Israel is set to stage the largest LGBT festival in the history of the Middle East, with a four-day event at the Dead Sea planned for June 2026 that organisers say will transform a stretch of the Judean Desert into a fully functioning pride city operating around the clock.
Pride Land, running from 1 to 4 June, is the brainchild of producer Aaron Cohen, who described the scale of the undertaking as unlike anything previously attempted in the region. “We chose to grow,” he said. “To take an investment of millions, purchase entire hotels for four days, and build a city from scratch in the middle of the desert. It’s an experience that lives 24/7, from quiet visits to nights of pride, with a living envelope of music and people.”
The festival will span 15 hotels and beach complexes, a central performance arena, cultural and art spaces, relaxation areas and dedicated family zones with children’s activities, workshops and tailored programming. The ambition is explicitly multigenerational — organisers are keen to position Pride Land not as a conventional nightlife event but as a broader community gathering that caters to all ages and temperaments simultaneously.
The main stage is set to feature a lineup drawn entirely from within the Israeli LGBT community and its allies, including Harel Skaat, Dana International, Ran Danker, Shahar Tabuch and Ivri Lider, alongside a roster of DJs. Jonathan Gadol, chief executive of X Production, said the festival was not conceived as a replacement for Tel Aviv’s established Pride Parade but as a complementary event built from within the community itself. “Pride Land does not come to replace Tel Aviv’s traditional Pride Parade, but rather to add to the community an event that is tailored to its development,” he said.
Beyond the festival itself, the organisers have a longer-term objective: to establish the Dead Sea region as a sustained destination for LGBT tourists, broadening Israel’s identity as a welcoming destination beyond its association with Tel Aviv alone.
The event arrives at a difficult moment for Israeli tourism, with the country’s security situation having weighed heavily on visitor numbers in recent years. Organisers say Pride Land is intended to carry a message of openness and acceptance to an international audience.
Ticket and accommodation packages are expected to go on sale shortly, with options ranging from daily admission to premium hotel bundles covering the full four days.
