Zurich, Switzerland has held a Gay Pride event, known as Christopher Day Zurich - in honor of the Stonewall Uprising on New York City's 1969 Christopher Street, since 1994. The event in this attractive Swiss city takes place in late May or early June, but in 2009, Zurich Gay Pride is a special and extended event, because it coincides with the city's hosting of EuroPride 2009.
Shop for the best hotel deals in Zurich during EuroPride
The international Gay Pride and GLBT Rights celebration known as EuroPride was established in London, UK, in 1992 and has since grown considerably in popularity and taken place in numerous cities throughout Europe. London has hosted the event three times (most recently in 2006), and the city will again in 2012 (Manchester, in 2003, is the other U.K. destination to host EuroPride). Other cities that have hosted in recent years include Stockholm in 2008, Madrid in 2007, Oslo in 2005, Hamburg in 2004, Cologne in 2002, Vienna in 2001, and Rome in 2000 (which marked the first ever WorldPride celebration).
Mark your calender for future EuroPride events - in 2010, the 17th EuroPride will take place in Warsaw in late June and early July. Then in 2011, the event shifts back to Rome in early June.
Here's a brief preview of Zurich Gay Pride and EuroPride 2009:
EuroPride in Zurich officially commenced May 2 with an opening party, and there have been some additional smaller events in the city throughout May. However, the first major weekend of EuroPride activities is May 30 through June 1, the EuroPride Sports Party. The weekend includes a huge party taking place the night of May 30, a May Gay Ball and international dance tournament on May 31, and a concluding sports brunch on June 1. The night-time events cap off daytime sports competitions throughout the weekend.
The following weekend, June 5 through June 7, Zurich will see the greatest crowds and participation for the EuroPride Weekend Parade and Celebration.
The EuroPride Parade take place on Saturday, June 6, beginning with a noon warm-up party at Club Acqua (Mythenquai 61), and a 1 pm party followed by live music and performances at the party's starting point, Hafendamm Enge. Then the parade kicks off at 3 pm from Hafendamm and ends at the Munsterhof fairground at 5 pm.
Throughout all three days of the weekend, there's also a full-on EuroPride Gay Festival held beside the lake at Munsterhof, Stadthausquai, and Stadthausanlage on Friday evening and Saturday, and then at Evenhall and Frauenmunster Church on Sunday. Featured over the course of the three days are speakers, live music performances, DJs and dancing, an awards ceremony, an ecumenical church service on Sunday, and several other events. The Festival hours are Friday, June 5, from 5 pm until 1:30 am (with music until around midnight); Saturday, June 6, from noon until 1:30 am (again with music going till around midnight); and Sunday, 10 am until 4 pm, with a 2 pm church service at Frauenmunster Church.
Many of the city's gay-popular restaurants, hotels, and shops have special events and parties throughout EuroPride's two weeks. Check local gay papers, which are distributed at popular gay bars. And check out the Zurich Gay Travel Guide by Patroc.com, which is very handy and has extensive information on the local gay scene. Additional excellent trip-planning resources are the Gay Travel site produced by the Zurich office of tourism, and the Switzerland Office of Tourism's site on GLBT travel in Zurich.
