In 2025, the Pride Festival Salzburg will continue to strive to bring queer issues into the social discourse in various areas of city life. The Pride Festival will therefore remain true to its motto this year: ‘Be visible, sweetheart.’ That will be the Pride Festival Salzburg 2025.

Friday, 29 August, will get off to a strong start. At 5 p.m., speed dating in cooperation with the SALZBURG-Linien trolleybuses will kick off the festival as the first event. The speed dating on the bus is open to anyone interested. It is sure to be a speed dating event with a difference. Once again this year, the Obersalzberg Documentation Centre is part of the programme and, in collaboration with Paris Lodron University, is hosting a reading on the topic of right-wing extremism at the Rupertusbuchhandlung bookshop at 6 p.m. The reading will be followed at 8 p.m. by Queer Karaoke at the Narrencastl, which has become an integral part of Salzburg’s queer scene with various Magic Garage and Pride events.

On Saturday, 30 August, the workshop Right-wing Extremism Under the Microscope will begin at 10 a.m. From 11 a.m., there will be brunch at the vegetarian restaurant FURO. Afterwards, the Pride Picnic will take place at 2 p.m. in Hans-Donnenberg-Park, where you can relax and enjoy music, sorting, games and a barbecue. In the evening – and this is new this year – there will be a party at Jazzit. The ageing jazz club will be the perfect location for queer clubbing.

On Sunday, 31 August, at 3 p.m., we will head to the Museum der Moderne Salzburg for a queer treasure hunt through the museum and its diverse exhibitions. After the museum, we will head to the Rooftop Bar at the arte Hotel at 6 p.m. for a sundowner in the Queer Lounge.

The week begins on Monday (1 September) with workshops. The sign language workshop at 9 a.m. and the consensus workshop at 5 p.m. – both held at HOSI – will bring together anyone interested in learning more about sign language and consensus. After the informative exchange at HOSI, it’s time for a pub quiz at the Academy Bar at 7 p.m.

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On Tuesday (2 September) at 10 a.m., in collaboration with Dokumentation Obersalzberg, there will be another workshop entitled Rechtextremismus unter der Lupe (Right-wing extremism under the microscope). A popular Pride Festival classic is the Pride Night Kitchen Club at 5 p.m. in Olinas Küchenstudio. There, cooking aprons will be donned and wooden spoons wielded. Well fortified, the film evening will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Das Kino. The very moving queer classic from the UK, ‘Pride,’ will be shown. Those who are not interested in going to the cinema that evening can go to the speed dating event at HOSI, which will take place at the same time as the film evening.

The queer church service already brought many different people together at the last Pride Festival. This year, the Kollegienkirche will open its doors again on Wednesday (3 September) at 6:30 p.m. to everyone, queer or not, religious or not. At 7:30 p.m., Birgit Leichsenring from the Chemsex Network Vienna will give another entertaining talk at the Dark Eagle on the latest scientific findings on STIs (sexually transmitted infections).

On Thursday (4 September) at 5 p.m., there will be a trans*parent information evening at HOSI. At 7.30 p.m., there will be dancing and performances at the Kollegienkirche. Mind The Gap is a dance performance about closeness, freedom and the invisible space in between. At 8 p.m., the Magic Garage invites you to its Pride Session at the Academy Bar.

Friday (5 September) at 9 a.m., the Mindfulness Workshop will start at WiFi Salzburg. WiFi was already part of the programme at the first Pride Festival three years ago and is back again this year with this workshop. At 6 p.m., the Rainbow Market will take place at HOSI. This time, works of art by queer artists may also be looking for new owners. After the Rainbow Market, you’ll be in the right place, because Drag Bingo starts at 8 p.m. at HOSI. Over the years, Drag Bingo Night has become a popular classic of the Salzburg Pride Festival.

Saturday is Pride Parade Day! This action-packed Saturday (6 September) kicks off with a queer city tour at 11 a.m. with Roman Forisch, who will guide participants through the unique old town on the Salzach river and bring local queer history to life. A different theme and a different location: doors open at 11.30 a.m. for Gigi’s Brunching Divas. From 12 noon, Gigi LaPajette and her Austrian drag queen colleagues will conjure up a lively atmosphere for the breakfast buffet at the arte Hotel above the rooftops of the city. At 5 p.m., the big Rainbow Parade will start in front of the main railway station. Of course, you can meet up with your friends and loved ones in front of the main railway station from 4 p.m. and dance your way into the mood together during the warm-up.

The demonstration march will proceed from the train station towards Mirabellgarten. It will then continue to Makartkai and across the Staatsbrücke bridge towards Nonntal. The march will end at the square in front of Paris Lodron University. Two minutes further on, you will find yourself at the entrance to ARGE Salzburg – the location for the big, colourful Pride Night. The ARGE Beisl will also be back again this year, where you can recharge your batteries after the parade at the after-show party. The queer bars Mexxx and Dark Eagle are hosting after-show parties.

What began as a colourful parade through Salzburg followed by an after-show party on a weekend has now become the Salzburg Pride Festival. A Pride Festival that lasts more than a week and offers everything that defines and promotes non-heteronormative lifestyles, from educational events and entertainment to clubbing. That’s what the Pride Festival Salzburg 2025 will be – lots of dates that are best marked in red in your calendar.
An article by Sebastian Brandstätter and Peter Goebel

Information about all events can be found on the Pride Festival website.
This article will be continuously updated until 29 August 2025.