An Israeli Trifecta: 3 Not-to-Miss LGBT Festivals
Are you looking for an LGBT getaway to the Promised Land? Israel plays host to three epic weekends that will have you revisiting by the time you're ready to return stateside. Here's the rundown:
Eilat Pride, May 7-9
Thousands of people from at least a dozen countries are expected to descend on Eilat, Israel's southernmost resort for Eilat Pride, the city's annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) festival that will take place May 7- 9, with a full weekend of non-stop partying, activities and entertainment.
In addition to the Eilat Pride Festival, which takes place Thursday through Saturday, festival participants can enjoy a full week of events which includes day trips to the Dead Sea, Jerusalem and local guided tours of Eilat and the Arava Desert, visits to the varied attractions of Eilat, including the Dolphin Reef (swimming or diving with dolphins), the Underwater Observatory, Kings City (theme park) and Timna Park (site of King Solomon's mines), as well as cruises on the Red Sea.
Tel Aviv Pride Week, June 4-14
The Tel Aviv Pride week will run this year from June 4 - 14 with over 50 special events happening throughout the week. With over 100,000 taking part in the annual Tel Aviv Gay Pride Parade, with an estimated 30,000 tourists among the crowd, the city of Tel Aviv will be turned into one giant colorful street party on June 12th and serve as the highlight of a week of Gay Pride activities. Tel Aviv is renowned for its liberal atmosphere, its vibrant nightlife and its urban beaches, all of which have made the city into one of the most popular, gay-friendly destinations in the world.
The Gay Pride Parade festivities begin with a community "happening," that includes music performances and stalls. The highlight of the day is the colorful Pride Parade which closes much of the center of the city. The parade, which features a long procession of floats carrying DJs from Tel Aviv's main gay clubs (Evita, Shirazi, ADD and Dreck), will be supported along the way as tens of thousands of pride flag-waving people line the streets under the hot, Mediterranean sun.
The International LGBT Sports and Cultural Festival, October 15-19
From October 15-19, 2015, Tel Aviv will be hosting Tel Aviv Water Games, the international LGBT Sports and Cultural Festival. This is the first international sports event catering to the LGBT community to be held on the beautiful Mediterranean beaches of Tel Aviv. The festival is produced by a team of LGBT producers and athletes, in cooperation with the leading Israeli sports productions and tourism company ISSTA Sport. During the day there will be a beach volleyball tournament, swim races and soccer matches and water polo with sunset yoga practice, bicycle tours of the city. The day-time sports activities will be followed by celebrations and parties late into the night at the infamous Tel Aviv bars and clubs.