For the first time since its inception in 1983, the Dublin Pride Parade will take off from Stephen’s Green on June 24 this year. It will end at Smithfield Square, where the annual post-parade festivities will take place.

The route from Stephen’s Green to Smithfield has still to be decided, with questions about whether it will go down South Great George’s Street, the home of Dublin’s oldest gay bar, or cross the city via Kevin Street.

“Our preference would be to go down George’s Street,” says Festival Director, Jed Dowling. “But we have to think practically, and we’re in touch with all the various stakeholders, such as the Gardaí, the Fire Service and Dublin Bus, to work out the best possible route.”

According to Dowling there will be changes too to the staging elements of the parade.

“We’re looking at having a stage at Stephen’s Green at the beginning, where we can have speeches and some entertainment to rally the troops,” he says. “There’ll be a main stage at Smithfield, at the south end of the square, where there’s a natural space for it.”

Dublin LGBTQ Pride will host its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday May 16 in The Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2, at 7pm. To attend the AGM you have to be a member of Dublin Pride.

“It’s a membership-based organisation, so it’s essentially owned by its members,” says Dowling. “The more people that become members, the more representative it is of the community.”

UPDATED 18.5.17: Dublin LGBTQ Pride just teased a sneak peak of their route, which has been updated to indicate that the parade will march along Kevin St, down St Patrick’s St and across High St before crossing the River Liffey and finishing in Smithfield Square.

UPDATED 06.6.17: The official Pride route map was added to the article.