From Brighton to Amsterdam: Celebrating Pride, Community and Belonging

This weekend, I stood among thousands of people celebrating Brighton & Hove Pride. Everywhere I looked, there were rainbow flags, laughter, music and people embracing one another without fear. It was impossible not to smile, as my heart was happy and filled with joy. As the founder of Sapphic Journeys, I wasn't just attending Pride from the outside, I was there to celebrate with our community, capture stories, create memories and remind myself why this project exists.

Standing among thousands of people also reminded me why I started Sapphic Journeys in the first place. It wasn't simply to inspire people to travel. It was to help create opportunities for lesbian and queer women to meet up, connect and discover the world together. Every conversation I had in Brighton, every smile exchanged, and every story shared reinforced the belief that travel has the power to build lasting friendships and stronger communities. Sometimes, all it takes is one event, one destination, one shared pride or one chance to completely change someone's journey. Pride has always been about much more than colourful parades. It was about visibility, belonging and creating spaces where LGBTQIA+ people know they are welcomed exactly as they are.

Brighton & Hove Pride is celebrating 35 years in its current form, although the city's LGBTQIA+ activism stretches back to the early 1970s. This year's parade, under the theme "The Power of Love," once again brought together community groups, charities, businesses and hundreds of thousands of visitors in one of the UK's most welcoming Pride celebrations. Brighton & Hove Pride has grown into one of the UK's most celebrated Pride festivals, marking 35 years of bringing people together under the banner of equality, diversity and inclusion. What began as a local community event has become an international celebration, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Yet despite its size, Brighton Pride has created a true sense of community and walking through the city I could feel that it has become a place where people of every age, background and identities came together with one shared purpose: to celebrate love, visibility and belonging.

Over the three days I spent in Brighton, I saw countless small moments that reminded me why Pride matters. Conversations between strangers that turned into friendships, families proudly supporting their loved ones, volunteers giving their time with smiles that never seemed to fade. Those moments rarely make the headlines, but they are the heartbeat of every Pride celebration, and they remind us that community is built not only through big events, but through thousands of small acts of kindness and acceptance.

What struck me most wasn't the music or the performances; it was the people, friends reuniting, couples holding hands, families cheering from the pavements, volunteers giving their time wholeheartedly, and strangers smiling at one another simply because, for one weekend, everyone belonged to the same community.

Walking through Brighton over those three days, I have felt that Pride doesn't begin or end with the parade itself. It continues in cafés, on the streets, along the seafront, on the beach, in local businesses proudly displaying rainbow flags and in the countless conversations that happen long after the music fades. The city itself becomes part of the celebration, creating an atmosphere where people feel seen, embraced, welcomed and free to enjoy being themselves and to celebrate each other. That feeling is difficult to describe, but impossible to forget.

While Brighton was celebrating its 35th anniversary, another extraordinary celebration was taking place across Europe. Amsterdam is currently hosting WorldPride 2026, bringing together people from around the globe under the theme "UNITY." This year's celebration marks 25 years since the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage, alongside an international programme that includes the famous Canal Parade, cultural events, a human rights conference, community gatherings and many concerts.

Amsterdam has long been recognised as one of Europe's most welcoming destinations for LGBTQIA+ travellers, and WorldPride reflects that spirit beautifully. It isn't simply about hosting one of the world's largest Pride celebrations; it is about creating space for every generation, every identity and every story within our community. The programme demonstrates that Pride can be joyful while also being educational, reflective and deeply meaningful. And what makes WorldPride Amsterdam especially inspiring is the incredible variety of events taking place throughout the celebration, as beyond the world-famous Canal Parade, the programme reflects the many different voices, generations and experiences within our community.

It begins with the Pride Walk and Pride Park, bringing thousands together in a visible celebration of unity. Throughout the fortnight, visitors can enjoy an Arts & Culture programme showcasing queer artists and storytellers, as well as an Open Air Film Festival celebrating LGBTQIA+ cinema under the summer sky. The programme also includes a Senior Pride Concert, recognising older members of our community whose courage helped pave the way for the freedoms many of us enjoy today. There are lively street parties across the city, the spectacular Canal Parade through Amsterdam's historic canals, the WorldPride Village, an international Human Rights Conference bringing together activists and organisations from around the world, and the colourful Wedding Party XXL, celebrating love and marriage equality. The celebrations conclude with the WorldPride March and a Closing Concert, bringing thousands of people together one final time under this year's theme of UNITY.

Reading through the programme, what struck me most was its diversity. There is something for everyone: young people discovering Pride for the first time, couples celebrating their relationships, older generations whose courage helped shape today's freedoms, artists, activists, families and visitors travelling from every corner of the world. It is a reminder that our community is incredibly diverse, yet united by a shared desire for acceptance, equality and belonging. Through its programme, it all reflects exactly what Pride has always been about. It isn't just one parade or one concert. It is art, culture, history, activism, education, celebration, remembrance and hope, all woven together into one extraordinary community unique experience.

As someone building Sapphic Journeys, I couldn't help thinking how wonderful it would be to spend two weeks exploring every event, meeting people from around the world and experiencing the many different ways our community celebrates itself. Brighton gave me unforgettable memories this year, but Amsterdam has already found its place on my travel list for next year. Brighton reminds us of the strength of local community; Amsterdam reminds us of the power of our global community. Different cities, different traditions, history, but the same belief that everyone deserves to live openly, love freely and feel that they belong. And at Sapphic Journeys, we believe travel is one of the most powerful ways to connect our communities, build lasting friendships, remind us that we are never alone in our journey, celebrate our diversity and create spaces where everyone feels welcomed, valued and free to be themselves.

Looking back on Brighton while watching the celebrations unfold in Amsterdam, I couldn't help but feel optimistic. Every Pride has its own personality, shaped by the people, culture and history of the place where it happens. Yet they all share the same heartbeat. They remind us that community is something we build together, through visibility, courage, kindness, friendship and the simple act of showing up for one another without fear. That is a message that stays with us long after the flags have been folded away, because every Pride tells a different story, every destination has something unique to teach us.

As I packed my bags to leave Brighton, I found myself already thinking about next year's journey. That's one of the wonderful things about Pride: it doesn't end when you go home. It leaves you inspired to discover another city, meet new people and experience another celebration somewhere else in the world. This year, Brighton filled my heart, and next year, Amsterdam will do the same, because every Pride has a story and every journey has the power to bring us closer together. Whether we find ourselves dancing through the streets of Brighton, watching boats glide through Amsterdam's canals or discovering a small local Pride somewhere else in the world, we are reminded that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.