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# Barents Pride, held on the Norway-Russia border, cancelled over concerns for safety of Russian LGBTQ+ participants
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/barents-pride-held-on-the-norway-russia-border-cancelled-over-concerns-for-safety-of-russian-lgbtq-participants/
- Published: 2026-09-23T11:30:32.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-23T11:30:32.000Z
- Author: Graham Robson
- Tags: Pride

One of the Arctic region's most significant LGBTQ+ events has been cancelled amid growing concerns for the safety of Russian attendees.

Organisers of **Barents Pride**, which has been held annually in the Norwegian border town of **Kirkenes** since 2017, announced that this year's event will not go ahead in its traditional format. The decision was made by **Kjetil Cornelius Kviteberg** and the team at **Arctic Pride Tromsø,** who cited fears that participation could put Russian LGBTQ+ people at risk. 

Barents Pride has become a rare safe space for LGBTQ+ people from Russia, many of whom have travelled long distances via third countries to attend the festival just a short distance from the Russian border. Over the years, the event has combined Pride celebrations, cultural activities and political solidarity with a focus on queer communities across the Barents region. 

In a statement announcing the cancellation, organisers said they remained committed to supporting LGBTQ+ people in Russia but could no longer justify holding the event in a way that might compromise participants' safety.

"We will continue to stand up for those who are increasingly less able to stand up for themselves, but we must do so in a way that does not put at risk the people we want to support," said Kjetil Cornelius Kviteberg. 

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2026/09/555447465_1199278392245481_5624376104226640697_n.jpg)

PRJ/FRI

While organisers suggested that some form of LGBTQ+ event may still take place in the **Sør-Varanger** municipality, it would not resemble the cross-border gathering that has defined Barents Pride for nearly a decade. 

The decision has been met with disappointment from members of the Russian LGBTQ+ community, who described the event as a rare opportunity to live openly and connect with others without fear of persecution. One Moscow-based attendee, identified only as Ivan, told *The Barents Observer* that previous visits to Kirkenes had offered "a breath of fresh air" compared with life in Russia, where many LGBTQ+ people feel unable to be open about their identities. 

Reflecting on the cancellation, he said the loss of Barents Pride felt like another blow at a time when many freedoms had already been stripped away from LGBTQ+ people in Russia.