WorldPride and EuroGames in Denmark: 5 must-see events at Copenhagen 2021
2021 is a big year for Copenhagen as Denmark’s capital city will host WorldPride and EuroGames together with its sister city, Malmø in Sweden, under the name ‘Copenhagen 2021’.
Taking place from 12-22nd of August, it is the first time that WorldPride and EuroGames are combined and the first time that two countries will jointly host the events. It will be 10 days of celebrating diversity and inclusion with activism, sports tournaments, arts and culture events and the world’s largest LGBTI+ Human Rights Forum.
Steve Taylor, Director of Communications at Copenhagen 2021, looks ahead to Copenhagen 2021: “As the world nervously emerges from the pandemic, the challenges in the way of LGBTI+ equality are even more urgent. Despite having to change some of our plans, we’re excited about the opportunity to put Denmark on the map and to show to the world that Copenhagen 2021 sets ambitious targets for global equality while having fun, taking part in sports, and enjoying being together once again”.
Photo:Daniel Rasmussen, Copenhagen Media Centre
Back in 1989, Denmark made history by being the first country in the world to legally recognise same-sex marriages. To this day, Denmark is consistently ranked among the most LGBTI+friendly countries in the world.
Copenhagen has celebrated Pride since 1996, and the city offers everything from one of the world’s oldest LGBTI+ venues to community-led spaces in a former military base.
You don’t have to choose your evening based on it being LGBTI+ friendly, as Copenhagen’s nightlife scene is as open-minded as everything else in the city. However, if visitors feel like partying with the LGBTI+community, the area around Studiestrædet is filled with LGBTI+ bars and nightclubs
Copenhagen 2021 is the world’s most significant LGBTI+ event taking place in 2021. More than 250,000 people are expected to celebrate the event which is built around the theme #YouAreIncluded.
The Øresund Declaration will be a key legacy from Copenhagen 2021, a multilevel manifesto for global LGBTI+ quality by 2030 where parliamentarians, global leaders and influencers will be invited to sign to show commitment to a worldwide end to criminalisation of LGBTI+ people.
Since the global pandemic is still ongoing, the organisers aim to have the broadest possible participation from around the world, even for those who cannot physically participate, as digital channels will support the event.
Photo:Daniel Rasmussen, Copenhagen Media Centre
Here, Steve Taylor presents his five ‘must sees’ at Copenhagen 2021:
- First, the 1:1 Democracy Festival at Øksnehallen. Here there will be 16 hours of debates and discussions every day from 16-21 August alongside informal events.
- Fluid Festival features programming by and for women, non-binary and trans people. There will be stages, bars, and places to relax.
- Down at Islands Brygge, the Sports Village will take over with areas to relax and watch the EuroGames tournaments on big screens, take a dip in the harbour, relax with friends, and just enjoy the scene.
- WorldPride Walks are replacing the familiar Parade due to COVID19 restrictions, but ensure that LGBTI+ visibility on the streets is still a central feature of Copenhagen 2021. They’ll be taking place on several days throughout the event.
- Last but by no means least, the WorldPride Concerts take place on the 18-21st of August and will be livestreamed to our viewing area in one of Copenhagen’s beautiful parks. They’re all themed, concluding with a spectacular Closing Ceremony with international artists on Saturday 21 August.
While you're exploring the options for Copenhagen 2021, you might also want to check out other local LGBTI+ happenings such as Pride and diversity celebrations in Aarhus, Fanø and Aalborg.
Below is a list of Pride events and dates for the summer of 2021:
- Aabenraa Pride: 24-30th of June
- Aarhus Pride: 3rd of July
- Aalborg Pride: 10th of July
- Kolding Pride: 7th of August
- West Coast Pride: 2-11th of August
- WorldPride: 12-22nd of August
- Viborg Pride: date to be confirmed
Danish LGBTI+ facts:
For decades Denmark has been a progressive nation when it comes to LGBTI+ equality. Homosexuality was decriminalised in 1933. Gender confirmation surgery first took place in 1951. Denmark introduced anti-discrimination legislation in 1987 and two years later legalised samesex partnerships. More recently, in 2014, Denmark became the first country to allow a legal change of gender without requiring prior medical approval, and in 2017 were the first in the world to remove being transgender from the list of mental illnesses.