Queen Máxima of the Netherlands opened WorldPride 2026 in Amsterdam on Saturday, becoming the first reigning member of a royal house worldwide to officially inaugurate a Pride event.
Speaking at the Vondelpark Open-Air Theatre alongside Mayor Femke Halsema, Máxima told the crowd: "Being who you are, loving who you want — isn't that normal?" She held a sign reading "Love has no limits" during the ceremony. About 10,000 people marched in a Pride Walk from Dam Square to Vondelpark, and the city expects roughly one million visitors during the event.
WorldPride runs largely alongside Pride Amsterdam, which began 8 July. The 2026 edition marks 25 years since the Netherlands became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage, with the world's first such weddings held in Amsterdam in 2001.