Over 170,000 Marched and Celebrated at the Tel Aviv Pride Parade 2022

The Voice of Chandigarh News:

With over 170,000 locals, tourists, influencers and more from across the globe marching, chanting and celebrating, Tel Aviv Pride is back and as proud as ever waving its rainbow flags high for the world to see.

Back to Pride was on everybody’s lips before the annual Tel Aviv Pride Parade, and with over 170,000 participants with equipped with sunscreen and water bottles, the motto did not disappoint. Ron Huldai, the Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, signalled the 10 colourful floats adorned with electrifying decorations and manned by irresistible dancers and performers of all sorts to start their engines, and kick off the iconic Parade.

As the floats left the Sporteque, the music was turned up gathering crowds to march in celebration of all that has been achieved but also to support the continued fight for equal rights for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

For the first time ever, Tel Aviv Global and Tourism had its own float representing Tel Aviv Tech. The float included dancers and performers representing an array of unicorns and figures from childhood to form ‘The World Greatest Playground’, linking Tel Aviv’s LGBTQIA+, Tech and renowned party culture showing off the perfect balance between business and pleasure that can be found in the city’s creative scene.

The Pride stage included a surprise performance by Eurovision legend Dana International and performances by Eurovision semi-finalist Michael Ben David and local artists like, Static and Ben-El Tavori, Harel Skaat, Zehava Ben, Nasrin Kadri, Valerie Hamati, AgamBuhbut, local drag performers and dancers and many more.  The Love stage, in partnership with Rapyd, included world-renowned DJs David Morales, Boris (Berghain Berlin) and as a first in Israel an exclusive performance by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea.

Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo on the event, “There is no event I am happier to kick off than the annual Pride Parade, and not only because it is not a sports event where people expect me to run! After a few challenging years, I am even happier and prouder to finally welcome back tourists to the Tel Aviv 2022 Pride Parade. The LGBTQ+ community continues to face obstacles all over the world, but we have made many significant achievements here in Israel. Conversion therapy was completely banned, gay men are now able to donate blood, and surrogacy for same-sex couples has now been legalized; 2022 has seen tremendous support for the LGBTQ+ community. To all the haters and naysayers, we will continue to respond with Pride. Tel Aviv-Yafo has always been and will always be a welcoming home to all trans people, lesbians, gay men, queer people and non-binary folks.

Here you will always matter, here you are always welcome.”

Sammy Yahia, Director of Tourism in India & Philippines: “Tourism is back and I feel that the Tel AvivPride Parade is a great event to push ‘restart’. Pride events in Tel Aviv-Yafo are a long-standing tradition –almost 30 years, though this year was even more special to us because Israel opened boarders againwith more than 170,000 people ‘Back to Pride’,marching and dancing and celebrating equality for all.  With people from all four corners of the world attending parades and parties across Israel, the eventshave been filled with pride in the Land of Milk & Honey.”