WorldPride 2028 to take place in stunning African city in historic first
Cape Town is set to host WorldPride 2028. (Diego Delso/Wikimedia)
Cape Town is set to host WorldPride 2028. (Diego Delso/Wikimedia)
The venue for WorldPride in three years’ time has been confirmed – and for the first time it is being held in Africa.
Organisers InterPride announced last year that WorldPride 2028 will be hosted by Cape Town.
The news was confirmed by WorldPride Cape Town, whose website reads: “It is official.” The South African capital polled 53 per cent of the vote, which took place in Medellín, Colombia, beating Guadalajara, in Mexico (44 per cent), into second place in the bidding process, according to the Washington Blade.
“This is a first for the whole continent of Africa,” said Cape Town Pride’s chief executive Tommy Patterson. “The team did a wonderful job and we all forged great friendships and allies from Pride groups all over the globe. [We are] thrilled by the news and support shown by the global LGBTI+ family.”
South Africa is the only country on the continent that constitutionally recognises LGBTQ rights.
Blackenterprise.com quoted one member of the successful bidding team, Michael Gladwin, as saying: “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the global LGBTQ+ community to our beautiful city. We will showcase Cape Town as a beacon of inclusivity and diversity.”
However, not everyone was in the mood to celebrate. Reverend Oscar Bougardt, the founder and lead pastor of the Calvary Hope Baptist Church, in the Western Cape province of the capital, described WorldPride as garbage and filth.
He went on to say: “Just as the LGBTQ+ organisations have the right to host WorldPride 2028, we have the right to say we don’t want it in Cape Town.” He also called on other church leaders and parents to voice their opposition.
In 1996, South Africa became the first country in the world to make discrimination based on sexual orientation unlawful. Same-sex marriages were recognised 10 years later.
Additionally, same-sex couples are able to adopt, trans people are allowed to change gender, and LGBTQ+ men and women can serve in the military.
The LGBTQ+ rights tracker Equaldex shows that recent polls indicated decent support for LGBTQ+ rights, including people’s ability to transition and access support.
This year’s WorldPride will take place in Washington DC, even though warnings have been issued for LGBTQ+ people travelling to America, in the wake of Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Among a number of the executive orders signed by the president, Trump has decreed that the official policy of the US is that there are “only two sexes”. He has also taken steps to ban trans men and women from serving in the military and restricted gender-affirming healthcare for trans people under the age 19.
“It’s possible that we may actually issue a statement telling trans folks internationally not to come, or if they come, they come at their own risk,” said Capital Pride Alliance executive director Ryan Bos, NBC News reported.
The World Pride Music Festival is set to take place on 6 and 7 June at the Festival Grounds at RFK Campus, in Washington, DC, as part of WorldPride 2025. Kim Petras, Tinashe, Troye Sivan and Jennifer Lopez are all set to perform. For more information, visit the festival website here.
The celebrations move on to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, in 2026. No host city has been confirmed for the following year, although Bangkok, in Thailand, is thought to be the favourite.
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