Two years after sponsor flight, Pride still seeks to regain footing

Two years after a significant sponsor exodus, Copenhagen Pride is still striving to rebuild its network of partnerships to its previous level. The organization faced a major setback in 2024 when nearly half of its sponsors withdrew their support.

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We are experiencing positive development and a greater willingness to engage again, but we are not back to the previous level.

The withdrawal followed Copenhagen Pride's decision to inquire about sponsors' "interests and activities in Israel and Palestine." Companies that did not provide what Pride deemed a "satisfactory answer" could no longer be partners. This move led to high-profile departures, including from major companies like Maersk, Google, and Novo Nordisk.

Benjamin Hansen, the current chair of Copenhagen Pride, noted a positive development, stating that corporate interest is greater now than in recent years. "We are experiencing positive development and a greater willingness to engage again, but we are not back to the previous level," he said. He added that rebuilding trust and partnerships is well underway, but the organization actively continues to work on expanding its circle of partners.

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Rebuilding trust and partnerships is well underway, and it continues. But we are still actively working to rebuild our circle of partners.

Copenhagen Pride relies on a "broad circle" of sponsors to fund its operations, which require up to ten million Danish kroner annually. Stable, long-term partnerships are therefore crucial for the organization's continued existence. This year marks Pride's 30th anniversary, and while several former sponsors have returned, including Dansk Industri, Danske Bank, and Google, the organization continues its efforts to secure full financial stability.

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We need to find financing of up to ten million kroner every year, and therefore stable and long-term partnerships are absolutely crucial for us to be able to continue.