Legend has it, you haven’t partied until you’ve partied at Tel Aviv Pride. Tel Aviv may be known as the White City, but really, it’s all rainbows. The annual celebration in the second week of June has been known to attract as many as 250,000 attendees, making it the largest LGBTQ+ celebration on the continent of Asia. And it’s right here, in this tiny country we call home. It's a time to celebrate love, equality, and diversity, and 2023 Pride promises to be bigger and better than ever before!
Tel Aviv Pride is now officially a 2-day event (June 8-9), but there are happenings and celebrations to be explored all week long. We’re here to help you make the most of your time at the festival:
The Lead Up
June 2-7, 2023
Pride is as good an excuse as any to explore the vibrant city on the sea, and we’ve got you covered for local recs! Check out local live music joints, cool off with a cocktail at one of Tel Aviv’s trendiest bars, treat yourself to a meal at an award-winning restaurant, or taste the rainbow with these delicious spots that are as colorful as they are tasty. Tel Aviv has so much to offer, during Pride and all-year-round. Do like Delicious and follow your tastebuds through this delectable city – we promise you’ll work it off at the dance party later on!
Image: Instagram / @deliciousisrael
Now the obvious thing to do in Tel Aviv if you find yourself with a free afternoon and an appetite for adventure… is book a Delicious tasting tour, of course! Hey, we don’t make the rules, Neil Patrick Harris does. And he and his husband, David Burtka, did just that when NPH hosted Tel Aviv Pride back in 2019. A fluffy Yemenite lachuch from Irit’s before a night partying on the town? Yes please!
Image: Instagram / @deliciousisrael
But if you’ve got your heart set on official Pride events only, there’s no shortage of those either. Whether you’re feeling a gay beach volleyball tournament, a fabulous drag show, or just a booty-shakin’ dance party for the gods, it’s probably happening in the days leading up to the main Pride events. A good list of the week’s offerings can be found here.
Parade Day
June 8, 2023
The highly anticipated annual parade will move joyously from the Herbert Samuel boardwalk, through the streets of Tel Aviv and along the beautiful beachfront promenade at sunset. Join floats, live performers, and an expected 300,000 attendees as they fill the streets with music, dance, drinks, confetti, glitter and love.
Unlike previous years where parade-goers baked in the midday sun, this year’s event is set against the dreamy backdrop of the Mediterranean waves at sunset. As the parade ends, attendees can continue their celebrations in the sand and watch the pink and orange sun dip into the glassy green water – we told you, the White City is all festive hues during Pride!
wHEN: jUNE 8, 17:00
wHERE: bEACHFRONT PROMENADE (tAYELET)
Image: Website / nocamels
Party Day
June 9, 2023
In another break from previous years, the all-out bash that usually happens at the end of the parade route is getting its own day to shine. In 2023, the party of the year, the biggest Pride party in Asia, will kick off at 12:00 noon on Friday, June 9, at Ganei Yehoshua, North Tel Aviv.
The festivities take over Park HaYarkon (Tel Aviv’s version of Central Park) with DJs, live performances, and dancing up and down the river and around the picturesque lake. Music will wind down around 6:30pm as the sun begins to set and Shabbat begins.
wHEN: jUNE 9, 12:00
wHERE: Ganei Yehoshua, Park hayarkon
Image: Website / Israel Inside Out
Bonus Event: Adam Lambert Live in Concert
June 13
That’s right, the party never stops! Jewish American Idol legend Adam Lambert, who was most recently seen touring with Queen, is making a special stop in Tel Aviv to round out the 2023 Pride festivities. Not every artist on a world tour makes it to Israel, so the ones who do, well let’s just say the crowds appreciate them - big time. There’s no energy like a live concert full of music-lovers who are just happy to be there, and there’s truly no more fitting way to end the week full of love, music, and celebration. Are you ready to rock?!
wHEN: jUNE 13
wHERE: Charles bronfman auditorium, tel aviv
Image: Website / People
We can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for this record-breaking, history-making celebration. We hope to see you there! Tel Aviv is waiting for you. Happy Pride!
