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Christopher Street Day (23 June 2007) will move through Berlin’s streets, transforming the route between "Kurfürstendamm" and "Siegessäule" into a place of joy and colourful celebration. Thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people will demonstrate before the very eyes of their heterosexual counterparts for equal rights. After dark it’s indoors to any one of the many pubs and clubs in the area.

This event is held in various cities across Europe. Germany and Switzerland use the term Christopher Street Day, but in other countries, the same kind of event is called Gay Pride or Pride Parade. The event is held in honour of the first uprising of homosexuals and other minorities against police assaults that took place in New York’s Christopher Street, Greenwich Village on June 27, 1969.

It is typical to see many unusual sights with people dressed in extravagant gowns or sometimes, next to nothing! The parade is usually quite joyous and has a rather upbeat and exciting energy to it.

Berlin Schoenefeld airport offers an excellent train service to the centre of Berlin. A five minute walk from the terminal to the train station and a 30 minute train ride for only €2.10 or £1.50 will have you in the heart of Berlin’s parade before you know it.

easyJet flies to Berlin from Belfast, Bristol, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton, Newcastle with prices from £20.99 one way (incl. taxes).

European Pride weekend in Madrid – 30 June to 2 July 2007

The Europride Pride weekend in Madrid is one of the biggest and most popular prides parades in Europe. More than one and a half million people descended on the city last year with more than 300,000 people joining in the madness that surrounds the notorious Plaza Chueca street party.

On Saturday 1 July there is a massive parade though the city centre, with dozens of floats draped with gyrating bodies enjoying the DJ’s mix. The parade stretches for over 2km from Puerta de Alcala to Plaza de Espan.

Madrid is a city that knows how to celebrate. Shrug off your work gear and slip into your best weekend outfit. After midnight, the closet doors burst open and the city springs to life. Have tapas at a raucous bar on a tiny cobblestone alley in Madrid's maze-like medieval heart or dine in style at one of the many gay-friendly eateries. Once you’ve had your fill, get ready to hit the town.

Entry is free and Barajas Airport is eight miles away. Catch the metro to the city centre for a small cost of €3.

Following the Gay Pride festival, there will 25 exhibitions for you to explore around the city centre, 26 plays bursting with originality and a university course for the more focused.

easyJet flies to Madrid from Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton with prices from £26.99 one way (incl. taxes).

UK Pride Week in Brighton - Saturday 28 July to Sunday 5 August 2007

For the past few years Brighton has become the preferred second holiday-home hotspot for working city slickers. With a direct train route from London’s Victoria station it’s never been so easy to get to the coast from the centre of London in less than an hour. The bright lights and relaxing atmosphere offer a perfect destination to hold this years UK’s Gay Pride week.

Commencing on the 28 July 2007 the week-long celebration will see over 120,000 party goers gyrating along the Brighton seafront. The Carnival Parade and main event in Preston Park is on Saturday 4th August. The Carnival Parade starts from Maderia Drive at 11am, with the main event on Preston Park running from 12 noon to 8pm.

For those arriving from abroad, London Gatwick is the closest airport, with direct trains to Brighton every 15 minutes and will take 25 minutes travelling time. London Luton Airport also has a direct train to Brighton in an hour and a half and London Stansted offers an express service to Victoria Street station, so no hanging around for hours waiting for connections.

London Gatwick
easyJet flies to London Gatwick from Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness with prices from £17.99 one way (incl. taxes).

London Luton
easyJet flies to London Luton from Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Glasgow with prices from £22.99 one way (inc. taxes).

London Stansted
easyJet flies to London Stansted from Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Newcastle with prices from £20.99 one way (inc. taxes).