Skopje Pride 2026 takes place in the capital today - the march for human rights of LGBTIQ+ people in Macedonia. This year's motto is "Let everyone know." It sets off at 6pm from the Lotus Fountain, down Ilinden Boulevard toward the Park of Women Fighters.

The Interior Ministry announced a special traffic regime for the duration of the march. Police asked citizens to follow the instructions of traffic officers on the affected streets.

Organisers stress that the march is taking place "amid intensified social and political challenges" - a nod to the current political climate, in which the visibility of LGBTIQ+ people is ever less welcome in public space. The event's message: not just to exist, but for everyone to know they exist.

Skopje Pride is a recurring flashpoint in Macedonian public life - every year with the same debate over whether it should be held, whether the state protects it or merely tolerates it, whether we're making progress. The answer, clearly, depends on who you ask.