Europe’s one-of-a-kind Pride parade that happens on the water with 80 ‘dazzling’ floats

Smoke fills the air as the flyboarders soar along the canal. Like queer superheroes, they coast along the surface, water splashing the crowd as they turn tricks in the air, making the whole thing look effortless.

This year, I’m on a journey to visit Pride around the world. And although I’ve seen some pretty memorable displays already, there’s truly nothing quite like Pride in Amsterdam.

Taking place entirely on the water, 80 colourfully decorated barges compete to be named best in show. Each represent a part of the community – whether that’s Queer & Sober, Asian Pride, or the Pink Ladies who champion older LGBT+ women.

With giant inflatables, extravagant outfits, and exploding confetti, they do the absolute most to embody this year’s theme of ‘love.’

And it’s no easy feat. Alongside performing for the crowd, participants must duck underneath the low-slung bridges along the route.

Drag queens dive to the floor, inflatables are deflated, and decorations are quickly dismantled to allow the boats to squeeze through the narrow passageways. I’m told that pinched fingers and bumped heads are common, but nobody ever really gets hurt. The whole thing takes just a few seconds before they reset and go right back to putting on a show.

Amsterdam’s Pride parade is a well-oiled machine, so much so that you don’t immediately see how much effort goes into it. A couple of days beforehand, I’m invited to peek behind the curtain.

In a dance studio on the outskirts of the city, a few dozen people gather to practise their choreography. Some have been taking part for years, but for others, it’s their first time attending.

Some are locals, born and raised here in Amsterdam, whereas others have migrated from all over the world. Some from countries where LGBT+ identities are still criminalised.

When you’re watching a Pride parade, you only get a glimpse of a float for a few seconds. But those few seconds can represent hours of hard work and determination. Weeks are spent rehearsing, and the performers are not professional dancers — they’re just everyday people unwavering in their efforts to make this event as special as it can be.

It’s not just the canal parade that makes Amsterdam’s celebrations so unique. Official stages are scattered throughout the city, providing free entertainment all weekend, but for me, it’s the way people create their own entertainment that make it truly stand out.

People sit drinking on every porch and window-sill; giant rainbow flags cascade down the fronts of chocolate-box canal houses; unofficial DJs play bangers in open windows. Flotillas of boats gather on every corner, speaker systems are rigged to blast music, and impromptu dance parties catch like furious wildfire. I even spot a guy with an ironing board set up amongst the chaos, offering to iron and steam Pride flags free of charge.

It feels like every Amsterdam resident is out here in the streets – there’s no division between LGBT+ people and allies, everyone just comes together to celebrate as one.

It’s easy to feel safe during Pride, but Amsterdam is a place where I feel safe 365 days a year. And this is important – safety is becoming a growing concern amongst LGBT+ travellers. A study from Booking.com showed that 43% of LGBT+ people have cancelled a trip after seeing a destination be unsupportive of LGBT+ people.

We want to know that we’re protected before we travel, and as the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage, The Netherlands is a place that has always felt reassuringly safe.

As a solo traveller, I walk the streets without a care in the world. My plan is to just soak up the atmosphere, but I inevitably find myself pulled into friendly conversation. One group of lovely lesbian women invite me aboard their boat, and when I tell them I’m sober, they uncork a bottle of non-alcoholic prosecco they’d been chilling ‘just in case.’

Freedom and liberation is in the air here, too. Amsterdam is famous for its red light district and liberal laws around sex work, and so it’s no surprise that its Pride celebrations are inclusive of the kink and fetish communities.

Local LGBT+ influencers Daan & Karl from @coupleofmen explain. ‘Although you won’t see fetish related acts on the main stage, there’s so much visibility for the community in other parts of the festival. Fetish Pride has its own area at the Pride Park, and during the canal parade, there is at least one boat celebrating the fetish community, and showing that kink deserves visibility just as much as other expressions of queer identity.’

And before anyone goes clutching at their pearls, it’s important to note that the boat isn’t an 18+ display. There are leather and latex outfits galore, but displays of sex and nudity are kept to the ID checked clubs and parties.

I go along to Crash Amsterdam – an ‘extravagant, kinky and sexy outdoor festival’ that takes over Beursplein, one of the city’s most prominent squares.

Shrugging off any ideas of shame, it’s a celebration of sexuality, with performers from across the kink community and beyond. It’s walled off and security checked, creating a safe environment for people to express themselves freely.

I watch fire dancers and performers dressed in elaborate outfits; my favourite is the beautifully intricate shibari. Also known as ‘Japanese rope bondage,’ it’s an art form that emphasises the importance of trust and consent through the aesthetic binding of a person with rope.

Amsterdam Pride truly has something for everyone, and having been selected as the host for World Pride next year, I already know that they’re going to do an exceptional job of welcoming queer travellers from all over the globe. See you there in 2026.