ICONIC TEL AVIV PRIDE PARADE RETURNS
THE VOICE OF CHANDIGARH | TRAVEL TRADE REPORTER
Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality is delighted to announce the return of its iconic Tel Aviv Pride Parade on Friday, June 25, representing the first mega-event in the city since the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year.
The Tel Aviv Pride Parade will be one of the first mass parades worldwide to return in a physical, in-person format – courtesy of Israel’s high vaccination rates and lifting of restrictions following the country’s emergence from the pandemic.
The famous parade marks the climax of the annual Pride Month celebrationsth at have been taking place in the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo every year in the month of June since 1998. The Pride celebrations in Tel Aviv have attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors andIsraelis who join in the citywide festivities every year. The 2019 Tel Aviv Pride Parade was attended by over 250,000, making it one of the leading events on the global LGBTQ calendar and the largest event of its kind in the Middle East.
The parade, featuring party trucks and DJs, will start at midday from Tel Aviv’s Bograshov Beach, before continuing southwards along the seafront promenade, finishing at Charles Clore Park – where a huge party overlooking the Mediterranean Sea will host performances by leading artists on two main stages.
Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo:“Pride events in Tel Aviv-Yafo are a long-standing tradition, centered on a message of equality, acceptance, and human and civil rights. Tel Aviv-Yafo represents a warm home for all communities residing here and is proud to be a groundbreaking city in its approach to the LGBTQ community and a source of international inspiration. This year, more than ever, we will celebrate together, march together, and fight together for equality.”
This year’s theme “A Community That Creates Change” will be at the center of the Pride Month events, born of the desire to strengthen social involvement and shared activities within the LGBTQ+ community groups and wider society.The cultural sector will assume a prominent place in the Pride schedule. The city will salute gay artists in the fields of music, visual arts, writing, drag and more, who have always stood at the forefront of the LGBTQ campaign for equality and repeatedly proved that culture creates change and has a veritable impact on our reality.
Etai Pinkas Arad, Tel Aviv-Yafo City Council Member in charge of LGBTQ+ affairs: “The Pride Parade is our cry for equality and a clear symbol of our demand for a free and democratic country for every person – a message that is especially appropriate and important now. The LGBTQ community in Tel Aviv-Yafo counts tens of thousands of members and, together with tens of thousands more from across the country, we will protest but also celebrate the achievements we have made during our struggle – which is a struggle for life. This year, the community will return to the streets in great numbers. Next year, I look forward to being joined by our friends and partners from across the world.”
A fewkey events taking place during Pride month 2021:
June 15-26, 2021: Beach Parties at Hilton Beach
The Gay Beach will open on June 15, hosting 11 days of beach parties on the sandy shores of Tel Aviv’s Hilton Beach.
June 22, 2021: Wigstock 2021
The “Wigstock” drag festival will take place at Meir Garden, starring the best drag artists in Israel – including Ziona Patriot, Rama Rimming and Kay Long.
June 16-19, 2021: “Subculture” Festival – Temporary Farewell to the Tel Aviv Municipal LGBTQ Community Center
A special and moving art festival in the central hall of the municipality’s LGBTQ Community Center in Meir Garden. The center was established 13 years ago as the first municipal center of its kind, dedicated solely to the LGBTQ community. In late June, the current center will be knocked down and rebuilt at the cost of over $9 million. The public is invited to enjoy three days of diverse artwork, in partnership with the Culture Department of Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality and Mifal HaPayis (National Lottery).
Ruby Magen, manager of the Tel Aviv Municipal LGBTQ Community Center:“The importance and significance of being a community was made especially clear during this unconventional year. When everyone was by himself or herself, we strived to be for one another, and all for one. Symbolically, the pride events this year will also mark a temporary separation from the home of the community – the LGBTQ Center will be rebuilt as one of the largest and most beautiful centers in the world. We might be without the building, but we will only increase our presence across the city, with all our services and many more innovations. After 14 years, we will lovingly and temporarily separate from the center and celebrate together as a strong, united community of change makers.”
