Tel Aviv is known as the city that never sleeps. Well, during the weekend of June 8th, the city indeed didn’t sleep, not for one second in four days. Israelis and tourists were dancing, celebrating, partying all over the city, making the 2018 Tel Aviv pride one of the most successful parades in the world.
The biggest LGTB festival in the Middle East took place on a Friday in Tel Aviv. More than a festival, it was a march for respect and equality. Children, teenagers, adults, and old people, the pride welcomed all types of people with only one rule: spreading LOVE.
Describe by Wow Travel as “the most gay-friendly city in the world” Tel Aviv has welcomed and embrace the LGTB community.
The city and the locals have prepared this event for months. Tel Aviv residents wore their rainbow colored clothes and the businesses of the whole city proudly designed in rainbow colors as a common dress code.
From its beginning in 2008, the Tel Aviv Pride has brought together millions of people to celebrate and party in the city. This year, over a quarter million participants came out on the street and from around the world.
This event was the place to be in Tel Aviv and a perfect way to start the summer season in the hottest city of Israel.
The festivities kicked-off at noon at Ben Zion Boulevard, riding the tuned parade to Herbert Samuel Street and finishing at Charles Clore Park. The Rainbow floats paraded the streets of Tel Aviv making the city dancing by the beat of the crowd and the musical floats.
Like every year the party ends on the beach in a crazy and colorful mood. Israeli and International artists performed and made the people dance all night long. Netta Barzilai, Israel’s winner of Eurovision gave a show on stage and the public was on fire.
"Celebrating Pride in Tel Aviv is a beautiful celebration of gay rights and visibility in a region where many of the neighbors cannot live as their true selves or be who they were born to be, which makes it all the more special for this massive coming together in support of equality to be taking place in Tel Aviv." said American TV host Andy Cohen, this year’s “International Pride Ambassador.”
The party continued the whole weekend and events took place until Sunday night to prolong the pleasure, making this 2018 parade the most successful one in its history.
But aside from the fun and games, this year has also put in the middle the LGBT family rights. Israel is the county with the highest birth rate within the developed counties. As world average for OECD is 1.5 children per family, Israeli average is 3.2. This cultural baby fever does not skip the LGBT community as there has been an enormous rise in the number for children born to LGBT parents.
Israel is proud of its pride week and this year’s pride event marking the 20th anniverdary of Tel Aviv pride were the most successful in its history. See you next year.