With so many unique and trending Pride celebrations, how do you choose which to travel to? To help learn more about the top 50 rising star Pride destinations on our list, we spoke to leading LGBT influencers, journalists, and entrepreneurs to learn more about their experiences at Pride festivals around the world, and why traveling for Pride is so important. 

Adam Groffman - Founder, TravelsOfAdam.com

Travels of Adam is consistently ranked among the top 40 travel blogs by numerous online sources and is a featured source of information on the travel industry and LGBT travel.

Which Pride Celebration stands out to you, and why?

Puerto Vallarta was surprisingly cool! I hope to publish a story about it soon so keep an eye out! I loved the different events they had at Puerta Vallarta Pride, including a drag relay race and a sunset march.

What’s the furthest you’ve traveled for Pride?

Tel Aviv, Israel. {It was} especially fun because it was on the beach and the whole city just comes alive.

Why do you think it’s important to attend trending Pride celebrations?

Gay pride festivals are a reminder of what’s been done, and a push to keep working toward full equality. There are still so many rights unavailable to LGBTQ people around the world—even in the most progressive countries.

Heather Cassell - Publisher and Editor, Girls That Roam

Heather Cassell is the publisher and editor of Girls That Roam and a contributing travel writer to the Bay Area Reporter and other publications.

Which Pride Celebration stands out to you, and why?

Atlanta! It isn't called Hotlanta for nothing. The city's Pride celebration is so hot there are two: Black Pride during Labor Day Weekend, and Atlanta Pride in October. Atlanta Pride is the largest in the Southeast and isn't the only gay celebration throughout the month of October which also has a film festival, AIDS Walk, and other events. Southerners know how to get down and Atlanta knows how to get its Pride on.

What’s the furthest you’ve traveled for Pride?

Sydney and Tel Aviv tie for this prize. Both flights are 14 or more hours nonstop from San Francisco.

Matt Skallerud - President, Pink Banana Media

Matt is the former Board Chairman of the IGLTA and has served on the boards of Travel Gay Canada and The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. In 1995, he founded GayWired.com, which later became one of the top 3 LGBT websites in the world. Today, Matt is the President of Pink Banana Media, and is actively involved with national LGBT organizations including the NGLCC and Lambda Legal.

Which Pride Celebration stands out to you, and why?

Washington D.C. Pride. {...} I think because of the Equality March last year, and the political climate in general, this pride has grown into one of the larger ones I’ve seen. 

What’s the furthest you’ve traveled for Pride?

The Chill Out Festival in Daylesford, Australia.

Why do you think it’s important to attend trending Pride celebrations?

It helps to show folks, especially in more rural areas, that they are truly connected to their greater LGBTQ+ friends & family worldwide.

Marcie Bianco, PhD, Writer and editor

Marcie Bianco, PhD, is a writer and editor living in California. Her writing can be found online at NBC, Pacific Standard, Quartz, Rolling Stone, Salon, Vox, and Vanity Fair, among other outlets. She writes, lectures, and makes media appearances about ethics - from feminism to race relations.

Which Pride Celebration stands out to you, and why?

For queer women and lesbians in particular, there is nothing like Philadelphia Pride. Why? Unlike every other city I can think of, lesbians and queer women inhabit the center of the city — Center City is not only the Gayborhood but a gayborhood for women, consisting of shops and markets and restaurants run by women, and lived in by women. {...} Philadelphia Pride, too, is superb because it truly represents a rainbow of our community—just based on city demographics alone. {...} Philly Pride is full of love and possess a community spirit.

What’s the furthest you’ve traveled for Pride:

Sydney. One of the most gorgeous, vast cities I've ever seen. Thousands upon thousands of LGBT people descend on Sydney during the month of Pride. I have never been to a Pride March as crazy—with an unleashed spirit—as Sydney's.

Bryan Van Gorder - Travel Editor Logo/MTV Networks

Bryan is an experienced travel editor who has served as the Travel Editor for OutTraveler and is currently the travel editor of Logo TV. Bryan is also a regular contributor to The Advocate, OutTraveler, Out, Palm Springs Desert Outlook, and more.

Which Pride Celebration stands out to you, and why?

I attended Denver Pride last year and was quite surprised by the turnout which, I think, was due partly to the fact that a lot of local straight allies came with their friends, or their kids to celebrate too.

What’s the furthest you’ve traveled for Pride?

Buenos Aires. The Argentine capital’s Marcha del Orgullo is quite big, as you might expect in a city of 15.6 million people, and feels much more political in nature than Prides in the U.S. In fact, a lot of the events are centered in or near Plaza Congreso, the park facing Argentina’s Congress.

Why do you think it’s important to attend trending Pride celebrations?

In many ways, Pride celebrations in smaller communities are the most important. These are often places where the LGBT community lacks visibility or is marginalized. Pride is about reminding people that there are queer men and women everywhere.

David Brown and Auston Matta - Founders of TwoBadTourists and 2BT Travel

Bloggers & experts in LGBT travel for more than 7 years.

Which Pride Celebration stands out to you, and why?

Reykjavik Pride is an amazing experience and is unique among LGBT celebrations. {...} More than 100,000 people attend the event and with a population of just over 300,000, that makes up one third of the entire country attending. No other destination has this type of engagement as a percentage of their population.

What’s the furthest you’ve traveled for Pride?

Given that Iceland sits just 25 miles south of the Arctic Circle and the island is completely isolated in the Atlantic Ocean, it's probably the farthest we've ever traveled to attend a pride event!

Why do you think it’s important to attend trending Pride celebrations?

Pride celebrations continue to be important on both a global and local scale because there are still so many destinations which don't offer LGBT safety and equality. Small pride celebrations are also very important because smaller communities often have less LGBT visibility and acceptance, and it's important for these communities to see their local LGBT citizens publicly sharing their pride and fighting for equality.