With LGBT travel on the rise, here is KarryOn’s travel guide of the world’s best pride parades for spectators and participants alike.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender travel has always existed. However, according to Skift, this year has seen a boom in travellers seeking packages tailored around major LGBT pride events. As social and political views evolve, LGBT travel has not only become a right but a hot commodity.
The question is, where should travellers and agents be focusing? Where is the party at?
Sydney, Australia
Singing up at storm at the Sydney Mardi Gras. Image Source: News.com.au
The list begins with Sydney’s famed Mardi Gras. The Sydney Mardi Gras, that takes place on the first of March each year, attracts thousands of visitors with its spectacle of parades, parties and pride! This year, the colourful parade was headlined by music powerhouse, Tina Arena. There was also a performance from Australian icon, and RuPaul’s Drag Race contender, Courtney Act. The before that, pop queen Kylie graced centre stage.
The Mardi Gras is promised to be even bigger in 2015, with an additional 4000 travellers, courtesy of Atlantis Events, who’ll be making a stop in Sydney on their 12-day cruise around Australia and New Zealand specifically for the event.
While this gives Australian tourism another reason to celebrate, it also ups the ante for costume-bearers on the night. Go big, go bold and, from experience, wear flats. You’ll be dancing the night away surrounded by Sydney’s glitterati.
San Fransisco, USA
A little body glitter just doesn’t cut it anymore!
Even though there are 306 days to go until the next SF Pride Parade, event coordinators are already pulling up their socks and gathering the LGBT pride army to pay their dues to the largest parade of its kind in Northern America. San Francisco’s Pride Parade is a day-long celebration that offers onlookers over 200 parade contingents, 300 exhibitors and over 20 stages, venues and after parties.
The parade was also a world first. In 1970, in a march titled the San Fransisco Gay-In, 30 “Hair Faeries” marched down to the Golden Gate Park in search of acceptance and equality. Many arrests were made that day. However, due to the bravery of said Hair Faeries, the message has grown in strength and now we are all able to participate in this wondrous event and offer support to our global LGBT community.
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Bigger IS better, says Sao Paulo.
Some people say bigger isn’t better but Brazil will beg to differ. Sao Paolo Gay Pride is easily the largest festival of its kind on the planet. It attracts millions of visitors (four million to be exact) to the picturesque streets of Sao Paulo every year. While the pride parade, the diva of the show, gets most of the attention, the event spans over a whole weekend in May and has an array of concerts, offshoot festivals and debates for visitors to enjoy.
Here’s a little taste of where the party’s at! The official 2014 teaser courtesy of Sydney Mardi Gras: