EuroPride heads to Vienna in 2019

Two major events are set to take place in Austria for LGBT people next year.

Same-sex couples will be able to legally marry, and EuroPride will be heading to the country’s capital, Vienna.

The former is a landmark victory, achieved after Austria’s highest court overturned a ban on marriage equality in 2017, and the latter provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate it.

For those in Australia who have always wanted to travel to Austria but haven’t found the right time or reason to do it, this may be the perfect, pride-filled excuse.

EuroPride will be held in Vienna for two weeks from June 1 to 16, the second time since 2001. During those two weeks, the city will come alive with a celebration of Europe’s diverse and colourful LGBT community.

Numerous informative and cultural events – and of course parties around every corner – will fight for equality and tolerance while fighting against homophobia and exclusion.

Roughly one million people are expected to visit Vienna for the pride festival, particularly as it marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York, an event that has become synonymous with the beginning of the LGBT rights movement.

The impact of those riots in 1969 continue to be felt by the community today, and EuroPride will serve as both a celebration of how far we’ve come and a reminder of how much is still left to achieve.

During the two weeks of EuroPride in June next year, the Rathausplatz will become Vienna’s main hot spot. A EuroPride Village will be constructed in the square, which is situated in front of the city’s most important government building.

The tent city will offer a colourful program to visitors throughout the day, including food stands and information booths for non-government organisations, and LGBT organisations and businesses.

Live performances and DJs will also provide a fun atmosphere each day on the huge stage directly in front of City Hall. This is also where EuroPride’s big finale will take place after the Rainbow Parade, arguably EuroPride’s number one highlight.

While many of our readers may have marched in Sydney’s Mardi Gras Parade or Melbourne’s Midsumma Pride March, nothing compares to the one-of-a-kind experience the Rainbow Parade in Vienna, and 2019 will be no different.

Visitors and marchers alike will be able to walk along the most beautiful boulevard in the world – Vienna’s Ringstrasse – with hundreds of thousands of people waving rainbow flags.

The closing rally will feature speeches and international top acts to kick off a full-on night of partying. It is truly a once in a lifetime experience.

But the festivities aren’t limited to the parade; over the course of the two weeks, EuroPride will be packed with numerous events.

A Pride Beach on the beautiful Danube Canal will bring a unique beach atmosphere into the middle of the city, while a Pride Street Festival in the Prater will turn Vienna’s legendary amusement part into an LGBT meeting place.

Pride Day at Schönbrunn Zoo will invite guests to get close with pandas, elephants, and more, while the Pride Run will lead from the most gorgeous part of Ringstrasse to Rathausplatz.

And the area around Schönbrunn Palace will become a meeting place for the community, with the Schönbrunn Palace Concerts again offering a special program for the LGBT community.

For international travellers, including those visiting from Australia, the program also includes Pride tours of Vienna’s most important museums and movie nights, with Vienna’s LGBT film festival coinciding with EuroPride in 2019.

Same-sex couples in Austria will also be able to tie the knot from next year, something that newly engaged couples from abroad may wish to take advantage of. Is there a better way to make one’s trip to Vienna than getting married in one of the most beautiful places to do so?

Couples can step up to the registrar and exchange rings at spectacular venues such as Schönbrunn Palace, Belvedere Palace, or the Giant Ferris Wheel.

There are just about no limits when it comes to the opportunities offered to wedding planners and couples in Vienna.

And why stop at the wedding? Vienna is the perfect honeymoon destination as well.

Beyond EuroPride – which should be reason enough to visit – Vienna also hosts many other events during the calendar year that cater to the LGBT community.

There are fetish events, one in spring and one in autumn, and a classic Viennese ball for the LGBT community called the Rainbow Ball.

There’s also a Boylesque Festival, the Pink Wiener Wiesn-Fest, and of course the Life Ball, one of the largest HIV and AIDS charity events of all.

In short: Vienna is the perfect LGBT destination, and there are an infinite number of reasons to travel there in 2019.

For more information about EuroPride in Vienna 2019, visit: europride2019.at/en/home

For information about LGBT Vienna, visit: LGBT.vienna.info 

LGBT Vienna on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LGBTVienna

#ViennaNow