LGBTQIA+ friendly destinations
Your ultimate guide to Pride: the best LGBTQIA+ friendly destinations and their annual celebrations
Planning your next getaway should be nothing but an exciting and joyful experience. For the discerning LGBTQIA+ traveller, this also means knowing you're heading somewhere you can celebrate, relax, and truly be yourself. That's why we've curated the ultimate guide to the most welcoming and vibrant LGBTQIA+ friendly holiday destinations for 2025. We've paired them with their spectacular annual Pride events, so you can plan a trip that lets you celebrate, relax, and honour the LGBTQIA+ community all at once. This isn't just a list; it's a world tour of love, protest, and celebration.
Amsterdam, Netherlands: Dive into the heart of Europe’s most progressive city. Amsterdam boasts a thriving LGBTQIA+ scene, with its historic canals, chic boutiques, and high-end hotels. This year, Amsterdam is celebrating Pride at the end of July (26 July-3 August) with nine days of inclusive fun, bringing people together from all over the world with over 300 events and activities that cater to every identity.
Bangkok, Thailand: Known for its open-mindedness and vibrant LGBTQIA+ scene, the city offers luxurious accommodations, historic temples, and a bustling nightlife. This year's 'Born This Way' parade is expected to see over 250,000 people join together on 1 June for a joyous march through the city, making it a must-visit stop on the Asian LGBTQIA+ travel circuit.
Barcelona, Spain: Explore the artistic and architectural wonders of Barcelona. This Mediterranean gem is famed for its LGBTQIA+ friendly atmosphere, stunning beaches, and world-class cuisine. The Eixample district, known locally as "Gayxample," is the heart of the LGBTQIA+ community. Between 28 June and 19 July, you can expect an unforgettable celebration of love and diversity and LGBTQIA+ rights with a vibrant parade and events.
Brighton, UK: Referred to as the ‘gay capital of England’, Brighton is pretty much as queer as it gets in the UK. The UK’s favourite Pride event, Brighton & Hove Pride, is taking place on 2-3 August, kicking off with the fabulous Community Parade, followed by Pride in the Park: a massive music festival that consistently attracts A-list global superstars to its main stage. It's the ultimate seaside LGBTQIA+ friendly party.
Stockholm, Sweden: Stockholm enchants all who visit with its medieval charm and the breathtaking beauty of its island archipelago. What’s more, the city hosts the largest Pride celebration in Scandinavia. This year’s main events are taking place between 28 July-3 August in the city’s dedicated Pride Park, where an exciting mix of artists, performers, bars, and food stalls come together to commemorate all things Pride.
New York, USA: The Big Apple might be famous worldwide for its yellow cabs, torch-bearing lady and Broadway theatre, but for the LGBTQIA+ community, New York is the birthplace of not only gay rights but also drag culture and yearly celebration of Pride. On 29 June, New York is celebrating Pride with its iconic march - one of the largest LGBTQIA+ civil rights demonstrations in the world.
Berlin, Germany: Germany’s capital is the proud home to LGBTQIA+ culture by the bucketful; LGBTQIA+ people have had a happy home in Berlin since the early 1920s when Schöneberg, the world’s first ‘gay village’, popped up and allowed its inhabitants to flourish. This legacy of queer artistic expression continues today, with Pride Month kicking off on 26 June with activist-driven events featuring DJs, activities, and more.
Athens and Mykonos, Greece: From the vibrant gay bars of historic Athens to the legendary party beaches of Mykonos, Greece offers an iconic LGBTQIA+ friendly escape. After its stop in Athens on 14 June, the XLSIOR festival makes its way to the sun-kissed shores of Mykonos (21-26 August). This celebratory and inclusive music festival is the perfect end-of-summer LGBTQIA+ holiday, combining world-class DJ sets with the stunning scenery of the Cycladic islands. It’s an experience not to be missed.
The celebration doesn’t stop there. While the destinations above are titans of Pride, the global celebration of queer joy is endless. Here are more of our favourite LGBTQIA+ friendly destinations with events that are well worth a spot on your 2025 travel calendar:
Brussels, Belgium: 17 May, 2025
Cologne, Germany: 21 June-6 July, 2025
Dublin, Ireland: 28 June, 2025
Porto, Portugal: 12-14 September, 2025
Madrid, Spain: 27 June-6 July, 2025
Manchester, UK: 22-25 August, 2025
Los Angeles, US: 8 June, 2025
So, what are you waiting for? Explore the world with confidence and pack your bags for a summer of Pride.
Planning your next getaway should be nothing but an exciting and joyful experience. For the discerning LGBTQIA+ traveller, this also means knowing you're heading somewhere you can celebrate, relax, and truly be yourself. That's why we've curated the ultimate guide to the most welcoming and vibrant LGBTQIA+ friendly holiday destinations for 2025. We've paired them with their spectacular annual Pride events, so you can plan a trip that lets you celebrate, relax, and honour the LGBTQIA+ community all at once. This isn't just a list; it's a world tour of love, protest, and celebration.
Amsterdam, Netherlands: Dive into the heart of Europe’s most progressive city. Amsterdam boasts a thriving LGBTQIA+ scene, with its historic canals, chic boutiques, and high-end hotels. This year, Amsterdam is celebrating Pride at the end of July (26 July-3 August) with nine days of inclusive fun, bringing people together from all over the world with over 300 events and activities that cater to every identity.
Bangkok, Thailand: Known for its open-mindedness and vibrant LGBTQIA+ scene, the city offers luxurious accommodations, historic temples, and a bustling nightlife. This year's 'Born This Way' parade is expected to see over 250,000 people join together on 1 June for a joyous march through the city, making it a must-visit stop on the Asian LGBTQIA+ travel circuit.
Barcelona, Spain: Explore the artistic and architectural wonders of Barcelona. This Mediterranean gem is famed for its LGBTQIA+ friendly atmosphere, stunning beaches, and world-class cuisine. The Eixample district, known locally as "Gayxample," is the heart of the LGBTQIA+ community. Between 28 June and 19 July, you can expect an unforgettable celebration of love and diversity and LGBTQIA+ rights with a vibrant parade and events.
Brighton, UK: Referred to as the ‘gay capital of England’, Brighton is pretty much as queer as it gets in the UK. The UK’s favourite Pride event, Brighton & Hove Pride, is taking place on 2-3 August, kicking off with the fabulous Community Parade, followed by Pride in the Park: a massive music festival that consistently attracts A-list global superstars to its main stage. It's the ultimate seaside LGBTQIA+ friendly party.
Stockholm, Sweden: Stockholm enchants all who visit with its medieval charm and the breathtaking beauty of its island archipelago. What’s more, the city hosts the largest Pride celebration in Scandinavia. This year’s main events are taking place between 28 July-3 August in the city’s dedicated Pride Park, where an exciting mix of artists, performers, bars, and food stalls come together to commemorate all things Pride.
New York, USA: The Big Apple might be famous worldwide for its yellow cabs, torch-bearing lady and Broadway theatre, but for the LGBTQIA+ community, New York is the birthplace of not only gay rights but also drag culture and yearly celebration of Pride. On 29 June, New York is celebrating Pride with its iconic march - one of the largest LGBTQIA+ civil rights demonstrations in the world.
Berlin, Germany: Germany’s capital is the proud home to LGBTQIA+ culture by the bucketful; LGBTQIA+ people have had a happy home in Berlin since the early 1920s when Schöneberg, the world’s first ‘gay village’, popped up and allowed its inhabitants to flourish. This legacy of queer artistic expression continues today, with Pride Month kicking off on 26 June with activist-driven events featuring DJs, activities, and more.
Athens and Mykonos, Greece: From the vibrant gay bars of historic Athens to the legendary party beaches of Mykonos, Greece offers an iconic LGBTQIA+ friendly escape. After its stop in Athens on 14 June, the XLSIOR festival makes its way to the sun-kissed shores of Mykonos (21-26 August). This celebratory and inclusive music festival is the perfect end-of-summer LGBTQIA+ holiday, combining world-class DJ sets with the stunning scenery of the Cycladic islands. It’s an experience not to be missed.
The celebration doesn’t stop there. While the destinations above are titans of Pride, the global celebration of queer joy is endless. Here are more of our favourite LGBTQIA+ friendly destinations with events that are well worth a spot on your 2025 travel calendar:
Brussels, Belgium: 17 May, 2025
Cologne, Germany: 21 June-6 July, 2025
Dublin, Ireland: 28 June, 2025
Porto, Portugal: 12-14 September, 2025
Madrid, Spain: 27 June-6 July, 2025
Manchester, UK: 22-25 August, 2025
Los Angeles, US: 8 June, 2025
So, what are you waiting for? Explore the world with confidence and pack your bags for a summer of Pride.