Cape Town Pride has achieved a landmark victory, securing the bid to host WorldPride 2028, the first time this globally recognised LGBTQ celebration will take place on the African continent. This milestone positions Cape Town as a hub of inclusivity and diversity, with the event anticipated to attract tens of thousands of visitors from around the world, spotlighting South Africa as a destination for LGBTQ tourism and advocacy.
This is a Pride for Africa, says Michael Gladwin , MD of the Travel and Event Company, and one of the leaders behind Cape Towns bid. It will have a global reach, and the LGBTQ conference element will ideally have a massive impact on the human rights issues faced by all Africans in the community.
Gladwin said the tourism value of the event could be monumental, considering that Sydney WorldPride 2023 attracted over a million festival-goers.
While WorldPride is essentially a human rights event, the attraction for international tourists is huge. There will be a series of amazing, world-class events for the entire diverse community.
Gladwin and fellow project lead Viola May , along with Thomas Patterson , CEO of Cape Town Pride, City of Cape Town representative Roberto Quintas , and activist Carmen Prins , presented the bid at the InterPride General Meeting in Medelln, Colombia, where it received overwhelming support from international representatives.
