Human rights activists want to hold European LGBTIQ festival in Vilnius in 2027

VILNIUS – LGL, Lithuania's national LGBTIQ rights organization, said on Thursday it hasdapplied for the right to organize EuroPride, Europe's main festival for the LGBTIQ community, in Vilnius in 2027.

Vilnius will compete with Gloucestershire (UK), Turin (Italy) and Torremolinos (Spain) for the right to host the festival.

The application will be presented to the members of the European Pride Organizers Association EPOA in Porto, Portugal, in November.

"I am delighted that Vilnius is becoming an increasingly open city for the LGBT community, and that the initiative to bid to host EuroPride in Vilnius in 2027 is also supported by the Vilnius City Council and other partners. Vilnius will be bidding to host EuroPride for the first time," Vladimir Simonko, the LGL leader, said, voicing his confidence that the biggest LGBTIQ community festival in Europe will attract many tourists to Vilnius and "become a celebration for the LGBT community, as well as for Vilnius residents and visitors".

Vilnius has already become a "safe haven" for LGBT rights activists from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

EuroPride is Europe's largest and most important festival for the LGBTIQ community, organized in a different European city each year.

In 2024, EuroPride will take place in Thessaloniki, Greece, then it will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2025, and then will take place together with WorldPride, in Amsterdam, in 2026.

The next LGBTIQ community festival, LT Pride, will take place in Vilnius on June 4-8.