LGBTQ+ news from Europe
LGBTQ+ news from across Europe, written by us. What it means for anyone travelling there.
Leicester Pride Sets Off from the Curve at Noon on 5 September
Leicester Pride is on Saturday 5 September 2026. The parade leaves the Curve at noon for a 1.7 mile route to Abbey Park, where the festival is free and runs to 9pm.
CSD Erfurt Is on 5 September, with a Fortnight of Events Before It
CSD Erfurt marches on 5 September 2026 from 11:30. A framework programme runs from 21 August: comedy, a queer picnic, roller derby and free HIV testing.
Benidorm Pride Runs from 1 to 6 September and the Parade Leaves the Beach at 16:30
Benidorm Pride's sixteenth edition runs 1 to 6 September 2026. The parade sets off from Levante Beach at 16:30 on the Saturday with 18 floats. What costs what.
Dublin Fringe Festival Runs from 5 to 20 September and Its Queer Bill Opens a Night Early
Dublin Fringe Festival runs from 5 to 20 September 2026. The drag, trans and queer shows on the bill, with their dates, venues and ticket prices.
Queer Lisboa Turns 30 and Runs from 18 to 26 September 2026
The 30th Queer Lisboa runs from 18 to 26 September 2026 at four venues in central Lisbon, one of them a gay bar in Bairro Alto. Tickets start at 3,20 euros.
Bern Confirms Trans Women May Use the Marzili's Women's Nudist Area
After police removed a trans woman from the Paradiesli at Bern's Marzili on 28 June 2026, the city apologised and restated the rule: all women have access.
Maspalomas Fetish Pride Runs from 1 to 12 October 2026
Maspalomas Fetish Pride returns to the Yumbo Centre and the pools of Playa del Ingles from 1 to 12 October 2026. What is free, what is ticketed and where it happens.
Winter Pride Maspalomas Runs from 2 to 8 November 2026
Winter Pride returns to the Yumbo Centre in Maspalomas from 2 to 8 November 2026. The main stage galas are free, the pool party is not, the day by day is missing.
Torre del Lago's Summer Season Runs to 30 August 2026
Torre del Lago runs Italy's busiest LGBTQ+ summer season through August. The operator gives 7 to 30 August 2026 for this year's Torre Pride Fest at the marina.
Global Black Pride Comes to Paris from 9 to 13 September 2026
Global Black Pride runs in Paris from 9 to 13 September 2026, the first edition held in France, with a march through the city on 12 September.
Munich's Hans-Sachs-Straßenfest Is on 15 August, and the Sub Turns 40
Munich's queer street festival takes over Hans-Sachs-Straße on Saturday 15 August 2026. Entry is free, and the Sub, which organises it, marks 40 years.
Munich Police Look for Witnesses After a Queerphobic Attack in the Glockenbachviertel
Two people were insulted and sprayed with pepper spray at Stephansplatz on the evening of 2 August 2026. Munich police have appealed for witnesses.
Portugal Leaves Gender Recognition and the Flag Ban Until September. Nothing Has Changed Yet
Both bills that would change LGBTQ+ life in Portugal missed the summer recess. The 2018 self-determination law stands, and so do rainbow flags on public buildings.
An Attack on Berlin Pride, and a Community in Mourning
A vehicle was driven into the crowd at the close of Berlin's Christopher Street Day on 25 July, killing one woman and injuring sixteen. What we know so far, and how the queer community is answering.
Berlin CSD Expands to Two Days for the First Time in Its History
Berlin's Christopher Street Day will take place across two days for the first time in its nearly 50-year history. The organisers announced that the 2026 Pride weekend will begin on Friday 24 July with an evening rally at the Brandenburg Gate, followed by the traditional parade through the city centre on Saturday 25 July. The Friday programme is billed as a democracy-themed evening featuring live music, artistic performances and political contributions across three stages on the Strasse des 17. Juni. The event is scheduled to run from 18:00 to 23:00. Full programme details will be announced closer to the date.
Dominik Krause Elected First Gay Lord Mayor of Munich, Ending Decades of SPD Rule
Munich has a new lord mayor. On Sunday, 22 March 2026, Green Party candidate Dominik Krause won the run-off election in Munich, unseating incumbent Dieter Reiter of the SPD. With this result, Krause has broken the SPD's grip on the city's leadership, which had lasted for over four decades. Since 1948, the post had been held almost continuously by Social Democrats, with the sole exception being a brief CSU tenure from 1978 to 1984.
Poland Must Recognise Same-Sex Marriages Celebrated Abroad. A Landmark Ruling Explained
A Warsaw court has ordered Poland to transcribe a same-sex marriage certificate into its civil registry for the first time. Here is what happened, why it matters, and what it means for LGBTQ+ people in Poland today.
EU Top Court Rules Member States Must Allow Legal Gender Recognition
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has today delivered one of the most significant rulings for trans rights in the history of the bloc, finding that EU member states are legally obliged to provide functioning legal gender recognition (LGR) procedures for their nationals who have exercised the right to move and reside freely within the EU. The judgment in case C-43/24 Shipova sets a clear precedent that will reverberate across the Union and puts three member states — Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovakia — on direct notice that their current laws are incompatible with EU obligations.
EU's Top Court Rules Poland Must Recognise Same-Sex Marriages from Other Member States
A landmark ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has confirmed that EU member states are legally obliged to recognise same-sex marriages lawfully concluded in other member states — a decision with far-reaching consequences for LGBTQ+ couples living in countries such as Poland and Hungary, where same-sex unions have no legal standing.