Hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Berlin on Saturday, July 26, 2025, for the city’s annual Christopher Street Day (CSD) parade, turning central Berlin into a vibrant display of color, protest, and celebration in support of LGBTQ+ rights amid growing political tension in Germany. Under the slogan “Never Silent Again,” this year’s event was one of the largest in recent memory, with organizers estimating that several hundred thousand participants and spectators attended. The procession featured more than 80 floats and over 100 walking groups, moving along a seven-kilometer route from Leipziger Straße through Potsdamer Platz and Nollendorfplatz to the Brandenburg Gate, where a large Pride Village hosted closing festivities. First held in 1979 and inspired by the Stonewall uprising in New York, the Berlin CSD has grown into one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ events. This year’s iteration comes at a time of rising concern over anti-queer hate crimes in Germany. A 2024 federal report noted that incidents targeting sexual orientation and gender identity have nearly tenfold increased since 2010, underscoring the continuing need for visibility and activism. Photos from the parade showcased elaborate costumes, messages of resistance, and moments of joy, featuring drag performers, angel-winged dancers, and political slogans that denounced far-right rhetoric.
Video Credit © Michael Kuenne/PRESSCOV/ZUMA Press
To license stills or footage contact licensing@zumapress.com
Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, ZUMA Press
ZUMAland.com 