Everything you need to know about Milan Pride 2024

June is Pride Month and Milan is bustling with events, parties, talks, and presentations celebrating the pride of the LGBTQIA+ community. From June 24 to 30, the city is adorned with rainbow flags and welcomes gay, lesbian, bi, transgender and non-binary, asexual, intersex, and queer people who believe in the fundamental principles of civil coexistence, freedom, self-determination, respect for the dignity and physical and moral integrity of every individual. Organized by CIG Arcigay Milano in collaboration with the associations of the Rainbow Coordination, the network of LGBTQIA+ associations in the area, with the Patronage of the European Commission and the Municipality of Milan, as well as numerous other municipalities in the area, the event is an intersectional celebration open to all and an opportunity for the community to make their voices heard and advance their demands. As confirmed by Alice Redaelli, President of CIG Arcigay Milano: "The invitation to Pride is open to everyone, no one excluded. We look forward to sharing a common, strong, and clear message: no more discrimination, no more violence. The fight against homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, bullying, and for the rights of all families is at the forefront. For years, Milan Pride has been an intersectional event, talking about rights in a 360° perspective, even beyond Italian borders: from femicides and gender equality to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East."

Here are the most interesting events of Milan Pride 2024, including theater, concerts, talks, awareness initiatives, culminating in the grand parade scheduled for June 29.

Milan Pride: The Parade on June 29

Saturday, June 29, is the day of the Milan Pride parade, which will see hundreds of thousands of people, floats, and music fill every corner of the city. The gathering will be at 3:00 PM in Via Vittor Pisani, at Piazza Duca d'Aosta, in front of the Central Station, but the procession will start at 3:30 PM from Piazza della Repubblica, then continue along Viale Liberazione, connect to Via Melchiorre Gioia, and cross Piazza XXV Aprile, Bastioni di Porta Volta, and Viale Elvezia. The route will continue along Viale Byron, Viale Melzi d'Eril, and Corso Sempione to reach the Arco della Pace at 6:00 PM, where it will conclude with a grand finale event.

The Grand Finale Event at Arco della Pace

Once at Arco della Pace, the over 300,000 expected attendees can enjoy some live music and end the day with dancing and singing. On stage, there will be associations, activists, politicians, performers, and singers, introduced by the evening's hosts Marta Pizzigallo, Edoardo Zaggia, Francesco Cicconetti, Kaze, and Fabrizio Colica. Among the most anticipated artists are Francesca Michielin, Michele Bravi, Gianmaria, Ditonellapiaga, BigMama, Sethu, Gaia, Chadia, N.A.I.P., Karma B, Debora Villa, Beatrice Quinta, La Cesira, Clara, Daniele Gattano, Ricchi e Poveri, and Orietta Berti.

Milan Pride Week: Events

Throughout the month, Milan has hosted numerous events in support of the LGBTQIA+ community, spread across both the city center and its outskirts. The Milan Pride 2024 calendar has provided the opportunity to actively participate in talks on topics ranging from health to LGBTQIA+ rights in China and Palestine, book presentations, sports activities, theater shows, concerts, stand-up comedy, parties, guided tours, drag shows, and much more. Some of these have already concluded, but others will take place in the coming days, offering moments of celebration and reflection. Here are the most interesting ones scheduled until June 30:

• The District of Joy: From 7:00 PM to midnight on Wednesday, June 26, Parco Ravizza will host a spectacular free musical event, curated by Serravalle Designer Outlet. The star of the evening will be Loredana Bertè, but the stage will also feature performances by DJ sets from Linoleum with Isa Diamond and Santa Manu, live sets from MyDrama, Milano Cantautori, and Guernika, and a dance show by choreographer La B. Fujiko, all hosted by stand-up comedian Daniele Gattano.
• Burlesque Bodies & Bumps: The world of burlesque with its unique mix of humor, sensuality, and vintage atmosphere comes to life on the stage of Area Zelig through performances by The Rouge Academy team. The show is ticketed and starts at 9:00 PM.
• Pride Squares: On June 26, 27, and 28, three squares in Porta Venezia (Piazzale Lavater, Piazza Santa Francesca Romana, and Largo Bellintani) will transform into meeting and discussion places, with talks with activists and experts on rights, politics, art, and culture, as well as games, moments dedicated to families and children, and a queer tango in Piazzale Lavater. Additionally, in Largo Bellintani, there will be a health and prevention area in collaboration with Milano Check Point.
• Trans* Experimentation and Self-Representation in Independent Publishing: On June 28 from 6:30 PM, at Frab’s in Via Giuseppe Sirtori 11, there will be a double event: a talk by Pessima Magazine on Trans* representation methodologies in independent publishing and the inauguration of the Exceptional Behavior exhibition by Valeria Meliadò (on display until July 13 during store opening hours).
• Sempre Liber3: In collaboration with CIG Arcigay Milano and Alchemico Tre, there will be a theater evening dedicated to queer art in all its performative expressions. The event is on June 30 at 8:00 PM at Teatro Elfo Puccini. Tickets cost 10 euros.