the city, with screenings from around 9pm.
The party streets
Reguliersdwarsstraat, near Muntplein, and the Zeedijk, home to Café 't Mandje, are the historic streets of Amsterdam's LGBTQIA+ bars. During the Canal Parade weekend, the party carries on in the street.
Looking back at WorldPride 2026
Under the theme "UNITY", WorldPride lasted two weeks. For the Canal Parade on 1 August, a stand with about 10,000 seats was built on the Prinsengracht, between Leidsestraat and Spiegelgracht, accessible with a ticket.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Arrive early on the quays: the spots at the water's edge are taken long before the parade sets off at 12pm. Avoid coming by car, as the streets along the route are closed to traffic on parade day, and do not park your bike where yellow signs forbid it: badly parked bikes are removed. Urinating in the street carries a €140 fine; a map of public toilets is published by the City of Amsterdam. If you come by boat with friends or family, a Pride vignette is required to moor along the route (boats of 10 metres at most); it goes on sale from 1 July.
How to get there
The route runs from the Oosterdok, near Central Station, to the Westerdok via the Nieuwe Herengracht, the Amstel and the Prinsengracht. Take metro 52 to Vijzelgracht, about ten minutes' walk from the parade; for the Amstel, use Amsterdam Amstel station, on the Carré theatre side. Pride Park is in the Vondelpark. Expect heavy crowds on public transport.
Opening hours
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