8 festivals taking place in Ireland for Pride 2023

Ireland goes all out with Pride parades all over the country.

If you’re looking to celebrate Pride 2023 in Ireland, then there are tons of festivals happening across the whole summer for it. Parades have already happened in Mayo and Donegal, and several other counties are waiting in the wings to host their own Pride festival. We’ve compiled a list of some of our top choices, so everyone can get involved, no matter where they are.

This year holds particular meaning as it’s the 30 year anniversary of homosexuality being decriminalised in Ireland.

Belfast

When:

Saturday, July 29th

Belfast Pride runs from July 21st to July 30th, with their main parade taking place on Saturday July 29th. They are hoping that their 2023 parade will be their biggest since they were founded back in 1991.

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Dublin

When:

Saturday, June 24th

Pride Festival in Dublin is always a huge deal, and one not to be missed. Along with the annual parade, there is an abundance of Pride parties and festivals taking place in the capital city this year. You can check them all out on the Dublin Pride website.

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Carlow

When:

Sunday, July 2nd

Carlow aims to have the best party in Ireland to celebrate Pride 2023, starting in Carlow Town Park; you’ll just have to make an appearance to see it for yourself. They’re going bigger, better, and brighter than ever.

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Limerick

When:

Monday, July 3rd until Sunday, July 9th

Get involved with Limerick Pride by meeting at Merchants Quay before the Parade leaves at 2pm. There will also be a ton of events on at the Hunt Museum, including food, drink, live music, and more.

Ahead of their week of festivities, Limerick will host a rainbow swim on June 24th to mark the 30 year anniversary of homosexuality being decriminalised in Ireland.

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Galway

When:

Monday, August 7th until Sunday, August 13th

Galway Pride festival claims that this is “the longest continual Pride event in Ireland“, which is pretty good going.

You can expect bilingual panels with an emphasis on mental health, disabilities, information awareness seminars, a Queer Women’s Night, and plenty of street entertainment and drag queen master sessions.

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Cork

When:

Monday, July 30th until Sunday, August 6th

Cork will have Wild Youth headlining their festivities for Pride 2023.

The theme of this year’s Cork Pride is ‘30 Years On…’ also marking the 30-year anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Irish law.

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Drogheda

When:

Friday, July 21st – Sunday, July 23rd

Drogheda LGBTQIA+ Pride is set to be a weekend of fun, community spirit, and education. Their parade will take place on Saturday July 22nd, with Phil T Gorgeous as the host.

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Waterford

When:

Friday, August 18th – Sunday, August 20th

A huge part of the LGBTQIA+ community since 2008, Waterford Pride began when a group of volunteers got together to create Waterford’s first Pride festival. The event has only grown with each year, and has visitors travelling from all over the country to support the events, acts and community.

They have yet to announce the line-up and events taking place for Pride this year, so keep an eye