St. John's Square

Antwerp Pride attracts 150,000 to 200,000 people annually. The highlight is the parade through the city, this year on Saturday, August 10. Since 2019, the starting point of that parade has been the Sint-Jansplein. “In previous years, we had stayed within the Leien,” says Abeel. “But we needed a longer route and also wanted to involve this neighborhood in the event. The multiculturalism of this square symbolizes diversity and inclusion for us.”

“I remember that the nerves that first year were quite tense, especially among the politicians, but that turned out to be fantastic. We found that communities around which many clichés exist were very open. Of course, there were some negative reactions, but in general, the responses were very encouraging and positive. This year, the parade will start here as well.”

Hanna Van Thienen