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WorldPride 2028

Cape Town Heads to Amsterdam to Bring WorldPride 2028 Home to Africa

By Cape Town Pride, WorldPride 2028

Cape Town Pride is preparing to make history as it travels to Amsterdam to officially accept the WorldPride torch, marking the start of Africa’s journey towards hosting the global LGBTQIA+ celebration for the first time.

WorldPride 2026 takes place in Amsterdam from 24 July to 8 August, with Cape Town Pride leading a South African and African delegation as preparations begin for WorldPride Cape Town 2028. The city won the bid to host the international event back in November 2024.

Historic WorldPride handover

The highlight of the visit will be the official handover ceremony at the WorldPride Closing Ceremony on 8 August, when Amsterdam formally passes hosting duties to Cape Town.

Acclaimed South African actress, television presenter and soprano Lynelle Kenned will perform African Dream during the ceremony. Kenned is no stranger to Cape Town Pride audiences, having previously appeared at both the Cape Town Pride Proms and the Cape Town Pride Mardi Gras main stage.

In addition to the handover, Cape Town Pride will lead the African contingent in the WorldPride March on 25 July and will showcase the continent during Amsterdam’s iconic Canal Parade on 1 August with its own barge. The delegation will be joined by representatives from other South African Pride organisations, including eThekwini Pride and Pretoria Pride.

Learning from Amsterdam

The visit is an opportunity for Cape Town Pride to gain practical insight into hosting one of the world’s largest LGBTQIA+ events. The organisation said it hopes to learn from Amsterdam’s experience to help ensure a successful WorldPride in Cape Town in 2028.

“Being in Amsterdam for the official handover is more than a ceremonial moment. It is a powerful reminder that our stories, our communities, and our resilience have earned a place on the global stage,” said Cape Town Pride Brand Ambassador Nkosinthi Sangweni.

“As we receive the baton, we do so carrying the hopes of Cape Town, South Africa, and the African continent into a future where every LGBTQIA+ person can see themselves reflected with pride.

“As we stand in Amsterdam, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and we take this next step together, committed to creating a WorldPride that belongs to all of us,” added Sangweni.

A milestone for Cape Town and Africa

Councillor Rob Quintas, the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, will represent Executive Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis in Amsterdam.

“It was a terrific privilege to be the City of Cape Town’s representative at the successful bid for WorldPride 2028 in Colombia. It is surreal to now, two years later, join the Africa WorldPride rights holders in Amsterdam, one of my favourite cities in the world, and be part of the team to ‘bring home’ the torch of this global event.

“I sincerely look forward to inviting the international Pride community to our beautiful Cape Town, South Africa and Africa for the first time. Our City prides itself on being the most welcoming and inclusive LGBTQIA+ ‘must see’ destination in Africa, and showcasing our award-winning city to exhibitors, participants and the global Pride community is a win for Cape Town. It further entrenches us as the preferred destination for African pink travel and investment.”

Building excitement for 2028

Cape Town Pride CEO Tommy Patterson described the trip as an important milestone, not only for Cape Town but for the continent as a whole.

“I am thrilled to be heading off to WorldPride Amsterdam at the end of the month with the Cape Town Pride team. We will be joined by Stefan Lombard and Lynelle Kenned, who will be performing for the LGBTI+ community at the closing ceremony and the handing over of the torch to Cape Town.

“This is not just a wonderful opportunity for our city but also for the LGBTI+ community across the African continent. Other South African Pride groups and allies are joining us in Amsterdam, as well as a representative from the Mayor’s office, and many South Africans living in Europe are travelling to give their support.”

Support the journey

Cape Town Pride is encouraging supporters to help fund the delegation’s trip to Amsterdam through its BackaBuddy campaign.

The organisation says every contribution will help ensure that South Africa and the African continent are strongly represented as Cape Town prepares to host the first-ever WorldPride on African soil in 2028.

Article first published in www.mambaonline.com

July 21, 2026

First time in Africa: Cape Town Pride to host WorldPride in 2028

By Cape Town Pride, WorldPride 2028

We are delighted and excited to announce that Cape Town Pride has won the bid to host WorldPride in 2028. This is the first time a WorldPride will be held in Africa.

Cape Town Pride beat fellow bidder Guadalajara Pride, Mexico, after the bid was presented to members of InterPride at the 42nd Annual General Meeting & World Conference which was held from 23 to 27 October 2024 in Medellín, Colombia. The membership met to network, share knowledge, attend workshops and caucuses, and take care of InterPride’s business. This included awarding the license for WorldPride, a global event organized by a full member organization. Out of the 500 eligible voters, 198 ballots were submitted. 53% voted in favour of Cape Town Pride. 44% voted in favour of Guadalajara Pride. Three percent (3%) of the voters abstained.

InterPride Co-Presidents Ymania Brown, Hadi Damien, and Rahul Upadhyay commented: “We congratulate Cape Town Pride for winning the license to host WorldPride in 2028. We look forward to supporting them to deliver their bid, which promises to be a strong and impactful WorldPride. We also congratulate Guadalajara Pride for an excellent application.”

Cape Town Pride CEO Tommy Patterson said, “We are thrilled at the news and for this support shown by our world LGBTI+ family. The team did a wonderful job, and we all forged great friendships and allies from Pride groups from all over the globe”.

Cllr Roberto Quintas, who represented the City of Cape Town, said; “It was an incredible privilege to be a part of the World Pride Cape Town 2028 Bid Team in Medellin, Colombia, in October. This means a lot for the many LGBTQIA+ people without a voice, and who live in fear of persecution, prosecution and worse in the region and on the continent. We are thrilled to announce that we “brought it home” and that our Mother City, on the southernmost tip of Africa, will be hosting this global event in four years’ time.”

WorldPride is an international event that features a human rights conference, an arts and culture program, social events, as well as a march to highlight LGBT realities across the world. It gathers Pride organizers, local and international speakers, artists, activists, politicians and participants across all walks of life.

The next WorldPride takes place from 17 May to 8 June 2025, in Washington DC, USA, followed by WorldPride Amsterdam, in The Netherlands, from 31 July to 8 August 2026

Past WorldPride editions have taken place in Rome (2000), Jerusalem (2006), London (2012), Toronto (2014), Madrid (2017), NYC (2019), Copenhagen (2021), and Sydney (2023).

 

                   

 

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About InterPride:

InterPride is the international organization that brings together 548 Pride organizers from 76 countries across the world to network, share knowledge, and maximize impact. To this goal, Pride organizers design InterPride’s structure, programs, and initiatives to better support them at the local, regional, and global levels. InterPride also owns the label WorldPride, which the membership licenses to a member organization through a direct vote.

November 9, 2024