Why not host your own Pride themed team building event this year? It’s a great way of showing support and solidarity for your LGBTQ+ colleagues and it’s also an excellent way of involving allies in Pride and educating them about issues facing our community.

We have a team of trainers and facilitators that can support your event. This could be a simple training workshop or panel, a talk on the history of Pride, a lunch and learn session or for the more adventurous, a Pride themed walking tour of Dublin City.

Pride at Work Partners get 2 training/event sessions each year as part of their annual package and you can use these to support your team’s Pride events. We can facilitate both in-person and online events.

The Dublin Pride Parade is one of the largest events in the country and it will be one of the busiest days of the year in Dublin City Centre. To ensure your team has the best day possible, we encourage you to plan your full day in advance.

Getting to the Parade – We will have a number of road closures and traffic diversions in place on the day. Where possible it’s best to use public transport or walk. If you’re using public transport, bear in mind that LUAS and Bus Stops around the O’Connell Street area will not be operational for the duration of the Parade and a few hours before, so plan your journey in advance. If any members of your team have accessibility needs, you can contact community@dublinpride.ie for support.

Eating and drinking – Book early if you’re planning a team brunch or lunch on the day. The Parade and our Merrion Square Pride Village are alcohol free events, but we have plenty of food vendors at Merrion Square. There are lots of bars and restaurants along the route and by Merrion Square for those who fancy a pint on the day, but please do not bring alcohol on the Parade or to Merrion Square. June can be a very hot month, remember to fill your water bottles and stay hydrated.

Banners, Bags and Bits in the Parade – We don’t want to set lots of rules on what you can bring into the Parade, but common sense and consideration must apply.

·        Banners – About 2.5 meters wide and 0.75 meters deep is a good size for a banner. If it gets too big it can be difficult to manage and tends to crease in the middle and look bad in pictures.

·        Bags – If you can avoid bringing a bag, that’s great. If you need to bring one, that’s ok but please try to keep it to A4 sized. If you need a bigger bag that’s ok too. We’re not the bag police, and we all know the drill on bags at events at this stage, but we will need to carry out bag searches for entry to assembly areas and the main festival site.

·        Balloons – That’s a big NO. This is an outdoor event, and even biodegradable balloons take months to break down and do serious damage to wildlife.

·        Umbrellas – We know this is Ireland, but umbrellas and busy marches just don’t go together.

·        Sound systems – We love music, the more the better. You’re welcome to your speakers so long as they don’t take up too much space. If they fit in a backpack or on a small trolly that’s ok. If you’re planning something bigger or a bicycle with a trailer please contact us first.

Wear Sunscreen – That’s good advice any time of year, but especially for an outdoor event happening the same week as the summer solstice.

Once the Parade is over, there are plenty of other Pride events and activities you can join in. Remember, this is one of the busiest days of the year in the city and many venues and events will book out well in advance, to avoid disappointment plan your day in advance.

The biggest of these is our Pride Village event in Merrion Square. This is a full day festival that is suitable for all ages and proudly supported by Dublin City Council. This is a free event that runs from noon to 7.30pm. You do not need to book tickets, but please bear in mind that as the main Parade reaches the park it takes some time to process people through the entry and search areas and when capacity is reached we operate on a one out/one in basis. The busiest period is usually 1.00pm to 4.00pm.

The second largest Pride event on the day is the Mother Bloc Party in Collins Barracks, this is a ticketed event and features multiple stages and bars. For information visit motherclub.ie