Prague, Aug 17 (CTK) – Over 85,000 people, 3,000 more than a year ago, visited this year’s one-week Prague Pride, highlighting the live of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBT), festival spokeswoman Bohdana Rambouskova told journalists on Thursday.
The Saturday rainbow march in the Prague centre was attended and watched by 35,000 people and the subsequent music afternoon by 24,000 visitors, Rambouskova said.
The 7th festival was held between August 7 and 13.
“Last year, we staged 20 more events than this year, but the attendance was smaller. This year, the attendance was quite high,” Rambouskova said.
There was a great interest in the exhibitions, public debates and theatre performances.
The opening concert at the festival village on the Strelecky ostrov Island on the Vltava River in the Prague centre was seen by 1,700 viewers, Rambouskova said.
There were also 4,000 visitors from abroad. Roughly 17 percent came from the USA, 16 percent from Italy, 14 percent from Germany and 11 percent from France.
A number of people also came from Russia, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia and Poland.
This year, the organisers leased the area of 35,000 square metres, installing three rostrums, a market with the stalls of NGOs or a zone for HIV testing in it.
The Czech AIDS Aid Society made 423 HIV tests.
The organisers have started preparing the eighth Prague Pride festival, scheduled for August 6-12, 2018.
The Prague Pride is also preparing a charity run within International Anti-Homophobia Day for next May. Its proceeds are to sponsor the prevention of the HIV virus and AIDS.
In June, a business forum is to be held.
