For the past years the opening ceremony has been one of Reykjavík’s Pride most fun and popular events and this year certainly wasn’t any different. Last Thursday evening kicked of with a brass band playing popular rainbow tunes at the Harpa Concert Hall, quickly followed by songs performed by The Queer Choir and Hafsteinn Þórólfsson. The chair of Reykjavík Pride, Eva María Þórarinsdóttir Lange, gave a stirring speech about the role of Pride, reminding the audience that whilst a lot has been gained in the battle for LGBT rights in Iceland, it’s far from over. In an equally powerful speech former Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir urged international leaders and organisations to battle stereotypes and harmful myths about the LGBT community. After that a variety of artists performed, including American drag queen Willam Belli who left the audience on the floor rolling with laughter.
