Vada’s top 5 things to do at Amsterdam Pride

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Tyler is a writer and photographer from Manchester. He loves good food and city breaks. He is a connoisseur of burgers and a scholar of wild parties. Often found with a cocktail in hand.

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Amsterdam comes together this weekend for three days of frivolity and fabulousness, and if last year’s event is anything to go by, it’s going to be one hell of a party! Here, we recommend our five favourite things to do at Amsterdam Pride …

The Drag Queen Olympics

Last year’s event saw 26 ladies from across the globe take part in the Handbag Throw, the Tug-of-war and the Stiletto Sprint. Guaranteed giggles.

Take the ‘Homosexuality in the Animal Kingdom’ tour at the Artis Zoo

Perhaps surprisingly, there are hundreds of different animals that carry homosexual tendencies, as you can discover at the Artis Zoo’s special tours arranged to coincide with the festival. On the tour you’ll meet apes, cockatoos, elephants and goats – all of which accept homosexuality entirely – but that’s by no means the end of it. In all, more than 1,500 species are known to have manifested gay behaviour, so expect some interesting insights.

Club Church’s Underwear Party

A popular weekly event, last year’s Pride Friday special was rammed to the rafters, as, we’re pretty sure, were some of the boys! Expect to queue on arrival, but believe us – it’s worth the wait.

The Parade

Saturday afternoon sees over 500,000 people come together from every scene, to line the streets along the canal and celebrate all that there is to be proud of. The floats make their way down the canal over the course of the afternoon, with onboard DJs and dancers on many – providing the floating soundtrack to the party.

Funhouse at the Westerunie

We absolutely LOVED last year’s event. Again, expect a short wait to get in when you arrive, but what follows is more than worth it. Think laser light shows, onstage performers, the best in house music, and topless boys upon topless boys!

Flights

KLM has regular flights to Amsterdam Schiphol from Manchester, London Heathrow and Leeds. Flight times are less than 90 minutes and include free refreshments. KLM are the official travel partners of Amsterdam Pride, so check the Pride website for details on special offers.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Sebas van der Sangen, Amsterdam Pride, I amsterdam, KLM and Hotel Pulitzer for hosting us in 2013, and in helping us to research this article.

For more information visit amsterdamgaypride.nl.