A reception hosted by the Embassy of Malta to Austria, together with the Malta Tourism Authority, and Vienna Pride officially marked the opening of Pride Month in Vienna as the Austrian capital celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Rainbow Parade.

Vienna, Austria – 29 May 2026

The Embassy of Malta to Austria, in partnership with the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) and Vienna Pride, inaugurated Pride Month in Vienna with an exclusive reception held at the historic Vienna City Hall (Wiener Rathaus), reaffirming Malta’s longstanding commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion while celebrating the Austrian capital’s 30th anniversary of the Rainbow Parade.

Hosted by H.E. Dr Francesca Camilleri Vettiger, Ambassador of Malta to Austria, Ms Corinna Ziegler, Marketing Manager of the Malta Tourism Authority in Austria, and Ms Katharina Kacerovsky-Strobl, Vienna Pride organiser and Managing Director of Stonewall, the reception brought together more than 60 distinguished guests, including Ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, institutional partners, and representatives of the LGBTIQ+ communities in Austria.

The event underscored Malta’s continued leadership in promoting equality and inclusion internationally and highlighted the country’s close partnership with Vienna Pride in opening one of Europe’s most significant Pride celebrations.

In her opening address, Ambassador Camilleri Vettiger reflected on the enduring significance of Pride at a time when equality, diversity, and inclusion are increasingly challenged across the world. She recalled that “Pride was never born from comfort. It was born from courage. From the refusal to disappear, and from the insistence that human dignity can never be negotiated or erased.”

The Ambassador also highlighted Malta’s decade-long leadership of Europe’s ILGA Rainbow Map as a testament to the country’s enduring commitment to safeguarding the rights, dignity, and equality of all. Congratulating Spain on assuming first place in this year’s ranking, she emphasised that progress in advancing equality is a shared European achievement, reaffirming that every step forward for one country strengthens the collective pursuit of human rights for all. She concluded by thanking the Malta Tourism Authority and the Malta Digital Innovation Authority for their support in making the reception possible and for contributing to a meaningful celebration of Malta’s values of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Welcoming guests on behalf of the Malta Tourism Authority, Ms Corinna Ziegler emphasised the Authority’s longstanding partnership with Vienna Pride, built on friendship, mutual trust, and a shared commitment to promoting equality and inclusion. She noted that the Authority is proud to collaborate with the Embassy and Vienna Pride in bringing people together through dialogue, openness, and celebration. Ms Ziegler also highlighted Malta’s presence at the Vienna Pride Village, where the destination is being promoted as an open, welcoming, and safe destination for the LGBTIQ+ community. She invited guests to experience Malta Pride, taking place from 4 to 13 September 2026, before concluding the evening by inviting attendees to sample Gozitan wines and a selection of traditional Maltese desserts.

The reception was made possible through the support of the Malta Tourism Authority and the kind sponsorship of the Malta Digital Innovation Authority, and was hosted at the Wiener Rathaus with the collaboration of Vienna Pride, providing a fitting setting to mark the beginning of Pride Month in Vienna, three decades after the city’s first Rainbow Parade.