Envy Peru, the Netherlands-based drag queen, actor, model, and makeup artist, celebrated at the 2026 Canal Parade.

Unity across amsterdam

From July 25 to August 8 2026, Amsterdam, a city known as a bastion for human rights and inclusion, hosted WorldPride — a biennial celebration hosted by different cities that promotes visibility and awareness of LGBTQIA+ people and their right to live openly and safely, to fall in love regardless of gender, and embrace the many forms that love may take.

The 2026 theme was UNITY. An estimated 1 million people attended. At a time when many places are experiencing a rolling back of hard-won LGBTQIA+ rights, Amsterdam’s history of inclusion offered a reminder of numerous firsts for rainbow communities’ human rights, including:

• The 25th anniversary of marriage equality. Commemorating the world’s first legal same-sex marriage, performed in Amsterdam City Hall.

• 41 years of legal gender recognition laws on official government IDs — among the first European nations. The law was updated in 2014 to allow people to self-determine the gender marker on their IDs without medical intervention.

• The 80th anniversary of COC, the world’s oldest operating LGBTIA+ organisation, which was founded in Amsterdam.

While visibly a rainbow celebration — as seen in the city’s historic canal parade, street parties, and concerts — Pride is an important protest for equality and acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people. Today, 63 countries still have same-sex activities in their criminal codes, and violence towards LGBTQIA+ people persists. This became all too real with the Amsterdam WorldPride opening day coinciding with a violent attack at Berlin’s Pride.