One of the highlights of Amsterdam Pride, the world-famous Canal Parade, returns on Saturday, August 1, 2026. Dozens of elaborately decorated boats will sail through the historic canals of Amsterdam, transforming the city into a vibrant celebration of love, diversity, and freedom.
Click here for the list of participants and their order in the float
Amsterdam will host the World Pride next year.
The Canal Parade will be Saturday 1 August 2026
The parade kicks off around 12:00 PM at the Scheepvaartmuseum (Maritime Museum), in the eastern part of the city centre. From there, the boats will sail along the Amstel River, continuing onto the Prinsengracht, and concluding near the Westerdok.
Please note: First boats reach the start of the Prinsengracht approximately 30-60 after the official start.
Times shown on the map are just an indication. Some years everything goes to plan, some other years there are "traffic delays" because of broken boats on the canals.
See route in Google Maps
The parade route stretches several kilometers, offering many fantastic spots to watch the spectacle. However, it gets extremely busy—especially on bridges and quays—so plan to arrive early.
Popular viewing locations:
Bridges fill up hours before the parade begins, so be early if you want a front-row view.
After the parade, the celebration continues with street parties kicking off around 16:00 in various locations throughout the city. For the full party agenda and event listings, check our events page.
Stay in Amsterdam center and experience Pride till the late hours. We created a page on which areas are best to stay.
Pride hotel guidePublic transport is the best way to reach the city centre on parade day.
See ns.nl for trains and gvb.nl for trams and metro. Note that not all trams will be able to run their normale route because of the expected crowds.
Applications to participate in the Canal Parade open in February via the official Pride Amsterdam website. A lottery in March will determine which 80 boats get selected. Only these official floats are allowed to join the parade.
Private boats under 10 meters may moor along the route, but a permit must be purchased in advance. Note: playing music on moored boats is not allowed.
Wondering how to join a float? Most boats are hosted by companies and LGBT+ organizations and typically invite employees, friends, or partners. Public participation on these boats is generally not available.
Let us all come together to celebrate pride, freedom, and love—on the water and along the canals—during the Canal Parade.