Malta Pride prevailed at the beginning of October with 54% against competitors from South Holland (Rotterdam) and Northern Ireland (Belfast). The pan-European CSD will therefore take place in Valletta in 2023, the capital of the smallest and most LGBTI-friendly EU country. The application from Allied Rainbow Communities and Malta Pride was awarded the contract.
The pan-European Pride event has been held every year in a different European city since 1992. From June to August, the international LGBTQI community celebrates the queer colorful lifestyle, diversity and tolerance with numerous artistic events, music performances and human rights conferences. The conclusion is a colorful parade through the streets of the city.
I warmly congratulate Malta Pride on winning this tender. An application that has emphasized diversity and human rights in particular and has focused on refugees, migrants and other points that are important to the LGBTI community, said Kristine Garina, President of the EuroPride Organizing Committee. “I am looking forward to visiting Malta in three years,” Garina continues.
Furthermore, the European umbrella organization European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA) has determined that the event cancelled this year due to the corona pandemic will be made up for in Thessaloniki (Greece) in 2024. In the years in which the WorldPride is organized in Europe, a separate EuroPride is dispensed with. In 2021, the WorldPride took place in the Danish capital Copenhagen, together with neighboring Malmö in southern Sweden. In 2022, the EuroPride will take place in Belgrade, Serbia.
Further useful tips on Malta can be found in the corresponding travel guide of the Malta Tourist Office: www.queer.de/docs/lgbt-reiseguide-malta.pdf. Further information on the gay scene in Malta and Gozo can be found at www.gaymalta.com and at gayguidemalta.com.
