2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over by rainbow vibes. Prides are a mix of celebration – parties – and activism and advocacy. For the 2026 edition, the organising committee focuses on fearing less and being fearless.
Visitors travelling to Antwerp Pride will be able to change clothes, apply make-up or get ready for the celebrations at a dedicated ‘Change Station‘ inside Antwerp-Central Railway Station.
The temporary space will be open on Saturday 8 August from 11:00 to 22:00 in the Press Room or Perszaal on the ground floor of the station concourse. It is intended as a safe and welcoming place where visitors can prepare for Pride immediately after arriving in the city, whether they are changing into their Pride outfit or adding the finishing touches to their look.
Partnership between NMBS / SNCB, Trainbow Belgium and Antwerp Pride
‘Change Station’ is an initiative of NMBS / SNCB in collaboration with Trainbow Belgium, the Belgian railway company’s LGBTQIA+ employee association, and Antwerp Pride. Organisers say the space is designed to give everyone the freedom to express themselves in a comfortable environment before heading into the city.
The initiative forms part of a broader programme of Pride activities at Antwerp Central Station. Throughout the week of 3 to 9 August, the rainbow flag will fly above the station, while the Belgian railway company’s rainbow train is also scheduled to call at Antwerp-Central on Antwerp Pride Day.
Access to ‘Change Station’ is free and no registration is required. Everyone is welcome.
NMBS / SNCB & Infrabel related news
- BELGIUM | Council of Ministers approves roadmap to open rail market to competition after 2032.
- NMBS / SNCB turns 100 on 23 July and holds nationwide celebrations in the coming months.
- NMBS / SNCB advisory committee explicitly opposes station access gates, while people on the ground express more enthusiasm.
- Brussels to Coast trains to include uniformed and plain-clothed police.
- NMBS / SNCB: International train travel continues to grow in popularity with Belgian holidaymakers.
- NMBS / SNCB expands summer train services to coast, tourist attractions and festivals.
- NMBS / SNCB: Ticket checks possible on the platform before embarking the train, no on-board sales from 1 July 2026.
- TGV inOui Brussels – Strasbourg – Basel from July 2027.
- NMBS / SNCB to expand train services by 3% under new 2026–2029 transport plan.
- ANTWERP-LINKEROEVER | Average of 530 people take the train at Linkeroever on weekdays.
- NMBS / SNCB: Train travel gains popularity as fuel prices rise.
- NMBS / SNCB ends mandatory gender registration for online ticket purchases.
- NMBS / SNCB presents new rainbow-clad Siemens Desiro for Pride and IDAHOT.
- Antwerp-Linkeroever Railway Station reopens as temporary hub during premetro tunnel works.
- PHOTOS | Presenting Antwerp-Linkeroever Railway Station anno 2026.
- NMBS / SNCB introduces boarding zones on platforms to further improve passenger experience.
- BELGIUM | Infrabel to upgrade Antwerp-Berchem and add second track between Mol and Neerpelt, amongst other economy-boosting projects.
- Antwerp-Linkeroever Railway Station (re)opens on Saturday 2 May.
- BELGIUM | Infrabel launches Brussels pilot to curb dangerous track trespassing.
- BELGIUM | Train operator NMBS / SNCB to end on-board ticket sales from 1 July 2026.
- BELGIUM | Access gates to be introduced in major railway stations, reversing earlier opposition.
- Rise of international trains puts pressure on the Belgian rail network: domestic services must not disappear.
- ANTWERP | Renovation of Linkeroever station to begin during spring half-term, rail services temporarily disrupted.
- Belgian Mobility Minister wants to revive direct train service to Switzerland.
- NMBS / SNCB & CAF for MR30 / AM30 electric multiple units signed.
- 2026 | Bpost marks 100 years of NMBS / SNCB with a stamp.
- Reorganising train travel in Belgium by 2050: going for the Swiss or the Dutch model?.
- BELGIUM | More than 9.5 million travellers took the train the summer of 2025.
- Hamont – Weert on foot, because the train connection still isn’t there.
- REVIEW | ‘Belgian Railways Under Occupation: Between Collaboration and Resistance’ at Train World in Brussels.
- NMBS / SNCB to apologize for involvement in WWII deportation transports.
- Antwerp-Berchem Railway Station up for major revamp.
- PHOTOS | AM66 ‘Klassiekje’ / ‘Classique’ Farewell Ride at Antwerp-Central Railway Station.
- Farewell to Mortsel-Deurnesteenweg.
Antwerp Pride 2026-2027
- ANTWERP | ‘Between us. Exploring queer spaces’: Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) hosts exhibition for 20 years of Antwerp Pride, from 26 February to 30 August 2027.
- Antwerp Pride 2026 parade route.
- ANTWERP PRIDE 2026 | Police maintain Pride security plans after Berlin attack as LGBTQIA+ groups call for stronger action against hate.
- ANTWERP PRIDE | Yves de Brabander and Cedric Jacquemyn present ‘Absence, Returned’ from 6 August to 11 September 2026.
- Antwerp Pride: “We will not be intimidated” after deadly attack at Berlin Pride.
- Boylesque Dinner Show brings cabaret, drag and dining to Antwerp Pride on Friday 7 August 2026.
- ANTWERP PRIDE 2026 | MAS Darling returns with week-long queer culture, film and party festival.
- Alternative love stories: author Nikita Goossens puts friendship and aromanticism centre stage.
- PRIDE & PREJUDICE | Europe must defend diversity and democracy against growing pressure, says professor Hendrik Vos.
- FEARLESS | Antwerp Pride calls for courage as conservative movements gain ground.
- ANTWERP PRIDE 2026 | Lien Van de Kelder: “Antwerp is a sanctuary and a refuge”.
- ANTWERP PRIDE 2026 | Mayor Els van Doesburg states freedom and mutual respect remain the foundation of Pride.
- ANTWERP PRIDE 2026 | 5-day festival combines protest, celebration and community as organisers respond to rising discrimination and global backlash.
- ANTWERP PRIDE 2026 | Galleries and artists unite under ‘Together’ initiative with shared float, exhibitions and queer art programme.
- Antwerp to introduce extra security measures for Pride amid safety concerns.
- Antwerp Pride 2026 adopts ‘Fearless’ theme, with safety concerns shaping preparation.
- Antwerp Pride 2026 adopts ‘Fearless’ theme amid call for resilience and visibility.
- Antwerp Pride 2026 adopts ‘Fearless’ and ‘Fear Less’ as its theme.
- Antwerp Pride 2026 from Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August.
Antwerp Queer Arts Festival 2026
- PROGRAMME | 2026 Antwerp Queer Arts Festival from Friday 19 June to Sunday 16 August.
- Antwerp Queer Arts Festival 2026 unveils diverse programme from Friday 19 June to Sunday 16 August.
Reclaim Our Pride 2026
- ANTWERP | 27 June Reclaim Our Pride protest march postponed due to extreme heat, evening event at Het Bos to proceed.
- PRIDES IN BELGIUM 2026 | Bruges Pride (12-14 June), Mons Pride (13 June), Reclaim Our Pride (Antwerp, 27 June), Tournai Pride (27 June), Limburg Pride (Hasselt, 12 July), Antwerp Pride (5-9 August), Liège Pride (29-30 August), Leuven Pride (27 September).
Beyond Darklands 2027
The latest on LGBTQIA+ events such as prides in Belgium
- Brussels Pride 2026 on Saturday 16 May, will celebrate 30 years of Pride: how rainbow historiography deletes two decades.
- Liège Pride 2026 from 28 to 30 August.
- BELGIUM | First Mechelen Canal Pride on Saturday 25 July.
- Limburg Pride 2027 on Sunday 4 July.
- ANTWERP PRIDE 2026 | 5-day festival combines protest, celebration and community as organisers respond to rising discrimination and global backlash.
- TURNHOUT | New LGBTQIA+ Pride festival Love Out Loud on Saturday 5 September 2026.
- PROGRAMME | 2026 Antwerp Queer Arts Festival from Friday 19 June to Sunday 16 August.
- PRIDES IN BELGIUM 2026 | Bruges Pride (12-14 June), Mons Pride (13 June), Reclaim Our Pride (Antwerp, 27 June), Tournai Pride (27 June), Limburg Pride (Hasselt, 12 July), Antwerp Pride (5-9 August), Liège Pride (29-30 August), Leuven Pride (27 September).
- SATURDAY 8 AUGUST 2026 | Pride Express links Utrecht – Amsterdam – Rotterdam Antwerp – Rotterdam Amsterdam – Utrecht for Antwerp Pride 2026.
- Namur Pride on Saturday 30 May 2026.
- BELGIUM | 216,000 celebrate 30 years of Brussels Pride.
- From the Stonewall Inn Riots to Brussels and Antwerp Pride: how much did the New York riots really influence queer activism in Belgium and the Netherlands?.
- BELGIUM | Beyond Darklands 2027 ‘The Ember Dunes’ from Tuesday 16 to Monday 22 February in Antwerp.
- Rainbow Festival Oostende 2026 on Friday 8, Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 May.
- Pride Express links Ghent, Brussels and Antwerp to WorldPride Amsterdam on 1 and 2 August 2026.
- Queer March Ghent returns in March 2026.
- BRUGES | Prisma Queer Arts Festival on 16, 17 and 18 January 2026.
- HAPPY NEW QUEER 2026 | Bruges on 17 January and Leuven on 23 January.
- PROGRAMME | Pinx 2026 LGBTQIA+ film festival in Ghent and Antwerp from 27 January to 1 February.
- EuroGames 2028 in Frankfurt: will Antwerp aim for 2029 or 2030?.
- Pride Museum pop-up draws 4,000 visitors and strengthens case for permanent queer space in Brussels.
- Mechelen to organise a Pride Week from 2026?.
- Belgium to host Eurovision Song Contest 2026? But in which city?.
- ANTWERP 2025-2030 | City government agreement supports bid for EuroGames in Antwerp in 2028.
