VARESE PRIDE 2025
Ten years of pride, rights and participation
Varese, May 29, 2025 – Arcigay Varese is pleased to present the Varese Pride Month 2025, a comprehensive calendar of events culminating on Saturday, July 19th with the tenth edition of the Varese Pride Parade. From June 1st to July 20th, Varese and its province will be animated by moments of discussion, culture, music, and activism to affirm the rights and visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community and all discriminated against individuals. The complete calendar is available at varesepride.it
The Varese Pride Fest will be held on June 6 and 7, 2025 at the Montanari Hall and the Tumiturbi and will officially kick off Pride Month. The event will offer two days of music, shows, cultural encounters, and social opportunities for all ages. Among the scheduled events: workshops for children, thematic talks, wellness activities, a literary presentation, drag and queer performances, and the selection of performers who will perform during the Varese Pride parade with Cusa DJ, Safira, Irina Polanova, and La Ines. On the evening of June 6th, the show will take place. Karma B, who will officially open Pride Month in Varese with their new show: “We're off to a bad start!” – and goodbye to good intentions. at the Montanari Hall in Varese at 9:30 PM.
Through monologues, satire, songs, and biting reflections, Karma B use irony and intelligence to recount the good intentions of a world that hasn't improved as promised. Their show is a sacrilegious musical stand-up comedy, featuring news so fake they seem real and truths so absurd you wish they were fake.
A cathartic and liberating show that invites you to start off badly, but in style: strictly in stiletto heels. Admission is free. On June 7th, the Contest Performer Show will be free at Tumiturbi.
The event will take place on Saturday 19th July Varese Pride Parade, with Departure at 5:30 pm from Piazza Monte Grappa. The procession will pass through the streets of the city center in a colorful, peaceful, and determined manner to demand rights, dignity, and equality. Security will be provided by City Angels, present along the route to offer hospitality and protection to all participants.
Vladimir Luxuria will be the godmother of the 2025 edition, activist, actress, writer, and historic figure of the LGBTQIA+ movement in Italy. The first transgender woman elected to a European Parliament, Luxuria has combined political and cultural commitment with a highly significant artistic and public career. She will be the protagonist of the entire day of July 19th, accompanying the Parade and actively participating in the Pride Night, the great final evening at the Este Gardens, to free entry. She will bring an engaging, ironic, and profound show to the stage, accompanied by queer performances that celebrate self-determination and freedom of expression.
To provide the backdrop to the event, the Municipality of Varese will illuminate Estense Palace with the colors of the rainbow flag, and LGBTQIA+ flags will be displayed throughout the city. A symbolic gesture that demonstrates a concrete commitment: the Municipality is a member of the READY Network and partner of the Rainbow Center, an LGBTQIA+ anti-discrimination center active in the city.
Even the’University of Insubria has recently become a partner of the Rainbow Center, confirming its commitment to inclusion and the fight against discrimination. The University has also guaranteed its full support for Varese Pride 2025, recognizing its social, cultural, and educational value.
Finally, the event is sponsored by the’Canadian Embassy in Italy.
Pride 2025 also enjoys the patronage of the municipalities of Angera, Besozzo, Brenta, Cantello, Germignaga, Malnate, Marchirolo, Samarate, Sesto Calende and Vergiate.
The event is supported by businesses that share the values of inclusion: Vector is a top sponsor of the event. Also participating are Vodafone Automotive And SIDES as a sponsor, and Tumors, As It Is And Brenna Pastry Shop as local sponsors.
Varese Pride is not just a celebration: it is a cultural and political response in a country which, according to the 2024 report by ILGA-Europe, is located at 36th place out of 49 For the sake of LGBTQIA+ rights. Italy still lacks laws against hate crimes, same-sex marriage is not recognized, and gender identity recognition remains a complex process. In this context, Pride represents a crucial opportunity to assert rights, raise awareness, and build a more just society.
Statements
Giovanni Boschini, president of Arcigay Varese, declares:
“Ten years ago, we marched for the first time in Varese with limited resources but with great determination. Today, we celebrate a collective journey of visibility, courage, and transformation. Pride isn't just a parade: it's a cultural, educational, and social space that benefits the entire city. Varese has made significant progress, and we invite everyone to join us, because a more just city is built together.”
Rossella Dimaggio, Councilor for Educational Services, states:
“Filling spaces with people's physical presence is important because it's a tangible sign of the desire to help spread the values of inclusion, emotional education, and overcoming cultural legacies. This process is also being pursued with the Arcobaleno Center against discrimination, a partner of the Municipality of Varese.”
Enzo Laforgia, Councillor for Culture, declares:“An initiative that sees the sharing with the Municipality of Varese in the name of the principles of civil coexistence, promotion of the rights and freedoms of all, for a more inclusive and respectful culture.”
