Pride festivities start in Belgium today with MiniPride

As a rousing start of the PrideFestival, MiniPride is being organised on April, 29th. This parade is the folkloric version of the big PrideParade, that will be held later during the PrideFestival. The MiniPride starts with an opening reception in the city hall. Pride starts from 6.30 pm in the ‘Galerie Des Souverains’. This reception will be followed by a manifestation with the fanfare of the Meyboom. The actual PRIDE.be will take place on May, 14^th  to enable people to come together to pursue equality of rights and to improve the life of the LGBTQI-community.

Starting from the City Hall, the MiniPride procession goes towards Manneken-Pis, which will provide in his own way for cherry. After this, the procession returns to the Grand Place which will be lit up in rainbow colours. Then the crowd goes towards the Kolenmarkt, where a bus of the MIVB-STIB will be waiting for us. What will stand out, are the rainbow colors on this bus.

It is possible that one of these days you’ll come across a tram in Brussels, covered with rainbow colors. The bus does a whole tour through Brussels where several buildings are illuminated in rainbow colors.  The bus drives among others past the Kunstberg, the P&V-building at the Kruidtuin and the Belfius tower at square Rogier. The MiniPride ends with a little party in the RainBowHouse Brussels at the Kolenmarkt.

Owing to current security scenario across Europe this year The Belgian Pride will create a security zone around the event. This means that there will be just a couple of entrances and exits in order to exert greater control and to assure more security. There will be different direction indicators to guide people to the entrances. Due to terrorism related incident in Beursplein in March this year out of respect for the victims and the affected families, the event will not take place at the Beurs this year but at the Kunstberg. As a result PrideParade map has been slightly altered.

The most important thing hasn’t changed: PRIDE.be is still an event open to all people, Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Trans, Queer, Inter and all their friends. People who are coming out and are ‘pride’ of who they are and who they love.