Budapest Pride to Go Ahead Despite Hungarian Ban

The 31st annual Budapest Pride march will take place on 27 June 2026 despite a controversial law introduced by Viktor Orban’s government banning Pride and similar events, Index.hu reported.

Organizers point to a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice, which found that Hungary’s law against so-called “homosexual and transgender propaganda” violates EU law.

According to activists, if the original 2021 legislation is unlawful, the subsequent ban on Pride events adopted in 2025 cannot be legally justified either.

They also noted that last year’s 30th anniversary march became, in their view, the largest human rights demonstration in modern Hungarian history despite the political tensions surrounding the event.

Budapest Pride has already been officially registered under Hungary’s current assembly laws. Organizers said they hope the authorities will respect the EU court’s decision.

Orban’s government approved the Pride ban in March 2025, threatening organizers and participants with heavy fines amounting to hundreds of thousands of forints.

Despite the restrictions, last year’s march still took place and triggered a fierce political clash between the government and the opposition. Proceedings were also launched against Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony, who backed the event, although the investigation was later suspended.

(max)