EPIC Celebrates Pride 2026
EPIC’s Staff, Youth Council and Care Community recently celebrated Dublin Pride 2026.
Getting ready for Pride
Ahead of Dublin Pride, members of the EPIC Youth Council came together to prepare for the celebrations by designing a Pride banner and creating their own personalised T-shirts.
This year’s Dublin Pride theme, “One Story, Many Voices”, is about celebrating what makes us different while recognising what brings us together. Everyone has their own story to tell, and every voice deserves to be heard.
Reflecting on this year’s theme, EPIC Youth Council member Kai spoke about the importance of honouring LGBTQ+ history while celebrating how far the community has come:
“The LGBTQ history is so rich, and there have been so many people that have given their lives and have given a lot of their effort to get us to where we are today. Pride is still a protest, but it’s also a chance to celebrate the people that fought so hard for our rights that we can now scream in the streets and be who we are more safely.”
Inspired by the theme, the Youth Council created a banner bearing the powerful message:
“They kept our story secret, now we scream it in the street.”
The banner reflected this year’s theme by recognising the stories of those who came before us while celebrating the many voices that make up the LGBTQ+ community today.
Cian, a member of the EPIC Youth Council, highlighted the importance of showing up for one another and celebrating together as a community:
“I’m looking forward to celebrating Pride together as a Care Community. It’s important that us as care-experienced young people have a community, and we support each other’s beliefs and identities, as one.”
Celebrating Pride together
On Pride Day, EPIC staff, members of the EPIC Youth Council and young people from the EPIC Care Community were delighted to join Belong To’s Pride Breakfast, where we fuelled up, got our face paint on, had a dance and chatted with others before the parade.
We then took to the streets, joining thousands of others as we proudly carried our banner, wore our personalised t-shirts and waved to everyone who came out to support. The beautiful weather and incredible atmosphere made it a day to remember.
For many of our young people, it was their first Pride Parade. For others, it was another opportunity to celebrate their identities, reconnect with friends and stand alongside the wider LGBTQ+ community.
After the parade, we spent time together in Merrion Square, enjoying the speeches, performances and festival atmosphere before heading home with plenty of happy memories.
Reflecting on Pride, EPIC Youth Council member Elora said:
“It was wonderful to be part of Pride and take part in the Parade. Seeing people from all walks of life come together with respect and understanding for one another was a really special experience, and I’m proud to have been part of it.”
@empoweringpeopleincare Happy Pride Month! 😄 EPIC’s Youth Council have been busy getting Pride ready by creating their own banner and T-shirts for Dublin's Pride parade 🌈 #EPIC #Care #Children #YoungPeople #Rights #Ireland
♬ original sound – EPIC Empowering People In Care
@empoweringpeopleincare An unforgettable pride with EPIC staff, Care Community and Youth Council! 🥹 Thank you @Belong To for inviting us to the parade 🫶✨ #EPIC #Care #Children #YoungPeople #DublinPride ♬ we are the people – favsoundds