Canal Parade

Description

Route

Oosterdok - Nieuwe Herengracht - Amstel - Prinsengracht - Westerdok

Visitors on boats

Due to the increasing number of visitors wanting to come to Pride by boat and the limited space available for this purpose, visitors coming by boat need a Pride Vignette. If you want to come to Pride with family or friends by boat (up to a maximum of 10 metres) to moor along the shore, it is possible with a Pride Vignette. This way, we prevent parties who do not contribute to the organisation of our Pride from organising their own party during our event and thus also causing the most nuisance. On 1 July 2026, the sale of Pride Vignettes will start via www.botenparade.nl.

Visitors on the quay

To create space for the many visitors on the quay, it will be made car-free and parking will be prohibited on Saturday 1 August from 00:00 to 23:59. Residents with a parking permit will be given the opportunity by the municipality to park their car elsewhere (indoors).

Communication about Photography and Videography

During this event, photographs, video and sound recordings will be made for promotional, communicative and editorial purposes by the organisation. By entering the event terrain and/or participating in the event, you grant the organisation permission to record visual material in which you are possibly recognisable in the picture and to use this material for purposes including website, social media, printed matter and other (online and offline) communication channels. No separate permission is required for this use and there is no right to compensation.

No more music along the side

To improve the experience of the event as well as further reduce ambient noise, since 2019 amplified sound along the route on moored boats and on the shore is no longer allowed.

Visitors with disabilities

We have also thought about visitors with disabilities and created a safe environment where they need not be afraid of ending up in the water with their wheelchair. We will cordon off a section of quay for this purpose and will also provide wheelchair-accessible toilets. Important: A maximum of one accompanying person per visitor is allowed. The registration form will be published here. Are you coming with an entire care institution? Then please mail to [email protected].

Food & drink

Along the route, we have licensed bars at a number of points where beer, wine and soft drinks are for sale and snack wagons with hamburgers, fries, hot dogs, saté or a bone-ham sandwich. The leaseholders help make it possible for us to organise a boat parade. We hope you realise this and will purchase your drinks and snacks from them as much as possible.

Pee on toilet!

Sometimes you have to walk a bit further for a pee cross or queue longer for paid and clean toilets, we are aware of that and try to create as many toilet facilities as possible. We know we don't always manage to do that, but nevertheless, it shows little respect if you stand against a car or pull down your trousers in a porch. Urinating against trees or through mailboxes is also strictly forbidden and will be dealt with. Urinating in public is forbidden in Amsterdam via the General Local Bye-Law (APV) and therefore you will be fined €140. At the bottom of this page you will find a map showing all toilet facilities.

Clean Amsterdam

We understand that hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Pride can leave quite a trail of dirt but want to keep this to a minimum and therefore request everyone to use waste bags and deposit them in one of our waste bins along the route afterwards.

Toilets

Aftermovies

Participants

Organisations from small local LGBT foundations, national LGBT advocacy associations, gay hospitality industry, pink networks of multinationals and banks, pink government institutions, political parties, ministries to (media) companies supporting the emancipation struggle of the LGBT community could register until 2 February 2026, and on Saturday 14 February during the kick-off event at Hotel Arena, it was announced which entries best matched the theme and were rewarded with a starting ticket for Saturday 1 August 2026.

Despite heavily subsidised starting tickets for LGBTQIA+ organisations, the total cost of participation can be high, sometimes leaving little money left over to nicely dress up the boat. However, to properly convey the substantive message and keep the parade interesting for the public, this is a requirement. Therefore, participants in categories 3 and 4 (Rainbow Friends S and L) and 10 and 11(Pride Rainbow Partner L and XL) can appeal to our visibility fund and apply for a financial contribution of up to €5,000. The application may not exceed 50% of the total costs.

Price list & Participation rules 2026

Selection framework CanalParade 2026