Christopher Street Day in Hamburg attracts a large number of visitors from all over Europe every year, who together set an example for acceptance, diversity and joie de vivre. Here, tolerance and equal rights are lived and celebrated for all.
The history of the CSD in Hamburg goes back many years. Back then, in the summer of 1980, homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals took to the streets in the Hanseatic city for their rights for the first time on a large scale. Their demand was both simple and courageous: equal rights and tolerance for all - regardless of sexual orientation. To this day, the CSD makes clear demands on politicians year after year. These include full legal equality for same-sex partnerships and a reform of the existing transsexual law. Celebrated for many years, the CSD also makes clear in 2024 how important sexual diversity and identity are. For this, numerous people travel from all over Germany and international countries and stand up for this message.
Hamburg Pride Week
The Pride Week takes place around the CSD. For one week, associations, initiatives and community groups organise events that are as diverse as queer life in Hamburg. The events range from exhibitions to city tours to parties. A wide variety of cultural institutions, clubs and restaurants also organise a colourful programme for Pride Week. Pride Week traditionally opens with Pride Night at Kampnagel. The Pride Awards will be presented there and there will be a colourful supporting programme with a party afterwards. The Pride House in the heart of St. Georg is the place to go for queer exchange. Free workshops, lectures, readings and discussions on queer topics will take place on site.
CSD Street Festival
For the CSD weekend, the streets from Jungfernstieg to Ballindamm are transformed into a colourful sea of people. There are stalls with delicious food, music islands with cool DJs and organisations presenting their work. On the Hamburg Pride stage there will be a programme of artists of various musical genres, but also rallies.
CSD Demo
On the 3rd of August, the Christopher Street Day Demo will take place in Hamburg. Around 250,000 people from all over Europe now come to Hamburg every year for the CSD and set an example for acceptance, diversity and joie de vivre. From 12:00 to 16:30, just over 100 groups, cars and trucks will march from Lange Reihe (St. Georg) to Jungfernstieg (Old Town). The board of Hamburg Pride and various politicians lead the parade every year. Also there: imaginative costumes, hot beats and lots of show.
Why Pride?
"Pride" stands for queer people not hiding and standing up for their rights. Love and sexual identity are diverse. The abbreviation LGBTQIA+ stands for the English words Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual (or Transgender), Queer, Intersexual and Asexual. The identities that gather under this terminology experience discrimination because they want to escape from the traditional societal ideas of heterosexuality and cisgendering. Of course, there are many other sexualities for which the "+" stands symbolically. What they often have in common, however, is a lack of understanding and discrimination on the part of society, which is why many people find a community in the LGBTQIA+ community in which they do not have to hide.
