“We have made the programme items even more target group-specific after last year’s experience. The queer context of the individual events is to be further expanded,” said Conny Felice in an interview with gaysalzburg.at in April this year. That has worked.

On Sunday noon (27.08.) Gigi LaPajette opened the Pridefestival Salzburg with Gigi’s Brunching Divas. The 14th floor of the arte Hotel Salzburg was sold out. It was a great demonstration of artistic skills and an expression of the diverse lifestyles of the queer community. And thus a worthy start to this year’s Salzburg Pride.

Under the motto “Always look at the Pride side of life”, the Academy Bar hosted a queer pub quiz on Monday (28.08.). Here, too, it was a full house with teams of guessers who had to answer 20 partly bizarre questions and identify songs and artists from the queer music world.

Tuesday (29.08.) saw the 2nd edition of the Pride Night Kitchen Club. Sandra Perotta and her wife run Olina’s Küchenstudio, Ulli Helminger was the guest chef (very charming) who conjured up a 4-course menu with over 30 participants. Stuffed wan tan, pulpo with celery cream, steaks of beef and, for dessert, curd cheese dumplings with praline filling. Cooking, learning, eating: a large group that spent a whimsical evening together – and went home full.

Wednesday (30.08.) was the only day with less interest. There were 30 people at the auditorium cinema at Nonntal University. The film “When we danced” was exciting but there was no cinema atmosphere in the lecture hall. And the lecture by Birgit Leichsenring from the Chemsex Network Vienna in the Dark Eagle was also only moderately attended. Birgit imparts knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases very knowledgeably and charmingly.

There were two top events on Thursday (31.08.). At 7 pm Ralf König presented his anniversary show in the sold-out HOSI Salzburg with a humorous lecture on the history of his comics. With very personal insights into his career, an authentic picture of the artist’s life’s work was created. Ralf König has made enormous progress in gay emancipation in our predominantly heterosexual society over the past decades. The film “Der bewegte Mann” by Sönke Wortmann, whose screenplay is based on Ralf König’s comic, is one of the most watched German films ever and was the first to bring gay subculture closer to the heterosexual majority – with a wink. Or two.

At 8 pm, a few doors down, the Magic Garage started their Prideweek edition at the Academy Bar. The crowd was so big that quite a few people had to stay outside. The Magic Garage crew was in good spirits and thrilled the audience. And Gigi LaPajette joined in with her guest appearance. So on this evening, both representatives of the Salzburg drag scene could be admired together on stage – the Magic Garage and Gigi LaPajette.

Friday evening (1.09.). Great atmosphere in the city, in several places. From 6 p.m. the first guests arrived at the Rainbow Market at the HOSI Salzburg.

The Queer Poetry Slam started at 7 pm at Jazzit, the traditional music club near the main station. There, the audience experienced a poetry contest with a full house and a very good presenter Florian Niederseer.

“I want to be God-happy, not God-fearing”.

A quote from the texts performed, all of which dealt with their own search for gender and identity. Touching, inspiring or even funny. Six poets became three in the final and one winner emerged. The whole thing was accompanied by interludes from the Magic Garage. This evening was an exciting insight into the soul life of the protagonists and certainly a highlight of this year’s Prideweek Salzburg.

Back at the HOSI Salzburg just in time for the finale of Gigi LaPajette’s Bingo. Here, too, it was a full house and the mood was great, which shifted outside after the end of the event. Meanwhile, the LMC party for fetish lovers with international guests was getting underway at the Dark Eagle. Ambjörn Söderberg, DJ on the dance floor in the basement of Arge Kultur on Saturday also made an appearance, as did Gigi LaPajette, Miss LaThoya (in civilian clothes) and Entourage. Due to overcrowding, part of the party took place on the street. Just like later at Mexxx.

On Saturday (2.09.) Roman Forisch and 25 participants walked through the city from 11 a.m. onwards – following the traces of Salzburg’s thousand-year history.

From 4 p.m. people gathered on the station forecourt, quite punctually the parade started at 5 p.m.. This time on a slightly different route than last year to the State Bridge, which was again flagged with rainbow flags this year.

From the closing rally at Nonntal University it was only a few steps to ARGE Kultur, where the Pride Night started. With a great show by Gigi LaPajette and nine of her Austrian Dargqueen colleagues. With a fire alarm that turned out to be a false alarm after a few minutes and was brilliantly moderated away by Gigi. And a fantastic DJ set by Ambjörn Söderberg in the Fetischstudio in the basement of ARGE Kultur.

“We made the programme items even more target group-specific after last year’s experience.” That worked out perfectly this year. A great energy achievement by the whole preparation team, which involved the most diverse groups in the city of Salzburg in this year’s Pride Festival. Chapeau! That was the CSD Salzburg 2023.

All photos on this page by the gaysalzburg.at team: Carina Karolus, Florian Niederseer, Peter Goebel and Roman Forisch.