Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of the German capital on Saturday for the 2026 Berlin Pride parade, known locally as Christopher Street Day (CSD), marching for tolerance and diversity.
Rainbow flags, colourful costumes and glitter filled the streets as participants made their way through Berlin. There were no major incidents or disruptions, a police spokesman said.
The organizers said the demonstration was a statement for democracy and diversity. “Queer people are under more pressure worldwide,” said Thomas Hoffmann, a board member of the Berlin CSD. He said existing rights were in some cases being rolled back and hate crime was on the rise.
With their two-day CSD on both Friday and Saturday, he said they wanted to send a clear signal in response. “We will not get smaller, but bigger. We will not get quieter, but louder,” Hoffmann said. “And we will keep going until all people in Germany can live freely, safely and self-determinedly.”
The demonstration turned into a large party. Some participants wore glittering costumes and fetish clothing, including dog masks, while music ranging from Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” to electronic beats played along the route.
Police reminded revellers to drink enough water given the warm weather of around 28 degrees Celsius.
Rapper Ikkimel: ‘It is an honour’
The weekend kicked off on Friday evening with a performance by rapper Ikkimel, known for the song “Fußballmänner” (Football Men), at the Brandenburg Gate.
“It’s great that I get to play here today, people – it is an honour,” she said. The 29-year-old had recently made headlines with an appearance on public broadcaster ZDF.
Ikkimel said that in many countries, gay people and the queer community were not accepted. She said it was often said that in Germany this was taken for granted, but she said she kept noticing in Berlin that this was unfortunately not the case. That was why she was proud to be able to perform there.
German pop singer Sarah Connor was among those scheduled to perform on Saturday evening.
Germany’s use of the term Christopher Street Day commemorates events in New York in 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn bar on Christopher Street, triggering a days-long uprising by gay, lesbian and transgender people, triggering a now worldwide rights movement.
The Berlin Pride parade is one of the largest events for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and wider queer community (LGBT+) in Europe.
The parade, featuring around 80 trucks, was set to end at the Victory Column at the heart of Berlin’s central Tiergarten park, with a closing rally at the Brandenburg Gate.
‘Attitude is hot’
The motto this year is “Attitude is hot.” The organizers are calling for, among other things, effective action against hate crime and the protection of queer spaces.
Hoffmann also expressed concern about poll ratings for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Saxony-Anhalt, where a new state parliament is to be elected in early September. “The positions of this party are unambiguous, and the queer community is afraid,” he said.
Berlin police had kept a close watch on potential troublemakers from the far right. About 15 people had taken part in a counter-demonstration, police spokesman Florian Nath said. One person had been detained on suspicion of insult. Police had previously checked the group at Potsdamer Platz, where a woman had been detained after she was found to be carrying a stun gun.
‘Sweethearts go to the polls’
In the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, LGBT+ people and their allies celebrate Pride events in many places.
The Berlin CSD organizers also drew attention to the upcoming Berlin state parliament election, also scheduled for September. One of the CSD slogans is “Sweethearts go to the polls.”
Berlin’s Governing conservative Mayor Kai Wegner will not stand again at that election. He recently stepped down as his party’s lead candidate after coming under criticism following the major power outage in January – over a tennis match he played and his account of his crisis management at the time.
Wegner attended the CSD, and for the first time the Berlin administration also had its own float. “Especially in these times, when it comes to hatred and incitement, exclusion and the division of society, the CSD always sends a clear signal,” Wegner said. That was why the CSD was important for Berlin, he added.