Friday 19 June 2026
The European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA) has published State of Pride, the first in-depth report dedicated to understanding the experiences of Pride organisers across Europe.
The report is based on responses from 112 Pride organisers representing communities across Europe, from Greenland in the northwest to Armenia and Georgia in the southeast. It provides one of the most comprehensive overviews to date of how Pride events are organised, funded, supported and challenged across the continent.
The report was developed by EPOA Board members Julia Maciocha, Lars Arnesen and Patrick van der Pas, combining research, analysis and visual production into EPOA’s first comprehensive study of Pride organising across Europe.
The findings reveal a movement that continues to grow despite significant pressures. 65% of respondents report that their Pride events have expanded since 2022. At the same time, 81% have experienced online hate speech, 40% report declining funding, and more than half of all Pride events operate entirely without paid staff. The report also highlights increasing concerns around volunteer capacity, safety, political hostility and long-term sustainability.
Reflecting on the significance of the report, EPOA President Patrick Orth said:
“For the first time, this report provides a broad overview of the conditions under which Pride organisations operate across Europe. It examines their financial sustainability, their ability to exercise the right to peaceful assembly, and the political environments in which they work. These factors shape not only the future of Pride events themselves, but also reflect the broader strength and resilience of the LGBTQIA+ movement in Europe.”
Pride is often seen through its public celebrations, but Pride is also an expression of fundamental democratic freedoms. The ability to gather, organise, march, protest and be visible in public spaces is closely connected to the freedom of assembly and the freedom of expression.
Drawing on responses from 112 Pride organisers across Europe, State of Pride documents the realities of Pride organising, including growth, funding, volunteer capacity, safety, political support and restrictions on civic space. As the first report of its kind, it establishes a baseline against which future developments in the European Pride movement can be measured.
State of Pride is available at: https://epoa.eu/state-of-pride/