Rainbow crowds fill Sao Paulo streets for landmark Pride edition

 Thousands of revellers filled Sao Paulo's Paulista Avenue on Sunday (June 7) for the 30th edition of the city's LGBT+ Pride Parade, turning one of Brazil's best-known avenues into a stage for celebration, visibility and political expression.

Organizers expected more than one million people to attend the event, which began in the morning and marked three decades since the parade was first held in 1996.

Participants wore feathers, sequins, wings, elaborate makeup and costumes that mixed humour, art, pop culture references and political messages. The 2026 theme, "The street calls, the ballot box confirms," linked the celebration to political participation and the defense of rights in an election year.

Participant Tiago Edson da Silva Costa said simply being who they were was already a form of protest, while Prietty Di Polly said the parade should remain on Paulista Avenue, where other major public events were also held.

Three decades after its first edition, the Sao Paulo Pride Parade remained one of the city's most visible public events and a major gathering for LGBTQIA+ identity and rights.

Production: Paulo Lopes, Hugo Monnet/Reuters