Europe’s top leather and fetish events for 2015

As home to some of the world’s most active — and intense — leather and fetish scenes, it’s only natural that Europe also hosts many of the world’s best annual leather and fetish events.

Covering the map with kink from London to Berlin to Rome to Madrid, these festivals and parties happen throughout the year, so there’s always a good reason to gear up lurking just around the corner. Here’s our rundown of the cream of Euro-nasty happenings for 2015.

Leatherpride Belgium
Antwerp
Wed, Feb 11–Mon, Feb 16
Kink aficionados know that pretty little Antwerp is also highly pervy, home to one of the most vibrant leather and fetish scenes on the European continent. In mid-February, this capital of Belgium’s Flanders region hosts the six-day Leatherpride, highlighted by the Darklands indoor fetish festival (where scads of top global porn actors are always on hand), wildly popular opening and closing parties (Perverts and Hardon, respectively), and the Mr Leather Belgium contest. Check out this video for a preview of Leatherpride 2015, or watch a cool on-the-scene recap of 2014’s event here (narrated in Dutch, but with enough great imagery that you likely won’t mind).

For the most up-to-date travel information on gay Antwerp, see our City Guide, Listings Guide, Events Guide and Activities Guide.

Fetish Pride Italy
Rome
Fri, Feb 20–Sun, March 1
Southern Europe’s leather and fetish scenes have been slower to flower than those in the north, but they’re now making up for lost time with some great annual events. One of these is Fetish Pride Italy, a 10-day affair that includes its own fetish film festival and art and photo exhibitions. On tap, too, are specialized parties covering a wide swath of proclivities, from rubber to sneakers to fisters and beyond. This year’s Fetish Pride Italy will also include the first ever Roman edition of the popular Berlin and Antwerp party Perverts, featuring internationally popular fetish DJ Jack Chang.

For the most up-to-date travel information on gay Rome, see our City Guide, Listings Guide, Events Guide and Activities Guide.

Sleazy Madrid
Madrid
Wed, April 29–Sun, May 3
Another relative newcomer to Europe’s annual leather and fetish festival roster is this five-day springtime event in the Spanish capital. With a heavy party focus, Sleazy Madrid features big bashes like Perverts, a huge hit at leather and fetish gatherings across Europe; Full Fetish, a multi-kink extravaganza hosted by London-based hookup app Recon; and Into the Tank, the weekend’s main event.

For the most up-to-date travel information on gay Madrid, see our City Guide, Listings Guide, Events Guide and Activities Guide.

Cologne Fetish Pride (Rheinfetisch)

Cologne
Thurs, May 21–Mon, May 25
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2015, Cologne’s Fetish Pride is the premier annual event for the city’s large and lively fetish community, and it’s increasingly becoming a must-do fest for pervs from across Germany and the entire European continent. Spread over five days, Rheinfetisch includes numerous parties and events, including the headlining Bull Party, a waterborne Boat Party and the crowning of Mr Fetish NRW (for North Rhine-Westphalia, Cologne’s federal state within Germany).

For the most up-to-date travel information on gay Cologne, see our City Guide, Listings Guide, Events Guide and Activities Guide.

Paris Fetish Weekend
Paris
Thurs, May 28–Sun, May 31
Timelessly stylish Paris can also get down and dirty with the best of them, as was amply proven last year at the first-ever Paris Fetish Weekend. So successful was the inaugural event that it’s being repeated and expanded upon for 2015, covering four full days. The highlight will be Saturday night’s multi-fetish Bruthal party, but numerous events will cater to specialized fetishists. The weekend will also feature a number of interesting and unique tours, including a leather biker tour of the city and a guided tour of its historical cruising spots. Check out this video for a Paris Fetish Weekend preview.

For the most up-to-date travel information on gay Paris, see our City Guide, Listings Guide, Events Guide and Activities Guide.

Vienna Fetish Spring
Vienna
Wed, June 3–Sun, June 7
In its fourth year for 2015, Vienna’s premier annual leather and fetish event is a five-day fest featuring numerous parties with strict dress codes (or undress codes, as the case may be), a distinctive full-fetish-geared chartered tram tour of the city hosted by local leather organization LMC Vienna, and the always-hot election of Mr Fetish Austria.

For the most up-to-date travel information on gay Vienna, see our City Guide, Listings Guide, Events Guide and Activities Guide.

Fetish Week London
London
Early/mid July (exact 2015 dates to be announced)
Organized by Recon, a London-based fetish hookup app, Fetish Week is the British capital’s biggest annual event for its sizable leather and fetish community, with scores of happenings all around the city catering to nearly every imaginable appetite, from leather to lycra to lingerie. Headlining bashes include Saturday’s Full Fetish and Sunday’s Deconstruction closing party. Check out this video for a preview of last year’s Fetish Week.

For the most up-to-date travel information on gay London, see our City Guide, Listings Guide, Events Guide and Activities Guide.

Folsom Europe
Berlin
Sat, Sept 12 & Sun, Sept 13
Notoriously naughty Berlin is, naturally, home to the big dirty daddy of all annual European leather and fetish events, Folsom Europe. Launched in 2003 as an offshoot of San Francisco’s iconic Folsom Street Fair, this German incarnation draws fetishists from across the continent (and indeed the world) for a late-summer weekend of uniformed bondage and debauchery. Throughout the weekend, a vivid street fair takes over a few-block stretch of Fuggerstrasse in the heart of the German capital’s gay-heavy Schöneberg neighbourhood, featuring open-air fetishy cruising and strutting the likes of which can be matched only at the San Francisco original and with myriad booths selling all manner of leather and fetish gear. The accompanying roster of local events and parties is truly astounding, and it’s all headlined by Saturday’s massive and infamous Pig party. For a glimpse at last year’s Folsom Europe weekend, check out this video.

For the most up-to-date travel information on Gay Berlin, see our City Guide, Listings Guide, Events Guide and Activities Guide.

Leather Pride Weekend
Amsterdam
Late October (exact 2015 dates to be announced)
The Dutch capital’s prominent leather and fetish community is one of the strongest presences of its kind on the planet — this is the home, for example, of two of the world’s biggest fetish outfitters, RoB and Mister B — and for nearly two decades, Amsterdam’s Leather Pride Weekend has been its top annual shindig. Numerous naughty events always fill the four-day event, including specialized fetish parties at the city’s many leather and cruise bars and clubs.

For the most up-to-date travel information on gay Amsterdam, see our City Guide, Listings Guide, Events Guide and Activities Guide.