Tens of thousands of people participated in the 31st annual Budapest Pride march on Saturday, marking the first such event since the defeat of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Hungary’s April election. The demonstration took place under soaring temperatures, with the mercury reaching at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit amid a severe heat wave affecting much of Europe.
The march commenced in the afternoon from Budapest’s Opera House, progressing through the city center before crossing the Erzsébet Bridge over the Danube River. Organizers took measures to help participants cope with the extreme heat by distributing water and arranging for public fountains to be opened along the route. The crowd, composed of members of the LGBTQ+ community and their supporters, waved rainbow flags and danced to music throughout the procession.
This year’s event drew attention as a significant shift from the previous government’s stance. Under Orbán’s 16-year tenure, which ended with his electoral defeat, anti-LGBTQ+ policies were rigorously enforced, including legislation and a constitutional amendment aimed at banning Pride marches. The prior government maintained that such events infringed upon children’s rights to moral and spiritual development, a claim widely criticized by human rights advocates and experts.
Despite the ban, last year’s Pride march proceeded as planned and reportedly attracted over 350,000 participants, making it the largest in Hungary’s history. The massive turnout was viewed as a symbolic challenge to Orbán’s authority and policies.
While the new government led by Péter Magyar and the Tisza party has not yet repealed the prior anti-Pride laws, police authorized and provided security for the 2026 march, signaling a tacit shift in enforcement. Attendees expressed cautious optimism about future legislative changes. Kristóf Györgyi, attending Pride for the first time after traveling from Szeged, highlighted ongoing parliamentary debates regarding the rights of same-sex couples to adopt children—rights that had been previously denied under Orbán.
“There are already many signs of hope for our community,” Györgyi said, referencing the discussions on same-sex adoption and marriage rights.
The European Union also weighed in this year, with its highest court ruling in April that Hungary’s 2021 legislation restricting access to LGBTQ+ content for minors violated EU law and fundamental human rights treaties.
Participants like Luca Új observed a more relaxed atmosphere at the march compared to previous years, with greater diversity in attendees, including more older individuals. The event underscored a pivotal moment for the Hungarian LGBTQ+ community as the nation grapples with the legacy of its recent political past and the prospects for equality in the future.