Antwerp Pride kicks off five days of solidarity and celebration

For the first time, Pride is organising a family day for queer families. Friday’s event will be a place for families who have questions, but where they can also have fun.

“In collaboration with the colleges and university of Antwerp, we are helping families who have questions or need more information,” Kat Van Nuffel of Antwerp Pride explained. “At the same time, we also want to ensure that it’s an afternoon full of fun activities.”

Last year, Antwerp Pride attracted a record number of 150,000 people. This year, 87 delegations will take part in the parade on Saturday, two more than last year.

The event has raised 20% more corporate sponsorship than in 2024. The organisers had been concerned about the issue, as companies have come under pressure from US president Donald Trump to reverse their diversity policies – but instead there has been a backlash in support.

“Yes, we were very concerned about Donald Trump's policy”, said Geert Van Praet, president of Antwerp Pride.

In his fight against “woke” culture, Trump is pressuring companies to change or scale back their diversity policies. Van Praet: “None of us really knew what to expect, and there was a lot of concern among companies as well.”

“We’re therefore pleased to see a response from our partners. It has made them realise that our story remains really important. They now consider their support even more important and feel they need to do more.”

The Antwerp Pride website lists several international brands such as Coca-Cola, Deloitte, MSC and Ford as partners. Belgian companies and organisations also provide income, such as the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Maes and Proximus.

Around 18 per cent of the non-profit organisation’s income comes from sponsorship. “If lots of companies had withdrawn, the event’s survival could have been in jeopardy,” says Van Praet.