– Have you seen this person with the amazing blue fur ?
– Have you heard the music ?
– Have you seen all the bright colours everywhere in the streets ?
– All the people, dancing and standing proud ?
On June 20, 2026, Thessaloniki woke up to a normal day. Then, sometime in the mid-afternoon, colors began to spill over from the sidewalks. Three people were there. Here are their stories.
AFRODITI
Sixty years old, queer, and absolutely not blending in.
That was the plan from the moment Afroditi pulled her 80s funky outfit from the back of her wardrobe. And if there was ever a day for it, Thessaloniki Pride was it.
The esplanade hit her like a wave, a good one. Flags everywhere, people of all ages and kinds. Something loosened in her chest.
She sat down at a stand and let a young woman paint her face in rainbow colours, then bounced between games, collecting stickers with ridiculous satisfaction. International volunteers stopped her to photograph her outfit. They were hunting down the best looks of the day. It made her happy.
Then the parade. At the foot of the White Tower, a group of women welcomed her without hesitation, handing her a sign and a flag like she’d always been there. From the very front, a team of volunteers carried an enormous Pride flag, stretching it across the whole width of the march.She managed to snap a picture of it. Drummers in colourful makeup set the rhythm for dancers swirling in red dresses. The floats rolled through, each one its own world of music and movement, people waving flags and signs, completely lost in the moment. Above it all, residents leaned from their balconies, waving down at the crowd as it passed below.
They marched down Tsimiski, one of the city’s busiest shopping streets, completely transformed, then along the seafront back to the White Tower. Strangers grabbed each other’s hands and kept walking.
Afroditi marched with her flag raised high, watching the faces around her, all these queer people who spent most of their lives making themselves small, invisible. Not today. And she felt something unexpected: hope.
A small incident briefly interrupted the parade when two conservative men tried to block the procession. The police stepped in quickly, and the river of colour kept flowing.
After the parade, souvlaki and fries on a terrace, laughing until their faces hurt. Then the stage: drag queens, live music, dancers under the lights.
She walked home not too late after two performances, rainbow still on her cheeks.
Thessaloniki Pride would stay with her, not as a date, but as a feeling. The feeling of being, for one whole brilliant day, exactly where she was supposed to be.
She carried home something she hadn’t always been sure she’d live to feel: the quiet, enormous pride of someone who fought for a future and got to walk right into it.
ELENA
Red and fringes, this is the outfit chosen by the team for this special event. We are glowing in the middle of the streets. We are following the giant flag, carried by the Pride team, wearing green, the colour of the year. Behind us Paranaue, smashing the tambourins with strength and conviction. The rhythm is ruled by them, it goes fast, it’s rousing. We, dancers, are moving with the sound, all together, as if we were only one entity. The choreography is executed the way we wanted to. The magic is spreading, the people around us are joining, dancing with us. It’s like the music is part of us, coming from inside, forcing us to follow it. We jump, we turn around, constantly in movement, but I never feel tired, I actually feel amazing. It’s empowering to be in the middle of this crowd. I look around me, all I see is smiles, happiness. People look more beautiful than ever ! At some point I realise that my zygomatic muscles are burning because of the big smile on my face. Yes, surrounded by my people, I’m unstoppable, unstoppably joyful. I embrace my power. Today, we are proud !
CHRISTOS
Christos comes from the small city of Pella. He has been a student of Thessaloniki since one year and did not have a huge desire to go to the annual pride of the city. His friends however have succeeded to motivate him and Christos had been convinced to go because he is passionate about music and he learned that there will be a concert at the end.
At 6 p.m, he and his friends arrived at the White Tower Square where the parade was starting and he became directly enthusiastic to participate in this pride event. The music, both Greek and International contributed to the vibrant atmosphere of the event, the impressive numbers of people all smiling and dancing, the diverse colours and flags which illuminated Thessaloniki like never before. Christos did not have any reluctance to go anymore, he was carried away by the rhythm of the pride, he only wanted to get into the vibe and to live this experience and unique moment !
For more than 2 hours, thousands of people followed a giant pride flag and toured in Thessaloniki. Of course to Christos’ delight, festivities and music did not stop. The student had particularly liked to walk behind one of the floats during the parade. A vehicle which has been set up to allow the people inside to dance and be seen by the others outside. And… Christos got carried away. He also danced, smiled, waved his pride flag matching his outfit and makeup.
The parade returned to the White Tower Square at 8 p.m. However, the pride was not finished. At 9 p.m there was a free concert, and even if Christos did not know all the singers, it was his favourite moment of the pride. Lionder, Lafis, Mikay, Evangelia, all gave him a spectacular end to his first year as a student.
At the end of the concert, one of his friends looked at him to ask him if he enjoyed Thessaloniki Pride 2026 and Christos answered : “I will for sure come back next year !”
Never lose hope, see you next year. 🌈
By Ambre, Claudia and Nicolas
