The Philippines in 1996-1997, China in 2000, Vietnam in 2009, Japan in 2013 and 2025, South Korea in 2014 and 2024, Taiwan in 2017 (the starting point of Trip By Trip), Singapore in 2018, Hong Kong and Macau in 2023, Bangkok in Thailand and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in early 2026. I like travelling to East Asia. I’m pondering a Republic of China (ROC) trip for the later this year. Current affairs make me think I shouldn’t wait too much to revisit Formosa.
One of the questions I have is: will I include Taiwan LGBT+ Pride, also known as Taiwan Pride, also known as Taipei Pride? ‘Taiwan LGBT+ Pride’ is the name used by the organisers on their official English-language website, including in the site’s title: ‘2026 Taiwan LGBT+ Pride Official Site‘. The Chinese official name is臺灣同志遊行 (Táiwān tóngzhì yóuxíng), literally ‘Taiwan LGBT Pride Parade‘ or ‘Taiwan Gay Pride Parade‘.
The organisers themselves translate this as Taiwan LGBT+ Pride. I think it’s nice the organisers chose to keep ‘gay’ and / or ‘LGBT+’ in the name. Nowadays most Prides are just [Geographical denomination] Pride. Which is on one hand inclusive, on the other hand watered-down, apologetic, and restrained or subdued. Which is contrary to the purpose of Pride, certainly when written with a majuscule, no?
Taiwan LGBT+ Pride 2026: a rainbow Halloween awaits Taipei on 31 October
Taipei is preparing for one of Asia’s biggest LGBTQIA+ celebrations, with the 24th Taiwan LGBT+ Pride taking place on Saturday 31 October 2026. Held under the theme ‘Our Voices, Our Journey‘, this year’s parade will coincide with Halloween, while a packed programme of rainbow festivals, cultural events, parties and nightlife will turn the Taiwanese capital into a Pride destination for almost a week.
Taipei’s annual rainbow takeover is approaching, and 2026 promises to be a particularly colourful edition.
The 24th Taiwan LGBT+ Pride, officially known in Chinese as 臺灣同志遊行, will take place on Saturday 31 October 2026. The event is organised by the Taiwan Rainbow Civil Action Association and is held every year on the final Saturday of October. The organisers describe it as Taiwan’s largest Pride parade and East Asia’s largest Pride event, with close to 200,000 people and more than 200 groups taking to the streets in its biggest editions.
For international visitors, however, the parade is only the centrepiece.
From the beginning of the week, Taipei will host a combination of public festivals, LGBTQ+ cultural events, community activities and nightlife. The main Pride weekend will then run from Friday 30 October through Sunday 1 November.
And this year comes with a particularly fortuitous piece of calendar planning: Pride Saturday is Halloween.
That means Taipei can expect the rainbow flags of Pride to meet the costumes and celebrations of Halloween, with the city’s established LGBTQ+ nightlife adding another layer to an already packed weekend.
‘Our Voices, Our Journey’
The 2026 theme is ‘Our Voices, Our Journey’, rendered in Taiwanese Hokkien as “聲做伙聽，路做伙行” (Siann tsò-hué thiann, lōo tsò-hué kiânn).
The theme reflects a shift in emphasis for the Pride movement. After years in which visibility was one of the central demands of Taiwan’s LGBTQIA+ movement, the organisers are asking a further question: now that LGBTQIA+ people have become increasingly visible, are they actually being heard?
The organisers argue that the LGBT+ community contains many different life experiences and circumstances, and that those differences can easily be reduced to labels or simplified positions in an increasingly fast-moving and polarised information environment.
‘Our Voices, Our Journey’ therefore calls for listening as well as speaking. The idea is not that everyone must agree, but that people should remain willing to understand why others hold different views and what experiences lie behind them. The second part of the theme, the journey, presents the future as something that different communities must continue to travel together, despite disagreements and differences.
The visual identity reflects that idea. The official artwork shows a series of playful characters travelling along interconnected rainbow paths. Rather than a single straight road towards a destination, the rainbow becomes a network of journeys, with different characters meeting, travelling together and taking different routes.
It is a fitting image for a Pride movement that has itself travelled a considerable distance since the first Taiwan Pride in 2003.
From visibility to being heard
Taiwan LGBT+ Pride traces its origins to 2003, when gender and sexual-rights organisations came together to organise the first Taiwan LGBT+ Pride. The organisers recall a time when homosexuality could still be treated as a taboo subject and LGBTQIA+ people faced outing, bullying, discrimination and exclusion.
The parade has subsequently become one of the most visible LGBTQIA+ events in Asia.
Taiwan’s position is particularly significant because it became the first jurisdiction in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, in 2019. But the Pride organisation stresses that legal recognition does not mean that every issue affecting sexual and gender minorities has been resolved.
Its stated mission is to create spaces in which people from gender and sexual minorities can safely and freely be visible, bring their issues into public discussion and encourage greater social understanding. Its longer-term vision is a Taiwan in which people can express themselves openly and without fear, regardless of sex or gender, gender expression, gender identity or sexual orientation.
The 2026 theme consequently links the movement’s past and future: voices that have demanded recognition, and a journey that is still continuing.
The parade itself is still to come into focus
One major piece of information is still missing.
The organisers have confirmed the date but have not yet published the complete 2026 parade route and detailed on-the-day arrangements. Members of the public do not need to register to participate: anyone can simply turn up and join the parade.
Recent editions have gathered at Citizen’s Plaza in front of Taipei City Hall, in the Xinyi district, before heading through the eastern part of the city. The 2025 parade, for example, started at City Hall and split into two routes through the East District before returning to the starting point. Nearly 150,000 people took part despite several days of wet and chilly weather, with almost 180 groups registered.
The exact 2026 route is expected to be announced closer to the event.
One useful indication comes from the X-Formosa programme, which currently places Taiwan LGBT+ Pride between 14:00 and 17:00 on 31 October. That is not, however, a substitute for the official parade timetable, which will come from the Pride organisers.
Pride begins on Tuesday
For visitors, it makes more sense to think of Taipei Pride as a multi-day city-wide celebration than as a single parade.
The Taipei Rainbow Festival begins on Tuesday 27 October, several days before the march.
The free public festival runs from 27 to 30 October from 15:00 to 21:00, and from 31 October to 1 November from 13:00 to 21:00. It takes place at the North Plaza of the Red House in Ximending and the plaza outside Exit 1 of Ximen MRT station.
The Taipei Rainbow Festival, or TPRF, is a separate event from Taiwan LGBT+ Pride. It was created specifically because the huge influx of LGBTQIA+ visitors around the annual Pride parade created an opportunity for a large, free public celebration.
The festival brings together rainbow-friendly creative brands and businesses, along with performers from Taiwan’s LGBTQIA+ cultural scene. Its programme combines stalls and exhibitions with stage performances, lighting and entertainment, effectively creating a free Pride festival in one of Taipei’s most recognisable neighbourhoods.
That distinction is worth making because Taipei Rainbow Festival and Taiwan LGBT+ Pride are not the same event.
Indeed, the terminology can be confusing for international visitors. The official name of the main parade is Taiwan LGBT+ Pride, rather than Taipei Pride. ‘Taiwan Pride’ is a useful shorthand, while ‘Taipei Pride’ is commonly used informally because the parade takes place in Taipei. But the latter can also be confused with the separate Taipei Rainbow Festival.
Ximending becomes the other Pride centre
The location of the Rainbow Festival is particularly significant.
Ximending is the heart of Taipei’s LGBTQIA+, queer, gay nightlife, with the historic Red House serving as one of the city’s most recognisable queer landmarks. During Pride season, the area effectively becomes a second centre of the celebration.
That produces an interesting contrast.
In the afternoon, thousands of people gather around City Hall for the mass Pride demonstration. Later, crowds move towards Ximending, where the atmosphere becomes less about marching and more about bars, restaurants, shops, performances and socialising.
The Rainbow Festival adds an official public layer to that existing LGBTQ+ neighbourhood.
Taipei’s queer scene is also part of the reason the city has become an increasingly popular destination for international LGBTQIA+ travellers. Condé Nast Traveler‘s 2026 queer guide to Taipei highlights the Red House and Ximending alongside the city’s hotels, food scene, nightlife and public transport.
Friday 30 October: Pride weekend gets serious
By Friday, the programme becomes considerably more intense.
The Taipei Rainbow Festival continues during the afternoon, while the city’s nightlife begins to gear up for the main weekend.
There is also a particularly significant event for the wider LGBTQIA+ community: the eighth Taiwan Transgender Pride Parade, scheduled for Friday 30 October. The detailed meeting point and route have yet to be announced, but the event adds another distinct community voice to the Pride weekend.
Meanwhile, the international party circuit gets under way.
The X-Formosa 2026 Rainbow Music Festival begins on Friday evening with BLACK ARENA, running from 22:00 until 04:00. The programme features Taiwanese singer ABUS, Stone Formosa and international DJs including Italy’s Danny Verde and Brazil’s Junyo. The suggested dress code is black.
There are also independent club events around Taipei, giving visitors plenty of choice beyond the main X-Formosa programme.
X-Formosa: three nights and a tea dance
X-Formosa has become one of the biggest nightlife events associated with Taiwan’s Pride period.
The 2026 edition runs from 30 October to 1 November, with three night-time events and a Sunday afternoon tea dance. The organisers describe it as Taiwan’s major gay music festival and say that its 2025 edition attracted visitors from more than 40 countries, with 82% of attendees coming from overseas.
The 2026 programme is:
- BLACK ARENA: Friday 30 October, 22:00–04:00.
- WHITE EDEN: Saturday 31 October, 21:30–04:30.
- WOOF: Sunday 1 November, 16:00–21:00.
- PINK: Sunday 1 November, 23:00–04:00.
The Saturday event is likely to be the biggest night of the weekend.
WHITE EDEN, running from 21:30 on Halloween night until 04:30 on Sunday, features C.Holly and Afro Kombat 7, with DJs Arno Formosa, Danny Verde and Brazil’s Anne Louise. Its dress code is white.
The Sunday afternoon WOOF tea dance caters particularly to the bear community, with NOTSHYBEAR and CHIDASH performing and music from Neil Formosa and Brazil’s Las Bibas From Vizcaya. Green or camouflage is the suggested dress code.
Sunday night then brings PINK, featuring Taiwanese performers Ann Bai and Taipei McRae, with Spanish DJ Suri and Kai Formosa. Pink is, naturally, the suggested dress colour.
A major international party destination
The scale of X-Formosa also illustrates how international Taipei Pride has become.
The organisers’ current promotional material describes the audience as roughly 75% global travellers and 25% Taiwanese, while highlighting the participation of performers and DJs from Taiwan, Italy, Brazil, and Spain. Very Latin.
The festival has also introduced a no re-entry policy for 2026. Once visitors leave a particular event, they cannot return on the same ticket.
That is particularly relevant on Pride Saturday, when visitors may be tempted to leave a party to explore the city and return later.
Transport is another consideration. The X-Formosa venue is outside central Taipei, and the organisers are offering free night shuttle buses towards Ximending from 01:00, with a voucher required. They also warn that police checkpoints will be operating around the venue and strongly recommend using the shuttle rather than driving.
Halloween and Pride collide on Saturday
Saturday 31 October is the moment when everything comes together.
During the afternoon, Taiwan LGBT+ Pride takes over the streets.
At the same time, the Taipei Rainbow Festival will be running from 13:00 to 21:00 around the Red House and Ximen MRT.
Then comes Halloween night.
And for the international party crowd, WHITE EDEN starts at 21:30.
The coincidence of Halloween and Pride should make this year’s celebration particularly visually striking. Taipei already has an established culture of elaborate Pride outfits and costumes, while Halloween provides another reason for visitors to dress up.
The official Pride visual identity itself is playful and highly colourful, featuring cartoon-like characters travelling along winding rainbow paths. It is an appropriate visual metaphor for a theme about different voices and different journeys — and, this year, it will be appearing against the backdrop of Halloween.
Sunday keeps the rainbow flag flying
The celebration does not end when Saturday’s parade is over.
The Taipei Rainbow Festival continues throughout Sunday until 21:00.
X-Formosa’s WOOF tea dance runs through the afternoon, followed by PINK late at night. The Sunday programme also includes Taipei Leather Night, offering a separate option for visitors interested in the leather and fetish community.
That means Sunday is arguably the ideal day for people who want to experience the Pride atmosphere without the overwhelming crowds of the main parade.
More than a party
Despite the enormous party programme surrounding it, Taiwan LGBT+ Pride remains fundamentally a public demonstration and advocacy event.
The organisers describe their mission as creating a safe and comfortable public space for sexual and gender minorities to be visible, bringing their concerns into the public eye and encouraging social dialogue. Their vision is of a society where people can live openly and without fear regardless of their gender or sexuality.
That is reflected in the composition of the parade itself.
Previous editions have included hundreds of organisations and groups, ranging from LGBTQ+ advocacy organisations and community groups to companies, universities, political parties, international organisations and other civil-society organisations. The 2025 parade, despite poor weather, brought nearly 150,000 people together and included almost 180 registered groups.
The 2026 participant list likewise includes a broad mixture of community organisations, companies, international groups and LGBTQIA+ organisations.
So while Taipei’s Pride weekend has become an important international party destination, the parade itself remains rooted in visibility, advocacy and community.
That makes the 2026 theme particularly apt.
‘Our Voices, Our Journey’ asks people not only to take part, but to listen: to recognise that the LGBT+ community itself contains many different voices and experiences, and that equality is not a destination reached by one group alone.
The journey continues
Taiwan’s journey on LGBTQ+ rights has already been remarkable.
The country became the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage in 2019, turning Taipei into an important symbol of LGBTQ+ rights well beyond Taiwan itself.
But the organisers of Taiwan LGBT+ Pride make clear that legal equality does not eliminate the need for visibility, dialogue or advocacy.
The 2026 theme therefore looks both backwards and forwards.
“Our Voices” is about the many people and experiences that have shaped the movement.
“Our Journey” is about continuing that movement together.
And for one week at the end of October, Taipei will provide the setting for that journey — from the free Rainbow Festival in Ximending, through the transgender parade on Friday, to the mass Pride march on Saturday and the parties that continue deep into Sunday night.
The Pride week at a glance
- Tuesday 27 October: Taipei Rainbow Festival begins, 15:00–21:00.
- Wednesday 28 October: Taipei Rainbow Festival, 15:00–21:00.
- Thursday 29 October: Taipei Rainbow Festival, 15:00–21:00; Pride-week nightlife begins building.
- Friday 30 October: Taipei Rainbow Festival, 15:00–21:00; Taiwan Transgender Pride Parade; X-Formosa BLACK ARENA, 22:00–04:00.
- Saturday 31 October: 24th Taiwan LGBT+ Pride; Taipei Rainbow Festival, 13:00–21:00; Halloween; X-Formosa WHITE EDEN, 21:30–04:30.
- Sunday 1 November: Taipei Rainbow Festival, 13:00–21:00; X-Formosa WOOF, 16:00–21:00; Taipei Leather Night; X-Formosa PINK, 23:00–04:00.
- Monday 2 November: the final Sunday-night parties continue into the early hours before the Pride weekend finally winds down.
The exact route and detailed programme of Taiwan LGBT+ Pride itself are still to be announced by the organisers. But the broader picture is already clear: anyone travelling to Taipei around 31 October should not think of themselves as attending a one-day parade.
They are arriving for a city-wide LGBTQ+ celebration that stretches from Tuesday to Sunday — and culminates in the unusual combination of Taiwan Pride, Halloween and one of Asia’s largest queer gatherings on the same Saturday.
Our Voices, Our Journey. Taipei’s rainbow journey continues.
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