Limerick to bid to host international EuroPride festival in 2028

Groups from Clare, Limerick, and the Mid West have come together to submit a bid to bring EuroPride 2028 to the region. Photo: Pexels/Rosemary Ketchum

Limerick groups unite to submit a bid to bring EuroPride – a pan-European international event dedicated to LGBT pride – to the MidWest in 2028

The Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, Shannon Chamber, Quare Clare, and Limerick Pride have joined forces with the organisers of the upcoming event ‘The Outing’ to submit a bid to bring EuroPride – a pan-European international event dedicated to LGBT pride – to the MidWest in 2028.

This would mark the first time that the pan-European international event has been held in Ireland. Attracting over 100,000 people from all over the world annually, EuroPride is hosted by a different European city each year.

Eddie McGuinness of The Outing Festival said, “Working with our partners in the Midwest Region, we are hoping to bring LGBTQ+ tourists and activists from across the world to Limerick and Clare in 2028, which would also coincide with the 35th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Ireland.

“Limerick is well accustomed to hosting large-scale international events, and we are confident we can follow in the footsteps of Amsterdam, London, Lisbon, Copenhagen and Madrid in showcasing our vibrant LGTBQ+ community here in Ireland, as this would be the 1st time EuroPride would come to the island of Ireland.”

Karen Ronan, General Manager of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, “The Bureau is proud to support The Outing and their partner organisations in their bid to secure this prestigious event for the Mid-West which, should it be successful, would mark a landmark moment for the Pride movement in Ireland. Bringing the event to Limerick and Clare also would deliver a significant economic boost to the wider region and would follow on from the hosting of the World Rally Championship and the Ryder Cup.”

Lisa Daly, Festival Director of Limerick Pride added, Limerick Pride is delighted to be working longside others with us joining a bid together to host EuroPride. This not only benefits Limerick and Clare but also the rest of Ireland in many ways. We are excited to be a part of this bid to host EuroPride 2028. There’s a lot of work done and loads more to do behind the scenes, but we are confident and hopeful that by working together as an overall community, we can bring this vision to life here in Ireland”.

Find out more about EuroPride
Read more Pride stories