Oberhausen Pride 2027

Oberhausen has its own Pride. The city's first Pride march with its own parade took place in July, organised by a broad alliance of local groups and institutions that came together to demonstrate and celebrate for a diverse Oberhausen. Among the partners are Theater Oberhausen, the city's municipal theatre, and the neighbourhood initiative Offenes Forum Marienviertel.

The march sets off from Altmarkt, the square in the old town centre of Alt-Oberhausen, and moves through the inner city to Ebertplatz in the theatre district. There it turns into a family festival with a stage programme to which the theatre also contributes. The event stays in the historic centre rather than in the Neue Mitte, the newer district with the large shopping and leisure complexes.

The local Aids service organisation, Aidshilfe Oberhausen, joins the day with an information stand. Throughout the year it is the main permanent point of contact for queer people in the city. Its counsellors advise lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people of all ages and their families on coming out, relationships, discrimination and sexual health, and the organisation offers testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Like Pride events across Germany, the Oberhausen march recalls the uprising of queer people against police violence in New York's Christopher Street. Here it combines a political demonstration for equal rights with an afternoon that is explicitly open to families. Oberhausen has no gay bar scene of its own, so the march makes the community visible in the city centre, and the family festival is a chance to meet local groups and counselling services. Announcements can be found on the website of Theater Oberhausen and those of the other partners.