5-8 August
Various locations

Amsterdam’s annual gay festival has grown into one of the major events in the city: the parade alone, which takes place on the canals, attracts around a quarter of a million spectators. A mixture of cultural, social, and sports events are organised at a variety of venues throughout the city. Highlights include free open-air film screenings on the Nieuwmarkt square (The Event, Before Night Falls and Edge of Seventeen) and the parade itself – which is practically as legendary as Sydney’s Mardi Gras...

Around 2pm on Saturday 7 August, around 80 boats will leave the Westerdok and travel up the Prinsengracht to the Amstel, past the Waterlooplein and onto the Oudeschans. The colourful and inventive participants are great fun to watch from the canal-side as they make their way through the city: don’t miss it!

Also, on Friday and Saturday evenings, free street parties have been organised in the city’s so-called ‘gay areas’. Trend-spotters should head for the Reguliersdwaarstraat; don your leathers for the Warmoesstraat; and expect to camp it up Dutch-style in the area around the Amstel. Women should head for what should be a packed Paardenstraat; clubbers to the Halvemansteeg; and for multicultural mayhem head to Thorbeckplein.

Plus, during the course of Amsterdam Pride the Homomomument (Westermarkt) is holding a daily 'Friendship Lounge' offering food, drink, massage and informative cultural workshops during the day and parties at night. There are also a number of related parties taking place at indoor venues across town: see website for details.

Amsterdam Pride officially closes on Sunday with a free open-air party by the Stopera (Waterlooplein) from 3-9pm with a variety of Dutch performers who are regularly wheeled out for gay events such as Willeke Albert and the Dutch Diva’s, along with Jacques Herb plus DJs. For more information tel: 0900-0191 or visit
www.amsterdampride.nl