Cape Town has won the bid to host WorldPride 2028, marking a historic moment as the event comes to Africa for the first time, highlighting the city’s commitment to inclusivity and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Cape Town has secured the bid to host WorldPride 2028, marking the first occasion that this prestigious LGBTQ+ celebration will be held on the African continent. This significant achievement underlines Cape Town’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity. Widely anticipated to draw tens of thousands of visitors globally, the event promises to spotlight South Africa as a pivotal destination for LGBTQ+ tourism and advocacy, while simultaneously addressing broader human rights issues within Africa.
The successful bid emerged triumphant at the InterPride General Meeting held in Medellín, Colombia. Key figures in Cape Town’s winning proposal included Michael Gladwin, Managing Director of the Travel and Event Company, Viola May, co-project lead, Thomas Patterson, CEO of Cape Town Pride, Roberto Quintas, a City of Cape Town representative, and LGBTQ+ activist Carmen Prins. Their collective efforts garnered overwhelming support from international representatives, positioning Cape Town at the forefront of global LGBTQ+ advocacy and celebration.
Michael Gladwin has reiterated the event’s potential global impact: “This is a Pride for Africa. It will have a global reach, and the LGBTQ+ conference component can profoundly influence the human rights issues faced by all Africans in the community.” He highlighted the immense tourism potential of the event, noting that the recent Sydney WorldPride 2023 drew over a million festival-goers. The upcoming event is expected to feature an array of world-class celebrations that cater to the entire diverse LGBTQ+ community.
WorldPride, endorsed by the international LGBTQ+ rights organisation InterPride, differs from traditional pride events by intertwining vibrant parades and festivities with advocacy discussions and gatherings. This combination aims to foster lasting positive changes and bolster human rights initiatives, specifically benefiting Africa’s LGBTQ+ communities.
In preparation for the influx of visitors, Afrigay Travel has been named the official travel partner for WorldPride 2028. The company plans to collaborate with All Stay, an LGBTQ+ training platform, to develop comprehensive training programmes for tourism operators. These initiatives are tailored to ensure that travellers receive genuinely inclusive and welcoming experiences upon their visit to Cape Town.
With the City’s focus on enhancing LGBTQ+ tourism and advocacy, the event represents a promising opportunity to showcase South Africa as a beacon of progress in inclusivity and equality on a world stage. WorldPride 2028 in Cape Town is set to be a transformative event, sparking conversations and actions that resonate across the African continent and beyond.
Source: Noah Wire Services