Malta has won the competition to host Europe’s biggest gay pride event, EuroPride, in 2023.

Malta’s bid, titled Equality from the Heart, was selected during the annual general meeting of the European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA).  The Maltese bid was selected over bids from Belfast in Northern Ireland and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

Malta’s bid, which was spearheaded by Allied Rainbow Communities (ARC), received 54% of the vote.

EuroPride attracts thousands of people from across Europe and the world, and in 2023 they will be coming to the island which has topped Europe’s LGBTIQ+ index for the past four years.

“Congratulations to Malta Pride for their victory, and for a bid that highlighted diversity and human rights and focused on refugees, migrants and other intersections within the LGBTI+ community. I look forward to visiting Malta for EuroPride in three years’ time!”, President of the European Pride Organisers Association, Kristine Garina, said.

The event itself will be spread out over 10 days in September 2023 and will include events such as a human rights conference, a queer arts and culture festival, an LGBTIQ+ at work conference, a pride village, an inferfaith dialogue, a pride march and concert, and parties and social gatherings.

The full details on Malta's bid can be found in the submitted bid book, here.

Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, under whose remit the topic of equality falls under, welcomed the news, saying that Malta will continue to be a model in the equality sector, while Equality Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar also welcomed the news.