Pride approved: Tel Aviv

June 1, 2023 Queer Forty Staff 6 min read

This year, Tel Aviv will expand the hugely popular celebration from featuring the Pride parade and Pride Party in a single-day to a two-day spectacular that will take place on Thursday and Friday, June 8 and 9.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Tel Aviv Pride Parade, and it’s slated to be the largest and most festive LGBTQ+ celebration to date in Tel Aviv and throughout the Middle East.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the parade, leading local artists, dancers, DJs and many other beloved favorites will perform on the biggest stage ever built in the park.

This year, to expand upon the celebration, the parade takes place on June 8th along the beach promenade allowing revelers to enjoy the vibrancy of downtown Tel Aviv coupled with the stunning backdrop of the Mediterranean sunset. And the Pride party, an outdoor event with more than 300,000 party goers expected, will be on June 9th at 12 noon at Ganei Yoshua Park in the northern part of the city and continue until the early evening when the Jewish sabbath begins Friday evening at sunset.

Facts about the LGBTQ+ community in Israel

The first “Pride” event in Israel was actually a protest that took place in 1979 at Rabin Square
The first Tel Aviv Pride Parade marched on the scene in 1998
Israel is considered a haven for LGBTQ+ in the Middle East
Tel Aviv has a reputation for being one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world
In 2019, Amir Ohana, Israel’s first openly gay cabinet minister, attended the march with his life partner
The legal code that once outlawed homosexuality in Israel was changed on March 22, 1988, effectively decriminalizing a person’s sexual orientation.
Israel’s oldest LGBTQ organization was founded in 1975
Smaller Pride celebrations and parades are also held in Jerusalem, Haifa and Be’er Sheva

Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo said: “I am pleased to mark this year’s Pride events, led by the Pride Parade, which celebrates its 25th year anniversary. In Tel Aviv-Yafo, we will continue to be a beacon for the democratic values that underpin our existence, including the ongoing struggle for the full equality for everyone.”

Tel Aviv is celebrating 25 years from the first Pride Parade with a wide variety of events, conferences, and performances culminating with two huge events – the Pride Parade which returns to the beautiful Tel Aviv Promenade and will be held on Thursday, June 8 between 5pm-8pm. And the main pride party that will be held on Friday, June 9 between 12pm-6pm at Ganne Yehoshua Park, with the participation of leading artists and hundreds of thousands of people from around the world.

This year Tel Aviv will hold the BIGGEST PRIDE PARADE EVER. The parade will begin on Thursday afternoon on Shalag St. near the Tel Aviv Promenade, and will continue to Daniel St. The Parade will include nine trucks of the leading parties in Tel Aviv and the gay community organizations. The next day, on Friday at noon, the main pride party will be held in Ganne Yehoshua Park. In honor of the 25th anniversary of the parade, the leading local artists, dancers, DJs and many other surprises will perform on the biggest stage ever built in the park.

In preparation for the parade, a wide variety of events open to the public will be held in the coming weeks: The traditional pride family picnic, LGBTQ+ senior’s party, Wigstock, eclectiqueer, the big pride wedding and more.

The pride events in Tel Aviv are a long-standing tradition that began in 1998 and since then, every year hundreds of thousands of residents and members of the LGBTQ community march alongside tens of thousands of visitors from around the world. Tel Aviv is a warm home for all the communities that live in it, and is proud to be a pioneering city in relation to the LGBTQ community and a global source of inspiration.

LGBTQ+ SENIOR’S PARTY

Yavne St 31, 6PM, May 21th

The world belongs to adults – it is the annual pinnacle event for the seniors of the LGBTQ+ community, with a focus on building a community. The event will celebrate the legacy of the community’s elders with music, refreshments, drinks, and a performance by the proud singer and musician Ohad Shragai.

THE BIG PRIDE WEDDING

Maze St 9, 12PM, May 25th

Tel Aviv held a massive same-sex wedding called “The Big Proud Wedding” in 2019. Around 20 gay couples tied the knot in a groundbreaking ceremony. This year, as part of Pride Month’s official events, the Pride Center will hold a similar event where around 15 gay couples from across the LGBTQ+ spectrum will get married in one ceremony.

ECLECTIQUEER

Maze St 9, Friday 1PM -10PM/Saturday 10AM – 9:30PM, May 25th and May 27th

Eclectic Queer 2023 – The main art event of the Pride events in Tel Aviv-Yafo. During the festival, an art, fashion, and culture fair will take place throughout the Shavuot holiday. The festival will be spread over three main activity spaces: an art market featuring artists from the LGBTQ+ community selling handmade art items such as prints, embroidery, jewelry, beauty and pride products, and more.

TEL AVIV’S INTERNATIONAL GAY BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

Frishman Beach, Jun 1st- Jun 3rd Registration

Come join the fun and excitement at Tel Aviv’s International Gay Beach Volleyball Tournament! This thrilling event brings together players from all over the world for a weekend of competitive and friendly games, set against the stunning backdrop of Tel Aviv’s beautiful beaches.

PRIDE FAMILY PICNIC

Sha’ul TchernichovskySt. 24 – Gan Me’ir, 10AM – 2PM, Jun 3rd

The Pride Family Picnic is a traditional Pride event for families of all colors. This year marks the 11th time the picnic is being held, and it is a great opportunity to meet new friends, from all types of families and from all over the country!

WIGSTOCK

HaYarkon St 205 – Independence Park, 7PM – 9PM, Jun 6th

The biggest drag show in Tel Aviv, “Wigstock,” is returning for another year, featuring the best drag artists in the country. This year’s event marks the 25th anniversary of the landmark LGBTQ+ event in 1998, which served as a starting point for the Pride Revolution. The show will pay tribute to the 90s and raise awareness of HIV, with notable hosts and performers. The “Next in Drag” winners will be announced during the event, and attendees can purchase alcohol with an ID bracelet.

For more information click here.