THE Limerick Pride Festival returns this year with the mission of creating a create a stronger, more inclusive future ‘United in Pride’.
Celebrations get underway from July 7 to 13, with the highlight Pride Parade taking place on Saturday July 12.
Festival director Lisa Daly said that those behind Limerick Pride “are thrilled to be back and able to offer a fantastic weeklong lineup of events”.
“Our theme this year is ‘United in This Together’ and we hope to see you showing your support and colours at our annual Pride Parade … with the PrideFest party directly after the parade at the Hunt Museum”.
“We have just celebrated 10 years of marriage equality in Ireland but people in our community are still being discriminated against so when we march up O’Connell Street for the parade, this year we will be united toward a future without discrimination where all people have equal rights under the law,” Lisa said.
“We are seeking to illuminate the good that can and has been accomplished through uplifting and supporting one another.”
This year’s parade grand marshal is Tonie Walsh, chosen for his lifelong advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights and his early involvement with the National LGBT Federation, the National LGBT Archive, and his work with Gay Community News (GCN).
Limerick could also play host to up to 100,000 people for the biggest pride event to be held in Ireland with EuroPride 2028.
EuroPride is hosted by a different European city each year, and a joint bid to host the prestigious event in Limerick and Clare has been submitted by Limerick LGBTQ+ Pride, QuareClare, and The Outing Queer Arts Collective and Festival.
The host location for EuroPride 2028 will be announced later this year.
Limerick Pride has also announced a first for this year’s Pride celebrations with the addition of the Limerick ‘Pride Village’, a dedicated accommodation hub for the exclusive use of Limerick Pride attendees.
Under the theme of this year’s festival, Limerick Pride hopes the village will provide a safe space of dedicated accommodation taking place over July 11 and 12.
To ensure the security and exclusivity of Pride Village, organisers have said, the booking process will follow a secure, multi-step registration. Attendees must contact info@limerickpride.ie to register interest.
For a full listing of events for this year’s Pride festival, visit limerickpride.ie/events.
