(The party's backdrop, the medieval fortress of Het Steen, practically begs you to act like a queen!) Then on Sunday, Pride takes over the Grote Markt (Antwerp's answer to Times Square) for an afternoon of performances that mark the closing festival. Saturday it's all about Wave, a free afternoon dance party on the the banks of the Scheldt River. Friday unfolds with a number of partner events like the Padam party, and LGBT choir versions of Shakespearean sonnets. Thursday kicks off with the Midsummer Party (#MidsummerParty2016, for those who tweet) – the free-opening soiree that brings live music and champion pole dancers to Antwerp's Draakplaats mainstage.
So, understandably, it has developed the rather regal Antwerp Pride and set it against some of the city's most historic locales from August 10th to the 15th. People outside Western Europe might not realize that the Belgian city of Antwerp has become one of the gayest places on the continent.
