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Europride is a pan-European international event dedicated to LGBT pride, hosted by a different European city each year. The host city is usually one with an established gay pride event or a significant LGBT community.
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For up to a fortnight, numerous sporting and artistic events are staged throughout the host city. Europride usually culminates during a weekend with a traditional Mardi Gras-style pride parade, live music, special club nights, and an AIDS memorial vigil.
History
Europride was inaugurated in London in 1992, attended by estimated crowds of over 100,000. The following year, Berlin hosted the festivities. When Amsterdam hosted Europride in 1994, it turned into a financial disaster, leaving debts of approximately 450,000 euros. In 1996, Europride moved to Copenhagen, where it enjoyed strong support from city leaders. The organizers were successful on all fronts and even managed to achieve a financial surplus.
Paris hosted Europride in 1997. The festival had numerous commercial sponsors and was widely hailed as a success. During the parade, over 300,000 people marched to the Bastille. Stockholm was the host city in 1998. London was to host Europride again in 1999, but the event was canceled when the organizers went bankrupt.
In 2000, Worldpride replaced Europride. The event took place in Rome and was well-attended by gays and lesbians from all over the world. After initially supporting the event, city leaders pulled their support just days before due to pressure exerted by the Vatican, which was organizing the Roman Catholic 2000 Jubilee.
Vienna hosted the 2001 Europride, drawing large crowds from Central Europe. In 2002, Köln, Germany, held the then-biggest ever Europride; officials estimated crowds to number well over one million. Europride was hosted by Manchester, UK in 2003, and Hamburg in 2004. Oslo hosted it in 2005, with Ian McKellen as the guest of honour.
London hosted the event in 2006, organizing a two-week festival culminating in a parade on the final day (1 July) in which marchers were invited to walk down Oxford Street, one of the city's busiest shopping streets, the first time they had been legally allowed to do so in the parade's history. The parade was attended by London mayor Ken Livingstone, Tory MP Alan Duncan, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, and the first transgender MEP, Italian Vladimir Luxuria.
Following the parade, events were held in three of the capital's squares: a rally in Trafalgar Square attended by guest speaker Ian McKellen, and entertainment in Leicester and Soho Squares. Europride 2006 marked the first time that London's main pride rally and entertainment areas were staged within the city itself, rather than in open parks.
In 2007, Madrid hosted Europride, which took place in Chueca, the capital's gay village, during the last week in June. Madrid was chosen because of the gay marriage and gender identity laws Spain had passed during the previous two years. More than 1.2 million people attended the final parade as it passed through the downtown streets of Alcalá, and Gran Vía, ending up at Plaza de España. For the first time, Madrid City Hall contributed financing to the MADO (Madrid Orgullo) organization. In addition, a private event, the Infinitamentegay Party, took place in Casa de Campo Park.
In 2008, the Stockholm Pride organization organized Europride 2008, held from 25 June to 3 August in Stockholm, a decade after hosting Europride 1998.
Zurich hosted Europride in 2009 with a month-long roster of events from 2 May to 7 June, culminating in a parade through downtown Zurich on 6 June.
The 2010 event was held in Warsaw, Poland. Organizers prepared multifaceted events between July 9 to 18. The Parade took place on July 17. It marked the first time this paneuropean LGBT celebration took place in a former communist country. The Warsaw Europride formulated, as its main theme, a demand for legalization of same sex civil partnerships.
In 2011, Europride was hosted in Rome. Hosted by Claudia Gerini, the parade closed with a performance and a speech by Lady Gaga at the Circus Maximus. That year one million people took part.
The 2013 Europride was in Marseille, France from July 10-20. This Europride focused on gay marriage in France and celebrated the biggest gay wedding in Europe
The 2016 Europride was held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. UK singer/songwriter Tara McDonald sang her single "I Need A Miracle" which was chosen as the Europride anthem and was remixed by Gregor Salto.
World Pride
EPOA has decided that a World Pride event held in Europe also automatically carries the title of Europride.
The first World Pride was held in Rome in 2000 (see above). The second Worldpride was held in Jerusalem in 2005-2006.
London, also hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics, beat out competing candidate, Stockholm, in the fall of 2008 to hold World Pride 2012, which was held from 23 June to 8 July.
Madrid success
Madrid's Europride 2007 was the most well-attended ever, with an estimated 2.5 million visitors. This huge attendance was not only a success for Madrid, but for the whole LGBT Spanish community, due to the celebration of the change of terms in the laws related to gay marriage and adoptions.
Madrid was one of the first Spanish cities celebrating the legalization of gay marriage, with the support of all political parties, even the conservatives in the Government, headed by the ex-mayor of the city, Alberto Ruíz Gallardón from Partido Popular.
Due to these and other advances in same-sex freedom and social progress, Madrid was chosen in 2012 to host World Pride 2017.