Antwerp Pride gets off to a festive start at the Rivierenhof Open Air Theatre

The Rivierenhof Open Air Theatre (OLT) will kick off the sixteenth edition of Antwerp Pride on Wednesday evening. The LGBTQIA+ festival is best known for the Pride Parade, which will take place this year on Saturday, 12 August. In addition to the parade, many other cultural, festive and educational activities are planned over the next few days.

The opening night at OLT Rivierenhof will be pay-what-you-can, with a suggested donation of 15 euros. The bill includes the eclectic Antwerp-based Quatsch Collective, Brussels-based multidisciplinary artist Martha Da'ro, "The Voice" winner Grace and Grigri y el Macho Fantastico, a project by Dez Mona frontman Gregory Frateur.

On Wednesday evening, a debate will occur near the Rivierenhof on concepts such as safe, secure and courageous space. This year's Antwerp Pride theme is "Braveolution", with an accompanying call to society as a whole to become more inclusive. The organization asks all Antwerp citizens and visitors to walk hand in hand with someone of the same gender identity.

The Pride Parade will once again be the largest public event of Antwerp Pride, with tens of thousands of spectators. The parade route is through the city centre towards the Scheldt quays, culminating in the Love United party on the Cockerillkaai. This is also the location of the Closing Festival on Sunday, the traditional finale to five days of partying. Pride in Town takes place on Saturday on the Sint-Andriesplaats, with literary and musical performances, spoken word and DJ sets with the theme of women's rights.

_{#FlandersNewsService |©BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}