Uppsala Pride History

Early Years

The 2008 – 2012 Festivals 

The first Uppsala Pride was organized in 2008 by a local network with left-wing ideology. In 2012 the festival was dropped. RFSL Uppsala recognised 2016 the need for a new pride festival in Uppsala, creating a platform that was politically and religiously unobtrusive, and which would lift the voices of newly arrived LGBTQI people and promote integration into society.

The 2016 festival

The new start was a colossal success, with around 600 visitors attending the program of lectures, seminars, discussion groups and other activities spanning two days. The third day featured a Pride parade attended by close to a thousand people marching through central Uppsala, finishing with a picnic in the central park. The reception has been very positive, with both the municipality and city rallying behind the festival with grants and logistical help. There was also a large media presence, with reportage in local newspapers like UNT and Uppsalatidningen, national media such as SVT and Sveriges Radio, and even internationally in VICE magazine.

The 2017 festival 

The year after drew even bigger crowds, with over 800 visitors. The parade had around 1000 persons attend. The concluding Pride Picnic in the city park was well attended, and featured live music by Uppsala Jungle, a bouncy castle, and food trucks. As usual the project ended with a festival evaluation, and the organisation committee started the preparations for the 2018 festival.

Photos from WelcomeOUT 2016, September 16-18: