Israel is set to host the largest Pride festival in Middle Eastern history.
The festival, called Pride Land, will run June 1 through June 4 in the Judean Desert, according to a report from The Jerusalem Post. The event seeks to develop a space that is “alive 24 hours a day, with 15 hotels, beach complexes, parties, and a central performance arena all operating around the clock.”
Aaron Cohen, the leader of the Pride festival, said, “This is not just another festival, it’s the biggest thing we’ve done here.”
“We chose to grow,” he added. “To take an investment of millions, purchase entire hotels for 4 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.”
CEO of X Production Jonathan Gadol told the outlet that the festival aims to “add to the community an event that is tailored to its development and is crafted from within the community with the community’s people.”
The event will feature art, children’s areas, workshops, and other activities.
Israel’s government recognized the festival in a statement on X. “Pride rises at the lowest place on earth,” an account run by the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted. “This June the Dead Sea becomes Pride Land, the biggest LGBTQ+ festival ever in the Middle East. Four days of nonstop celebration community and connection. Israel celebrates its LGBTQ+ community bigger than ever.”
The development was met with backlash. Evangelist Sean Feucht wrote on X, “We are living in the End Times,” while the account End Wokeness wrote, “…on the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah. You can’t make this up.”
