City in the mix to host EuroPride festival

LIMERICK Pride is among pride events shortlisted to host EuroPride 2028.

The European Pride Organisers Association announced on Friday, April 4 that The Outing, QuareClare, and Limerick Pride have been short-listed alongside Manchester Pride in their bid to host EuroPride 2028.

Attracting over 100,000 people annually from around the world, EuroPride is hosted by a different European city each year. 

The event has previously been held in London, Thessaloniki, Cologne, Warsaw, Rome, Oslo, Madrid, and Zurich. This year’s event takes place over nine days this June in Lisbon, Portugal.

The joint bid to host the prestigious event in Limerick and Clare has been submitted by The Outing Queer Arts Collective & Festival, QuareClare, and Limerick LGBTQ+ Pride, with the support of Fáilte Ireland, Blacknight, Visit Clare, Goudie Talent, and The George.

The host location for EuroPride 2028 will be announced later this year.

Speaking on behalf of the Clare/Limerick EuroPride bid, Eddie McGuinness, Co-Chair of The Outing, described the pan-European event as “a unique opportunity for our international LGBTQIA+ family to immerse themselves in the richness of Irish culture, heritage, and community spirit.”

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"Ten years on since the marriage equality referendum, when Ireland was the first country to legalise same-sex marriage in a popular vote, Ireland continues to break new boundaries. Hosting EuroPride 2028 in Ireland for the very first time would be an extraordinary milestone,” he explained.

“Though our island may be small, it is filled with love, diversity, inclusion, and acceptance,” he added. “With the breathtaking Wild Atlantic Way as our backdrop, we would create a truly one-of-a-kind EuroPride experience—celebrating our vibrant community against the stunning landscape of the west of Ireland."

Patrick Orth, President of the European Pride Organisers Association, which licenses EuroPride, stated, "The high velocity of political change across Europe is making EuroPride even more important for our community to come together and keep pressing for change. The political shifts in the UK and Ireland are no less profound and so it is exciting to have bids from both countries to centre their LGBTQIA+ communities in European consciousness. I look forward to seeing their ambitions in their full bid later this year.”